Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Median Household Income In 2000, Grand Rapids, Community Research Institute-Johnson Center

Community Maps

No abstract provided.

Median Individual Earnings In 2000, Grand Rapids, Community Research Institute-Johnson Center

Community Maps

No abstract provided.

Integrating Landscapes That Have Experienced Rural Depopulation And Ecological Homogenization Into Tropical Conservation Planning, Aerin L. Jacob, Ismael Vaccaro, Raja Sengupta, Joel N. Hartter, Colin A. Chapman

Geography

If current trends of declining fertility rates and increasing abandonment of rural land as a result of urbanization continue, this will signal a globally significant transformation with important consequences for policy makers interested in conservation planning. This transformation is presently evident in a number of countries and projections suggest it may occur in the future in many developing countries. We use rates of population growth and urbanization to project population trends in rural areas for 25 example countries. Our projections indicate a general decline in population density that has either occurred already (e.g., Mexico) or may occur in the future …

Pestering Staff Into Online Learning: An Integrated Plan, H. J. Jones

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

Universities are striving to provide quality learning experiences for their diverse student population and online learning is one aspect of this changing environment. This paper notes barriers that have been recognised that impede faculty uptake of online learning and examines some of the strategies that can be implemented to overcome these barriers. A plan for integrated implementation of online learning is proposed which consists of Planning & Promotion, Education, Support, Training, Encouragement and Recognition & Reward (PESTER). The elements of the plan are described in detail and an example of an implementation plan is provided.

Female Participation In The Police Promotion Process: Are Women Competing For Promotion In Numbers Proportionate To Their Statistical Representation In Policing?, Brent Shea

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the participation rate and success of female officers in the police promotion process viewed within the theoretical context of organizational culture, systemic discrimination, and the pipeline and glass ceiling theories. A survey of female officers employed with the Ontario Police Services between 2000 and 2007 was conducted. The findings reveal that although the challenges and obstacles faced by women have not disappeared, encouraging progress has been made. For both the sergeant and staff sergeant ranks, women are seeking promotion in proportions that exceed the historic and weighted seniority requirements associated with police promotions that previously required pre-determined …

Supervising Cross-Border Banks: Matters Arising., Kim Norris

Economic and Financial Review

An essential element of banking supervision is that supervisors supervise their banking groups on a consolidated basis, adequately monitoring and, as appropriate, applying prudential norms to all aspects of the business conducted by each group worldwide. This paper examines supervision of banking groups on a consolidated basis which goes beyond accounting consolidation. It simply implies that there is a group-wide approach to supervision whereby all risks taken on by each banking group are taken into account wherever they are booked (i.e. in the bank or in a subsidiary; in Nigeria or elsewhere).

Rethinking Social Work's Role In Public Assistance, Julie Cooper Altman, Gertrude Schaffner Goldberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article presents an argument for revisiting social work's relationship to public assistance in the wake of 10 years of welfare reform. Three case studies drawn from a mixed-method study of the quality of life of former TANF recipients illustrate the range, depth and complexity of the needs of persons while they are on the welfare rolls, transitioning off and living without cash relief. The article briefly traces the history of social work's commitment to and provision of social services for this population and argues that it may be time to revisit the profession's role in public assistance. In light …

The Evolution Of Reciprocity In Sizable Human Groups, Casey G. Rothschild

Economics Faculty Scholarship

The scale and complexity of human cooperation is an important and unresolved evo- lutionary puzzle. This article uses the finitely repeated n person Prisoners’ Dilemma game to illustrate how sapience can greatly enhance group-selection effects and lead to the evolutionary stability of cooperation in large groups. This affords a simple and direct explanation of the human “exception.”

What Benefits Do Parents Reap From Helpers At The Nest?, Kimber Haddix Mckay

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Review of "Maya Children: Helpers at the Farm."

