Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Forging Connections, Colby R. Long

Global Tides

The "Journeyer's Journal" consists of short narratives describing international experiences. Here, Colby R. Long describes his experiences in Heidelberg, Germany.

Program: 11th Biennial Symposium On Minorities, The Medically Underserved & Cancer. Charting A New Course Together, Quality Health Care For All, Intercultural Cancer Council

Informational and Promotional Materials

Program details the events, speakers, attendees, and discussions during the 11th Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved & Cancer presented by Intercultural Cancer Council and jointly sponsored by Baylor College of Medicine. The symposium took place April 3-6, 2008 at the OMNI Shoreham in Washington, DC. See more at Intercultural Cancer Council Records.

Alternative Methods Of Eliciting Individual Willingness To Pay For Travel Time Savings: A Pilot Study, Ashley Lascelles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How does one estimate the value of an individual's time? One possible way is to estimate how much a person is willing to pay for time savings. The majority of transportation studies have used stated preference surveys to estimate an individual's willingness to pay (WTP) for travel time savings. However, stated preferences approaches are subject to hypothetical bias since they elicit WTP for hypothetical outcomes instead of real outcomes. One study used a revealed preference approach in a natural experiment to elicit WTP for travel time savings but the data was for a non-recurring event, which was not replicable. The …

Comparison Of Dibels And Aimsweb Fall Benchmarking And Their Identification Of Students In Need Of Tier Ii Service, Lindsay R. Rickelman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Editorial Note From Director Hasci, วินัย ดะห์ลัน

Halal Insight

No abstract provided.

News

Halal Insight

No abstract provided.

The Unbearable Lightness Of Debating: Performance Ambiguity And Social Influence, Matthew B. Kugler, George R. Goethals

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

This chapter considers three sets of studies on how social influence affects perceptions of candidates' performances in presidential debates. The first set shows that perceptions are influenced markedly by the reactions of peers watching the debate at the same time or by televised audiences shown on broadcast debates. The second set shows that expectations created by news accounts prior to debates also have significant impact and that different kinds of news accounts affect different viewers in distinct ways. Individuals with a high need for cognition respond well to more complicated messages that advance some reason as to why an apparently …

Exploring The Relationship Between Patients' Health Locus Of Control And Perception Of Physician's Support, Maria F. Ricci Twitchell

HIM 1990-2015

This study explored the relationship between patients' Health Locus of Control and their perceptions about the nature of their physician-patient relationship. The Locus of Control Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale were implemented to measure the degree of personal control individuals attribute to their health. The Health Care Climate Questionnaire was used to measure the perceived physician support. The predicted result of the study was that patients who exhibit a higher degree of internal health locus of control would report better relationships with their physicians. This hypothesis was confirmed; there was a positive relationship between Internal health …

Library Annual Report

Library Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

An Incumbent's Guide To Reelection: The States And Economic Voting In U.S. Presidential Elections, Kyle Smith

Honors Theses

This study has two chapters. The first uses Ray Fair 's national economic voting model of U.S. presidential elections to pose and answer specific questions about how voting theory works in practice. The results suggest that economic activity in the year of an election is the primary determinant of voters' perceptions of presidential performance on the economy, while earlier years in the administration's term are not important. Also, voters hold the incumbent party responsible for economic conditions whether or not that party controls Congress. Finally, the results suggest that economic voting generally operates symmetrically -a fall in growth affects the …

Advocating At The Margins: Women’S Ngos In China, Ling U

Honors Theses

The development of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in China has been unprecedented in the past fifteen years. The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) and parallel NGO Forum in Beijing, China, opened the door for the first time for the establishment of women’s NGOs in China. This paper examines the development of Chinese women’s NGOs with a particular focus on two organizations in Beijing for marginalized female populations: one focusing on lesbians and the other helping women with HIV/AIDS. I examine the structure and growth of each NGO; however, on a more personal level and perhaps more importantly, I use …

Language Of Sex: Moral Socialization And Reproductive Education In Public Schools, Melyn Heckelman

Honors Theses

This thesis is the product of my five weeks of ethnography in three classrooms in Waterville, Maine and the surrounding area, in addition to individual and group interviews with both students and the educators themselves. It seeks to understand why, in a culture so saturated with images of sexuality and naked bodies, the teachers I observed were largely unwilling or unable to discuss human sexuality in public schools as anything more than a public health issue. Since the 1960s sex educators have been fighting to teach about contraceptives. Recent longitudinal studies have confirmed what proponents of comprehensive education have been …

Competition Or Community? Manifest And Unexpressed Functions Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001, Sara Benjamin

Honors Theses

Any contemporary discussion of the American education system inevitably includes a discussion of current federal policy as set out in The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Signed into law on January 8, 2002, NCLB has sparked tremendous controversy in the field of education. Although the title would suggest otherwise, NCLB does not aim to make sure no child is left behind. Instead, one might argue that it aims to provide quantifiable measures of comparison so as to allow the U.S. to assert educational and economic dominance in the global community. Thus, we can see a distinction between …

