Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Attorney And Judicial Perceptions Of The Credibility Of Expert Witnesses In Child Custody Cases, Michael T. Foot

Theses and Dissertations

Attorney and judicial attitudes towards expert witnesses in child custody cases were investigated by a cross-sectional research design. Subjects consisted of a sample of 381 of all attorneys and judges in the Commonwealth of Virginia who wished to be certified as guardians ad litem. Subjects were asked to fill out a six page questionnaire immediately prior to a daylong certification training session. The sample was primarily white (85.2%) and male (57.7%). Information was gathered on the subjects' demographic characteristics, experience with and attitudes toward expert witnesses in custody cases, opinions on traditional court and family structures, and knowledge of developmental …

Observations On The Serial Killer Phenomenon: An Examination Of Selected Behaviors Of The Interstate Offender Contrasted With The Intrastate Offender, Eric W. Witzig

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work was to compare serial homicides committed by interstate and intrastate offenders and to determine differences in behavior between them. Knowledge of such differences would enable the trained homicide detective to structure his investigation according to the killer's inferred range of action.

This study used homicide data collected by the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP), of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC). VICAP's data was voluntarily submitted by investigators working at the state, local, and federal levels. The VICAP database had information on more than 804 cases of homicides committed by 241 …

Role Of Perceived Competence In The Behavior Of Socially Anxious Persons In Problem-Solving Groups, Scott D. Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Research finds high-shy persons participate minimally in interactions, withhold ideas from their groups, and negatively evaluate their performance. While commonly true, high-shy persons do not always interact less and it has been suggested (Efran & Korn, 1969) that high-shy persons may dominate a discussion if they can find a "safe" topic. The current study examined whether perceptions of perceived competence can produce this effect and increase the performance level of high-shy persons in a problem-solving group above the performance level of low-shy persons.

One hundred and four women, ages 18 to 24, at Virginia Commonwealth University participated. Subjects completed a …

An Evaluation Of A Program For Incarcerated Mothers: Parenting Training And The Enhancement Of Self-Esteem, Alvin R. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parenting training on the acquisition of parenting skills and its impact on self-esteem of incarcerated mothers. The program under study is the "Mothers Inside Loving Kids" (M.I.L.K.) program, which is a holistic training/visitation program designed for incarcerated mothers.Study participants included 40 volunteer incarcerated mothers at the Virginia Correctional Center for women. The treatment group consisted of 20 participants who were already involved in the "M.I.L.K." program. The comparison group was made up of 20 mothers who were on the waiting list for the program due to the lack of …

An Empirical Examination Of The Major Organizational Dimensions That Influence The Perceived Quality Of Federal Personnel Office Services, John Elton Dunning

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies conducted by oversight agencies show that improvements are needed in Federal personnel office (FPO) operations. The existing literature and research in the field of public personnel administration provides little guidance as to what types of changes or interventions will improve service quality. The purpose of this study is to identify organizational variables that influence FPO service quality.

This study is based on the multiple-constituency model of organizational effectiveness and the body of literature pertaining to service quality research conducted in private sector service industries. The investigator developed a conceptual model of FPO service quality based on the findings …

The Computer Age And Planning: A Survey Of Technological Infusion, Robert Skot Bayers

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports on the results of a survey sent by the author to 148 local and regional planning agencies in Virginia. The mail survey of all Virginia county, city, town, and regional planning agencies showed that computers have been widely accepted and integrated into the planning workplace. Smaller agencies, and those with greater budgetary constraints have yet to realize the computer's full potential, however. The survey yielded an %84.5 total response rate, and covered hardware, software, organization and personnel, and effectiveness issues. It was based upon a similar survey administered in Arizona, New Mexico, and California five years ago. …

Attachment, Social Support, And Violence In Adolescent Delinquents, James R. Craft

Theses and Dissertations

Attachment relationships between children and their primary caretakers have been hypothesized to contribute to internal working models of subsequent relationships with others. Poor attachment might lead to internal working models which devalue later relationships, making the perpetration of violence against others more likely. One focus of this study was to propose a model which combined parental bonding, adolescent attachment, and perceived family support to predict the severity of violence used against others by adolescent delinquents. A second focus was to test the proposed model in predicting the total number of violent offenses committed by adolescent delinquents. One hundred and forty-five …

Prevention As A Component Of Homeless Policy: A Longer-Term Evaluation Of The State Of Virginia's Homeless Intervention Program, Emma Kathleen Flaherty

Theses and Dissertations

A comprehensive homeless policy includes emergency housing, transitional housing, permanent housing, and prevention components. Researchers have determined that all four categories of homeless assistance are essential to address the needs of the diverse groups that comprise the homeless population.