Psychological Distress And Change In A Pediatric Obesity Population, Amy Rebecca Beck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pediatric overweight and obesity is a growing national epidemic with 15 percent of children ages 6-19 considered obese and at least 22 percent considered overweight. While there is considerable research pointing to contributing factors of obesity, there is a paucity of research which elucidates what contributes to successful intervention. Considering that by the year 2050, nearly 50 million Americans may be obese, understanding the factors delineating success of weight loss and prevention is a necessity. The purpose of this study was to utilize archival data from the LLU Growing Fit Program to evaluate the levels of psychological distress experienced by …

Ethical Decision-Making Regarding Multiple Relationships Between Therapist And Client, Diana Jochai

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current study examined a new conceptual model of factors critical to a therapist’s decision-making process when faced with the potential of a nonsexual multiple relationship with a client. This new model was founded on the conceptual framework proposed by Street, Douglas, Geiger, & Martinko (2001) and integrated the components of the decision-making process and the individual and situational factors influencing those components identified in existing general conceptual models and specific behavioral guidelines. For the ethical decision-making process to begin, a practitioner must be able to recognize the presenting problem as an ethical dilemma (Brazerman, 1986; Jones, 1991; Street et …

How Can We Best Manage Freeway Congestion?, Robert Bertini, Christopher Monsere

TREC Project Briefs

Researchers from Portland State University evaluate Oregon’s Implementation of System-Wide Adaptive Ramp Metering (SWARM).

Individual Differences In Emotion Expression: Hierarchical Structure And Relations With Psychological Distress, Jeffery H. Kahn, Leah K. Barr, Joel W. Schneider

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Several constructs reflecting individual differences in emotion expression have been described in the literature, yet their structural organization is unknown. The present study provided a taxonomy of these individual differences and determined their relations to depression and anxiety symptoms. Exploratory factor analyses suggested seven emotion-expression factors-Affect Intensity, Ambivalence About Expression Disclosure of Negative Emotion, Disclosure of Emotion, Disclosure of Lack of Affect, Expression of Positive Emotion, and Secret Keeping-are explained by two second-order factors: Emotional Constraint and Emotional Expression. Multiple regression and canonical correlation analyses suggested that a reluctance to express emotions is related to heightened psychological symptoms. These findings …

Immigrants, Cultural Distance And Us State-Level Exports Of Cultural Products, Roger White, Bedassa Tadesse

Economics

We examine the relationships between immigrants, cultural distance and state-level exports, employing state-specific immigrant stocks and total US immigrant stocks, separately, and a measure of cultural distance recently introduced by [Tadesse, B., & White, R. (2008b). Cultural distance as a determinant of bilateral trade flows: Do immigrants counter the effect of cultural distance? Applied Economic Letters]. A positive link between immigrants and aggregate exports is reported and, while cultural distance is found to reduce exports, immigrants partially offset the effects of cultural distance by increasing both the intensity of existing exports and the likelihood that exporting occurs. However, heterogeneity in …

Electronic Journals And Changes In Scholarly Article Seeking And Reading Patterns, Carol Tenopir, Donald W. King

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

A recent article by James Evans in Science (Evans 2008) is being widely discussed in the science and publishing communities. Evans' in-depth research on citations in over 34 million articles and how online availability affects citing patterns, found that the more issues of a journal that are available online, the fewer numbers of articles in that journal are cited. If the journal is available for free online, it is cited even less. Evans attributes this phenomenon to more searching and less browsing (which he feels eliminates marginally relevant articles that may have been found by browsing) and the ability …

No-Drama Obama: Personal Memoirs, Bestsellers, And Qualitative Research: A Review, Maureen Duffy

The Qualitative Report

Personal memoirs and life histories are forms of qualitative research that from time to time appear on bestsellers lists. These forms of research detail the authors’ experiences of living and reflecting upon their everyday lives—lives that may be unique in some sense or lives made unique by the richness of the interplay of living, reflecting, and writing. In this review, I make the case for viewing moments in all lives as worthy of the development of personal memoir or life history and for using memoir as a way of generating takeaways or lessons learned. I review Elyn Saks’ (2007) memoir …

Qualitative Case Study Methodology: Study Design And Implementation For Novice Researchers, Pamela Baxter, Susan Jack

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative case study methodology provides tools for researchers to study complex phenomena within their contexts. When the approach is applied correctly, it becomes a valuable method for health science research to develop theory, evaluate programs, and develop interventions. The purpose of this paper is to guide the novice researcher in identifying the key elements for designing and implementing qualitative case study research projects. An overview of the types of case study designs is provided along with general recommendations for writing the research questions, developing propositions, determining the “case” under study, binding the case and a discussion of data sources and …