In The Absence Of Family: How Ideas Of The Substitute Family In Honduran Children's Homes Shape Perception Of The Needs Of At-Risk Youth, Stephanie Bowman

Honors Theses

Through an interdisciplinary analysis of children’s homes in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, this project reflects on how conceptions of family affect the prioritization of the needs of the homes’ beneficiaries. One consequence of the impoverished nature of Honduras are orphaned, abandoned, mistreated, malnourished, abused, neglected and disowned children who have come to live in group children’s homes that, for the most part, meet their short-term physical needs. But what about children’s developmental, social and educational needs? In this study, we analyze what needs homes meet according to the kind of familial substitute they provide as either a group home or …

Self-Destructive Behaviors Of Adolescent Girls And Boys, Carolyn A. Curtis

Honors Theses

From a social constructionist perspective linked with a feminist standpoint, I examine three forms of adolescent self-destructive behaviors: eating disorders, self-mutilation and substance abuse. The social construction of adolescents’ norms, values, and beliefs, as based upon their interactions with family, peers, and the media, helps explain these self-destructive actions. In addition to a comprehensive literature review, I interviewed five adults who work with adolescents in the state of Maine, and used these professionals’ experiences and knowledge to support the current theories pertaining to these acts of self-harm. To better understand what drives some adolescents to harm their own bodies, I …

"System Of Silence": Philadelphia Orphanages And The Limits Of Benevolence, 1780s-1830s, Brian Sweeney

Honors Theses

In 1831, Mathew Carey, a well-known Philadelphia economist, wrote a city official describing the situation of black children in the city. He called for the creation of an orphanage to aid these children and described the motives for this action as not only the “humanity and benevolence” of Philadelphians, but also “personal interest”, as this class could otherwise turn “lawless”. Unknown to Carey, the Association for the Care of Coloured Orphans had been established in 1822 by a group of benevolent Quaker women dedicated to aiding this destitute class in an effort to promote compensatory justice for generations of oppression …

State Political Action Committee Financing And The 2008 Presidential Election: A Detailed Look At Mitt Romney And The Commonwealth Pacs, Melyn Heckelman

Honors Theses

This study looks at the historical context in which PACs developed, as well as the current legal environment in which they operate. It will also briefly discuss the legal and procedural challenges that candidates face and the ways in which PACs alleviate some of these pressures in ways that presidential committees cannot. An understanding of the strategic dilemmas which cause candidates to seek extraneous structures through which to establish campaign networks is essential to extrapolating the potential future of campaign finance strategy. Furthermore, this study provides an in-depth analysis of the state Commonwealth PACs both in terms of fundraising and …

Demographic Differences In Household Expenditure For Low-Income Families: Evidence From The United States, Joerose Tharakan

Honors Theses

Despite being one of the world’s most prosperous countries, the United States of America was home to roughly 7.7 million households living in poverty in 2006. Of this figure, 53% percent of households were headed by a single mother. What is more disturbing is that a significant majority of these households were those of full time workers, unable to meet the basic needs of their families at federally mandated minimum wage rates. Researchers and activists from a multitude of disciplines have repeatedly called for an overhaul of the current method of estimating poverty in the United States` and further proposed …

The Penguins' Revolution: An Analysis Of Student Response To The Multi-Dimensional Chilean Educational Crisis, Abigail Hall

Honors Theses

Through exploration and analysis of economic, historical and political factors stemming from the authoritarian period (1973-1990) to the present day, this project offers an interdisciplinary explanation of the emergence of the "Penguin's Revolution" in Chile. In May-June 2006, 700,000 high school students paralyzed the Chilean education system by protesting in the streets, taking over schools and not attending classes. Students organized under the Coordinating Assembly of Secondary Students (ACES) demanded that the government take responsibility for providing universal high quality and equal education. The roots of student discontent lie in the multi-dimensional education crisis, generated by the semi-privatized, decentralized educational …

Academic Libraries As Digital Gateways: Linking Students To The Burgeoning Wealth Of Open Online Collections, Jane Hutton

University Libraries Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Avalanche Or Undue Alarm? An Empirical Study Of Subpoenas Received By The News Media, Ronnell Andersen Jones

Faculty Scholarship

For more than thirty years, proponents and opponents of a federal reporter’s shield law have debated the necessity of a privilege for members of the news media and have disagreed sharply about the frequency with which subpoenas are issued to the press. Most recently, in the wake of several high-profile contempt cases, proponents have pointed to a perceived “avalanche” of subpoenas, while opponents have contended that the receipt of subpoenas by reporters remains very rare. This article summarizes the results of an empirical study on the question. The study gathered data on subpoenas received by daily newspapers and network-affiliated television …

How The Law Defines Journalism, Rhonda Breit

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Studies proffering critiques of journalism and developing theories that seek to explain what it is have been dominated by research into journalists 'attitudes, social structures and cultural influences and effects. Thus these studies are essentially linear and intra-professional. This paper calls for a broader examination of understandings of journalism based on Abbott’s concept of occupational jurisdiction. Abbott (1988, J993, p. 204) argues that professions cannot be studied individually, but should be examined in the context of an interacting system of professionals; that a theory of professions must take account of culture and social structure as well as intra-, inter- and …