This dissertation focuses on the prevention component which is designed to assist those in marginal economic circumstances who experience an unavoidable housing crisis. Several states have state-sponsored and state-funded homeless prevention programs.

The Commonwealth of Virginia authorized funding for the Homeless Intervention Program (HIP) in FY 1989-90. A Short-Term Study of the first group of participants conducted by Johnson, Brooks, Hambrick, …

A Qualitative Study Of Interpretive Communities Among Lds Women, Oleah Clegg

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown that a number of researchers have turned to the concept of the interpretive community to explain how audiences interpret the media within the context of their everyday experiences (Biocca, 1989; Gunter, 1989; Lindlof, 1989, 1992; Radway, 1984; Schrøder, 1994). D. A. Stout (1993) conducted a study that discovered three interpretive communities among LDS women who watch television, establishing that interpretive communities do exist among religious media audiences.

In 1994, K. Schrøder showed that the interpretive community can be further understood by taking a "social semiotic" approach to analyzing interpretive community members' social interaction with other communities. …

Adolescents' Use Of Discretionary Time: A Time Use Study Of The Central Utah Area, Rebecca Hirschi

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides Central Utah school and recreation leaders with local data on which to base their program development by collecting and analyzing data on adolescents' use of time, and to compare local statistics with national data. The research included participants from Nephi, Spanish Fork, and Provo schools. Each participant completed 7 days of a leisure time diary, which detailed daily activities. Single sample t-tests on the data revealed that Central Utah adolescents' time use is significantly different from national statistics. The differences in the statistics indicate that school and recreation leaders need local data on which to base adolescent …

General Diagnosis Of Salitrón, A Village In San Juan Ermita, Department Of Chiquimula, Fredy Samuel Coronado López

Theses and Dissertations

This study reports on the development of a diagnostic tool to assess the current socio-economic and cultural conditions as well as physical and natural resources among the rural communities of Salitrón and San Juan Ermita, Chiquimula, Guatemala. This diagnostic tool revealed the current situation in these communities, especially in the population dedicated to agricultural production. Several alternative recommendations are provided to improve development projects in these communities. This project was made possible through the participation of CUNORI (Centro Universitario de Oriente) agricultural students.

Study Of The Time Efficiency And Volume Of Wood Used For Three Types Of Stove In The Salitrón Community Of San Juan Ermita, Department Of Chiquimula, Fredy Samuel Coronado López

Theses and Dissertations

In developing countries such as Guatemala, firewood is increasingly being used for cooking in most rural areas. Consequently, there is a shortage of firewood in these areas beca use trees do not grow at the same rate as they are consumed. Some authors report that 90% of the heat from firewood is lost during combustion. Several alternatives to open pit fires exist to reduce the amount of firewood used. However, these alternatives need to be evaluated to determine their efficiency. This project compared the time efficiency and volume of firewood used in the Finlandia style improved stoves, Josefina stoves, and …

Who's Speaking Whose Language? A Study Of Contact Signing Between Deaf And Hearing Co-Workers, Marilyn K. Plumlee

Theses and Dissertations

This study documents signed communication between a deaf woman and five hearing co-workers who have worked together for periods ranging from two and a half to twenty-three years.

The study has two primary foci:

(1) to describe the linguistic features observed during contact signing between deaf and hearing interlocutors, all fluent in English, who communicate in a manual, visual channel, and

(2) to identify the dynamics affecting the linguistic choices made by both the hearing and deaf signers during contact signing.

The primary data base for this study were videotaped recordings of conversational dyads consisting of the deaf woman and …

An Analysis Of The Extent To Which Humor Is Accepted And Employed In The Workplace For The Enhancement Of Productivity And Creativity, Jonathan R. Specht, Paul D. Tobin

Theses and Dissertations

Today's business literature is filled with discussions of the many benefits humor can bring to the work environment. Two of these purported benefits, namely, the enhancement of workplace productivity and the enhancement of workplace creativity, have attracted the attention of modern managers challenged with keeping their organizations competitive despite dwindling financial and human resources. Unfortunately, little research has been done to date which actually demonstrates a link between the existence of workplace humor and improved levels of productivity and creativity. Without this demonstration of causality, most managers are reluctant to invest corporate resources in pursuit of workplace humor despite its …

An Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Records Management, Dale R. Austin, Peter M. Moseley

Theses and Dissertations

This research was performed for the dual purpose of defining effectiveness as it applies to the field of records management (RM) and studying the impact of Document Librarian (DL) on the productivity of Air Force records managers. The main thrust of the study was to define effectiveness for RM because no standard existed. The definition was generated through a Delphi process with a group of RM experts and took four rounds to achieve acceptable consensus. The Delphi process evaluated major areas which a RM system must perform. DL is a RM software package developed jointly by Air Force Material Command …

The Relationship Of Parental Conflict And Parent-Child Relationship To The Sense Of Coherence Of Young Adult Children Of Divorce, Bruce K. Retterath

Theses and Dissertations

Early investigations of children and adolescents of divorce focused on the short-term negative influence of divorce on children and adolescents from "broken homes." Divorce is still seen as an important mediator in children's development, but other variables dealing with the family dynamics have been shown to be significant factors in the response of children to parental divorce. Few studies have considered the long-term influences of parental conflict and the parent-child relationship on young adults, and no studies have examined their relationship with the development of sense of coherence (SOC).