Making A Connection Between Student Achievement, Teacher Accountability, And Quality Classroom Instruction, Kelli Ballard, Alan Bates

The Qualitative Report

The importance of standardized test results is becoming more prevalent in the structure of classroom instruction and the operation of schools throughout the nation due to pressure on educators and students from various levels of authority. This study looks at the relationship between classroom instruction and standardized test content and the effects this has on students, parents, and teachers. Seventeen fourth grade students, fourteen parents of fourth graders, and fifteen elementary teachers completed surveys. The study describes several positive and negative aspects to standardized tests, along with ideas of who is responsible for test performance. Standardized tests provide comparisons and …

No Margin For Error: A Study Of Two Women Balancing Motherhood And Ph.D. Studies, Robin S. Grenier, Morag C. Burke

The Qualitative Report

This cogenerative ethnography explored the lived experiences of two graduate students balancing Ph.D. studies and motherhood through McClusky’s (1963) Theory of Margi n. Specifically, we asked ourselves: What impact does pregnancy have on personal and academic selves and how are multiple roles and responsibilities managed? Through an analysis of dialogues, artifacts, conceptual maps, and narratives, examples of internal and external lo ad revealed the dynamic nature of the female experiences in graduate school. Excerpts from the data showed how roles, relationships, and experiences are characterized and how similar or different those example s were, given individual context. Implications of this …

Dimensions Of Genocide: The Circumplex Model Meets Violentization Theory, Mark A. Winton

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of Olson’s (1995, 2000) family therapy based circumplex model and Athens’ (1992, 1997, 2003) violentization theory in explaining genocide. The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is used as a case study. Published texts, including interviews with perpetrators, research reports, human rights reports, and court transcripts were analyzed. The use of both theories was consistent with the data and resulted in a greater understanding of the genocide. Rwanda moved to a rigidly enmeshed society during the genocide with the perpetrators going through the violentization process. Suggestions for further research are provided.

Sensory Isolation In Flotation Tanks: Altered States Of Consciousness And Effects On Well-Being, Anette Kjellgren, Fransica Lyden, Torsten Norlander

The Qualitative Report

A qualitative analysis (The Empirical Phenomenological Psychological method) of interviews involving eight patients (depression, burn-out syndrome, and chronic pain) was carried out in order to obtain knowledge regarding the effects of flotation tank therapy. This knowledge might be helpful for both professionals and potential floaters. The analysis resulted in 21 categories, which were summarized as four themes: (a) experiences during flotation, (b) perceived effects afterwards, (c) technical details, and finally (d) the participants ́ background, motivation, and expectations. Floating was perceived as pleasant. An altered state of consciousness was induced, varying from a milder state including profound relaxation and altered …

Giving The Spoon Back: Higher Teacher Expectations Of Achievement For Students Who Are Deaf, David H. Smith

The Qualitative Report

This single case study examined a Deaf teacher’s behaviors and beliefs that reflect her expectations of her deaf students. Primary modes of communication used were American Sign Language and written English. Data were collected via videotaped observations and interviews. Analysis was done by coding utterances of the participants using a deductive framework and using an inductive approach to find patterns among the coded utterances. Teacher behavior and student reactions revealed high expectations for student achievement. The overarching factor that reflected teacher expectations was the positive classroom climate established by the teacher. Recommendations for further research to examine teacher expectations with …

Keeping And Using Reflective Journals In The Qualitative Research Process, Michelle Ortlipp

The Qualitative Report

The problem of bias in qualitative research particularly is still debated in methodology texts and there is a lack of agreement on how much researcher influence is acceptable, whether or not it needs to be “controlled,” and how it might be accounted for. Denzin (1994) refers to this as “the interpretive crisis” (p. 501). I chose to make my experiences, opinions, thoughts, and feelings visible and an acknowledged part of the research process through keeping reflective journals and using them in writing up the research. The aim of this paper is to show how reflective journals were used in engaging …

A Qualitative Study Of The Achievement Goals Of Recreational Exercise Participants, Helen Rogers, Tony Morris, Melissa Moore