Journalistic Self-Regulation In Australia: Is It Ready For The Information Society?, Rhonda Breit

Graduate School of Media and Communications

This article examines the system of journalistic accountability in Australia, evaluating its capacity to promote `the highest ethical and professional standards' seen as fundamental to achieving the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) vision for an inclusive information society. First, it outlines the approach to media and journalistic accountability adopted in Australia. It then analyses a representative sample of journalism codes of ethics and codes of practice, classifying them according to their approaches to self-regulation, the key characteristics of the codes and the approaches to dispute resolution adopted. The findings of this analysis are then compared with best practice …

Agricultural Systems: Agroecology And Rural Innovations For Development [Book Review], Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

To welcome yet another book on sustainable development, a reviewer must look for what is unique and what adds value to the volumes already published. In Agricultural Systems, editors Sieglinde Snapp and Barry Pound have assembled a collection of chapters that goes beyond the usual praise and criticism of the green revolution and the focus on economic development. Their book provides a first-hand story by people with lengthy experiences in the field, especially in Africa, who have developed and tested grassroots, participatory development approaches. The result is a valuable set of principles, strategies and case studies that paint a new …

Evaluating Majority Party Leaders In Congress, Daniel Palazzolo

Political Science Faculty Publications

Evaluations of majority party leaders come from three main sources: political scientists, media analysts, and members of Congress. Political scientists are the theoreticians. They have defined concepts and developed theories for evaluating leadership style, strategy, and strength. Journalists are the watchdogs. They regularly evaluate leader performance in response to contemporary events. Members of Congress then serve as the judges and juries. They occasionally advise leaders on tactics and strategies, and they ultimately have the ability to sanction or reward leaders.

Connecting Diversity To Management: Further Insights, Tim Zou, La Loria Konata

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

It has long been noted that libraries need more diversity in the professional ranks. This situation is now critical with baby boomers soon to retire leaving millennials, who are more racially and ethnically diverse, as the next majority population. The profession will need to recruit a more significant number of millennials to the profession if libraries are to resemble the communities they serve. To get an idea of the current status of management diversity in libraries, managers/supervisors of ARL libraries—in states that contain the highest number of minorities in population—were randomly selected for a survey. Participants in ARL’s LCDP were …

Factors Driving Turkish Foreign Policy, Betul Dicle

LSU Master's Theses

Evaluation of Turkish foreign policy events suggests that both external and domestic factors have affected its determination. While a consistent pattern in foreign policy has been observed since Ottoman times, the 20th century has led to substantial challenges. Long-established Turkish foreign policy, based exclusively on external factors, was reshaped to include domestic factors as well. With the new Republic in 1923, the process of reshaping foreign policy, based on Western values, has started. The end of the Cold War started a new era in which domestic factors gained predominance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the factors that …

Beyond The Early Adopters: Examining The Potential For Car-Sharing In Richmond, Virginia, Steven P. Spears

Theses and Dissertations

Car-sharing is a membership-based mobility service that offers short-term vehicle rentals. Studies have shown that car-sharing can increase transportation sustainability by encouraging the use of public transit and reducing vehicle miles traveled. This thesis examines the potential for car-sharing in Richmond, Virginia through an attitude-based qualitative pilot study. Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, urban and suburban residents were asked questions that measured car-sharing intention strength, mode choice habit, and life change effects. The study found that even among those with positive attitudes toward car-sharing, existing habits, lack of adequate commuting alternatives and the needs of non-driving …

Law, Biology, And Property: A New Theory Of The Endowment Effect, Owen D. Jones, Sarah F. Brosnan

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Recent work at the intersection of law and behavioral biology has suggested numerous contexts in which legal thinking could benefit by integrating knowledge from behavioral biology. In one of those contexts, behavioral biology may help to provide theoretical foundation for, and potentially increased predictive power concerning, various psychological traits relevant to law. This Article describes an experiment that explores that context.

The paradoxical psychological bias known as the endowment effect puzzles economists, skews market behavior, impedes efficient exchange of goods and rights, and thereby poses important problems for law. Although the effect is known to vary widely, there are at …

Self-Appraisals, Perfectionism, And Academics In College Undergraduates, David Edward Canter

Theses and Dissertations

The influences on perfectionism and procrastination of race, gender, cognitive-affective and academic self-appraisals, and academic performance expectations were studied. The sample consisted of 155 Introductory Psychology students (57 African Americans, 41 Asian Americans, and 57 European Americans; 51.6% women) with a mean age of 19.4 years (SD = 3.6). Data were collected during the final week of the Fall 2007 semester. Consistent with previous research indicating that men are more likely to procrastinate than women, men were over-represented in this sample. Self-esteem, measured with the Rosenberg (1965) Self-Esteem Scale, was conceptualized as having two components: self-liking and self-competence (Tafarodi & …