This study investigated the long-term relationship of parents' marital status, parental …

Psychological Type And Preferences In The Academic Environment, Jeannine A. Duncan, Pamela J. Powers

Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses significant relationships between the components of an individual's psychological type and cognitive style, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and preferences within the academic environment, as indicated on the Educational Style Survey (ESS). The areas within the academic environment which were addressed include classroom configuration, subject matter difficulty, student's study strategy, testing method preferences, amount of student/faculty interaction, and adaptability to academic stress. The sample consisted of 695 Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) graduate students in the School of Logistics and Acquisition Management (1985-93) who completed the MBTI and the ESS. The analysis utilized …

A Case Study Of The Base-Closure Community Initial Redevelopment Process, Stephen R. Cliatt, Gregory A. Stanley

Theses and Dissertations

In 1990, Public Law 101-510 created the independent, five-year Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission BRAC. This law provided for the Commission to meet in 1991, 1993, and 1995. The 1993 Commission recommended transfer of the Defense Electronic Supply Center DESC, a Defense Logistics Agency inventory control point, to Columbus, Ohio. This action resulted in an Air Force decision to close Gentile AFS, Kettering, Ohio. A case study of the closure and initial redevelopment of Gentile AFS was undertaken to construct a framework to be used by future redevelopment policy makers affected by a defense base closure. This framework covers …

The Role Of The Federal Government In The Civilian Conversion Of Military Installations: A Case Study Of Gentile Air Force Station, Jodie L. Eshbach, Calvin S. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

In 1988, the Department of Defense DOD began a massive series of military base closures. Communities affected by these closures must contend with regulations of numerous agencies which impact the closure process. Since 1961, DODs Office of Economic Adjustment OEA has assisted communities in their attempts to recover from effects of base closures. In the 1980s and 1990s, the governments level of involvement increased it added the Air Force Base Conversion Agency AFBCA and the Base Transition Office BTO to assist communities recovery efforts. Through a review of historical data, a case study of the conversion activities at Gentile Air …

An Analysis Of The Usefulness Of Graduate Education To Contracting Professionals As Perceived By Graduates And Their Supervisors, Ursula J. Woodson, Kimberly L. Yoder

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to assess the usefulness of graduate education to contracting professionals as perceived by graduates and their supervisors. Based on a list of 22 skills used by contracting professionals, graduates and their supervisors were surveyed to determine to what extent graduates possess these skills, developed these skills in their graduate degree program, and use these skills in the performance of their jobs. Air Force Institute of Technology Contracting Management Graduates since 1988 and contracting professionals with masters degrees within the Air Force Materiel Command were identified for this study. As a result of this study, …

The Effects Of Three-Dimensional Graphs On Decision Making, Anita E. Latin, Anthony L. Villanueva

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to determine whether or not, and by how much, three-dimensional graphs are more accurate and efficient than two- dimensional graphs and tables when presenting alternatives to decision makers. A graphical experiment was designed using a microcomputer. This experiment presented a business scenario to test Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT Professional Continuing Education PCE students. The experiment attempted to determine how well DoD decision makers accurately and efficiently performed elementary data collection tasks using various graphs or tables. The experiment used a randomized order within-subject factorial design with repeated measures. The factorial experiment was …

Relative Clauses In Southern Uzbek, Benjamin Unseth

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the structure of both finite and nonfinite relative clauses in Southern Uzbek. As such, it represents the first linguistic analysis of a topic in Southern Uzbek published in English. English research on Standard Uzbek establishes the existence of nonfinite relative clauses but does not examine them thoroughly, nor does it even sketch Standard Uzbek's uncommon finite relative clauses. In Southern Uzbek, finite relative clauses are more common than in Standard Uzbek. This research is based on texts collected from three men from Andkhuy, Afghanistan, and on elicited sentences.

A few characteristics of Southern Uzbek's relative clauses emerge …

Tacit Cooperation Between Enemies: Two Case Studies, Kristina Handy

Theses and Dissertations

This research details a point of reference to understand two case studies of cooperation that developed among lower-level, or non policy-making bureaucrats during times of conflict or war. Using components of game theory, I propose that when an international conflictual relationship occurs that resembles an iterated Prisoners' Dilemma, and that meets certain conditions, tacit cooperation can emerge. Tacit cooperation consists of illicit or implied cooperation that is not sanctioned at the national policy level.