The Qualitative Report

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for many of today’s leading causes of ill health. In-order to increase physical activity (PA) participation and information about why people engage in PA is needed. We interviewed 11 recreational exercise participants to examine their goals for participating in recreation al exercise. Our results revealed 13 first-order themes, which we reduced to seven second-order themes (personal comparison, extrinsic rewards, social, physical condition, psychological condition, mastery, and enjoyment), and two general dimensions (intrinsic and extrinsic goals). We argue that self- determination theory (SDT) of motivation provides a strong foundation for understanding the goals and …

Emotional, Cognitive, And Family Systems Mediators Of Children's Adjustment To Interparental Conflict, Gregory M. Fosco, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Emotional, cognitive, and family systems processes have been identified as mediators of the association between interparental conflict and children's adjustment. However, little is known about how they function in relation to one another because they have not all been assessed in the same study. This investigation examined the relations among children's exposure to parental conflict, their appraisals of threat and blame, their emotional reaction, and triangulation into parental disagreements. One hundred fifty ethnically diverse 8- to 12-year-old children and both of their parents participated in the study. Comparisons of 3 models proposing different relations among these processes indicated that they …

Adaptation In Egyptian Television: The Perception And Impact Of Egyptian Sitcoms On Egyptian Youth: A Case Study, Sara El Nagar

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies adaption in Egyptian television. Specifically studying how Egyptian youth perceive the idea of Arabizing sitcoms, what their preferences are in comparison to American sitcoms, and how successful do they see the experience of Arabizing American sitcoms. It also studied the impact of the Egyptian (Arabized) sitcoms on the behavior and lifestyle of Egyptian youth.

A non-probability purposive sample of 403 Egyptian youth was tested. The sample consisted of both males and females almost evenly distributed between both sexes and between all age groups. The sample was tested using a questionnaire.

Results of this study showed that Egyptian …

Estimation Of Emergency Room Visits: Implications For Uninsured In South Carolina, Anusha Pokuri

All Dissertations

This study assesses the relationships between the percentage of emergency room visits, the percentage of uninsured population, and socio-demographic characteristics. This is accomplished by developing linear models of the relationships among these variables for the 46 counties of South Carolina for the year 2000. The results showed that the percentage of non-White population and percentage of business establishments that employ fewer than 50 workers had significant positive influence on the percentage of uninsured population. The median household income and high percentage of population with educational attainment beyond high school had a significant negative influence on the percentage of uninsured population. …

Economic Analysis Of Adoption Of Water-Saving Land Improvements In Northern China, Xuanwen Wang

All Dissertations

Determinants for farmers' choice of water-saving land improvements in Northern China are analyzed with a sample survey of 401 villages. The analysis focuses on two aspects of adoption, whether or not to adopt and if a technology is adopted, how much land to which to apply the technology. In the first stage, 'whether to adopt', multinomial logit models are applied to analyze the discrete choice of alternative land improvement strategies. In the second stage of adoption, 'how much to adopt', both sample selection models and OLS models are utilized to measure the adoption extent of field leveling, use of borders, …

Agritourism As A Viable Strategy For Economic Diversification: A Case Study Analysis Of Policy Options For The Bahamas, Erecia Hepburn

All Dissertations

This research examines the prospects for developing an economic diversification policy for The Bahamas, utilizing agritourism. The Bahamas is plagued with the dominance of one traditional sector, tourism combined with the lack of economic innovation and the inability to maintain domestic demand for food security, which has the potential for economic crisis if there are any serious 'external shocks' or setbacks in mainstream tourism. Such a possible drop in tourism is most evident from experiences in 2001 with the Straw Market fire of Sept 4th, and the terrorist attacks in America on September 11th, coupled with the escalating cost of …

Theoretical And Practical Implications Of A Hedonic Pricing Model: Empirical Observations From Wholesale Automobile Auctions, Jeffrey Roach

All Dissertations

Wholesale auto auctions are convenient structures for economists as they attempt to observe the marginal effects of quality changes on the market-clearing price. However, what may be categorized as a quality change might rather be a market signal of an environment with adverse selection. This dissertation analyzes the effects of seller type and tests their sensitivity to econometric model specification.
General hedonic attributes and their various applications are reviewed. This dissertation explores the basic auto auction environment and dispels inaccurate notions about the auction structure. Following Bartik's (1987) analysis, multi-market data are used to produce hedonic estimates for seller, mileage …