In this research I develop a framework of tacit cooperation, relying heavily upon Robert Axelrod's theory of evolutionary cooperation. With the framework in place, I then …

An Analysis Of Air Force Acquisition Engineering Officer's Perceptions Of The Adequacy Of Their Preparation For Management, Steven E. Woodruff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how much time Air Force acquisition engineers spend in performing management functions, how those engineers spend in performing management functions, how those engineers perceive their management training, and which types of training contribute the most to managerial competency. The results from surveys of 215 acquisition engineers assigned to ASCEN, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH and their supervisors revealed that engineers do indeed spend substantial amounts of time performing management functions. Slightly more than half the engineers reported spending at least 50 of an average workday performing management functions. Over 53 of engineers responding to …

Other-Centeredness And Depression In A Sample Of Mormon Women, Janice G. Nielson

Theses and Dissertations

Other-centeredness and depression were examined to see if a relationship existed between the two. One scale measuring other-centeredness and another measuring depression were given to a sample of married Mormon women who did not work outside the home. Other-centeredness and depression were significantly negatively correlated. The women scoring in the top one-third of the range of other-centeredness scores suffered no depression on the depression scale. The factor most predictive for depression was the relationship the women had with her husband, and other-centeredness was found to overlap with this variable to some extent. The factors of health, income, and education were …

The Mormons In Wilhelmie Germany, 1870-1914: Making A Place For An Unwanted American Religion In A Changing German Society, Michael Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Between 1853 and 1914 the kingdom of Prussia and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, disagreed over the issue of Mormon missionaries proselyting in Prussia. In 1853 royal magistrates banished all Mormon missionaries from the kingdom for advocating emigration. A new church policy of preaching without seeking for official permission, in addition to an improved relationship between the Mormons in Utah and the United States government after the Manifesto of 1890, led to an increase in missionaries sent to Germany, including Prussia. By 1900 mormon success alarmed the Prussian Protestant clergy and a few Prussian governors …

Pornography And Premarital Sexual Activity Among Lds Teenagers, Mark A. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between several independent measures and premarital sexual activity among 1,393 LDS teenagers living along the east coast. Results indicate that among these LDS teens, exposure to pornography is strongly and significantly related to the probability of having engaged in premarital sex. This holds true even when controlling for peer influence, family structure, religiosity, gender, and age. Teens who were exposed to pornography (1 to 24 exposures) are 2.6 times more likely to have engaged in sex as compared to those who report no exposure to pornography. Furthermore, those teens exposed to a higher amount of …

Advertising Budget Reduction Impacts On Effective Communication: A Descriptive Analysis : Evaluation Of Virginia State Parks 1994 Advertising Campaign, Lois Ann Delbueno

Theses and Dissertations

A descriptive analysis to determine the communication effects of a reduced advertising budget, this study evaluated the 1994 Virginia State Parks advertising campaign. The campaign's objective was to provide Virginians more information about the parks, which in the previous 1992 Virginia Outdoor Survey, was said to be needed.

The author sought to answer questions relative to the overall effect of reducing the advertising budget, as well as the amount and nature of awareness resulting from it.

In order to measure these relationships, the author collected data into two random seven-day periods to compare 1994 versus 1993 for awareness, cost-effectiveness and …

Adjusting Holt-Winters Exponential Smoothing For External Intervention: A Mathematical Technique For Making Quasi-Judgmental Adjustments For Anticipated Changes, Daniel Wayne Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Public administration data is sometimes extrapolated through exponential smoothing. Sometimes such data may undergo a level shift because of a policy decision. The slope of the curve formed by connecting the periodic observations increases or decreases significantly for a brief period, thereafter returning to a slope similar to the slope preceding the policy change. This discontinuity might be called a ramp or a step. Forecasts made with exponential smoothing immediately before, during, or immediately after the ramp or step may be considerably inaccurate unless adjusted. A technique called adjusted exponential smoothing is proposed to reduce or eliminate the inaccuracy of …

Validation Of A Virginia Work Release Risk Prediction Model: A Methodology For The Improvement Of The Reliability Of Correctional Decision Makers, William Nathan Osborne Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study identifies and validates variables which are significant predictors of work release success on 439 Virginia work release participants. The variables were selected on the basis of whether they would exert internal or external control over the inmate, with a view toward offering empirical support to control theory. A retrospective longitudinal research design was employed by randomly selecting inmates who had participated in either of three work release centers from 1987 to 1991. Two of the programs housed male inmates while the other housed female inmates. Data were collected from inmate files on thirty-one variables over a six month …