Social and Behavioral Sciences | Open Access Articles

Bottoms Up, Jack Sim

Social Space

Who says those on top will always remain up there? Jack Sim believes the day will come when the bottom will rise, if we will only help them to.

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Brushed-Off Testimony, Stanley L. Brodsky, Dustin B. Wygant

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

In line with years of tradition, soldiers young and old come together at the local pub or hall to swap war stories of time in the trenches. For the forensic clinician, the trenches represent the hard-fought battles during expert testimony. As it turns out, our pub was a social gathering at the 2012 meeting of the American Psychology Law Society in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The University of Alabama Psychology Law Program hosted a social gathering for its faculty, graduate students, alumni, and friends to come together and share stories and camaraderie. It was in this setting that we launched …

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Empirically Guided Case Conceptualization Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (Mmpi-2-Rf) In A Forensic Disability Evaluation, Lauren M. Vines, Roger O. Gervais, Dustin Wygant

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

The following article discusses how the Restructured Form of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI -2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) can be used in case conceptualizations for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), particularly in compensation seeking settings. We review contemporary conceptualizations of PTSD, particularly emphasizing the role that affect and personality in regards to etiology of the disorder, as well as different manifestations of the disorder. We then review the case of an individual seeking compensation for trauma related disability performed by the third author. Particular emphasis is placed on examining how interpretation of the MMPI-2-RFprofile is guided by empirical findings.

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Child Custody Evaluations: Ethical, Scientific, And Practice Considerations, Robert P. Archer, Dustin Wygant

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

Child custody evaluations are among the most difficult of forensic evaluations. The current paper examines differences between custody evaluations and other types of psychological and forensic evaluations. We also discuss important ethical issues regarding these evaluations and review the typical components of a custody evaluation, with particular attention on psychological testing as a component of custody evaluations. We then discuss the role of research in informing the interpretation of the evaluation data and provide a complete sample custody evaluation report to illustrate several points from the manuscript.

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Understanding Phonological Memory Deficits In Boys With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Dissociation Of Short-Term Storage And Articulatory Rehearsal Processes, Jennifer Bolden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study dissociated and examined the two primary components of the phonological working memory subsystem – the short-term store and articulatory rehearsal mechanism – in boys with ADHD (n = 18) relative to typically developing boys (n = 15). Word lists of increasing length (2, 4, and 6 words per trial) were presented to and recalled by children following a brief (3 s) interval to assess their phonological short-term storage capacity. Children’s ability to utilize the articulatory rehearsal mechanism to actively maintain information in the phonological short-term store was assessed using word lists at their established memory span but …

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The Relationship Between Nonprofit Capacity Building, Organizational Learning And Organizational Effectiveness: A Case Study Of Strengthening Communities Fund Program In Central Florida, M L. Broxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit capacity building programs and program activities positively influence perceived organizational effectiveness. Being able to link nonprofit capacity building to organizational effectiveness is a paramount concern for both nonprofits seeking capacity building programming and those entities, be it foundations or government that fund capacity building initiatives and programs. Therefore being able to link nonprofit capacity building to organizational effectiveness and higher performance is crucial to ensure that both nonprofit organizations and funders continue to pursue and support capacity building programming. Through an examination of the developing hollow state and the resulting nonprofit capacity disparity this study demonstrates the purposeful need …

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Elements Of Azeri's Independent Foreign Policy: Energy, Geography, And Global Powers Rivalry., Muniz Omar Vera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work applies geopolitical concepts to elucidate how geography, energy, and rivalries among global powers affect the Azeri foreign policy. This research work uses a deductive method of qualitative research and a longitudinal analysis of qualitative variables. This study first reviews the most significant academic works in the field to delineate the framework of Azerbaijani foreign policy. Next, it discusses the geographical features of the Azeri landlocked territory and its influence over foreign policy. Then the study presents how Azerbaijan uses its energy as a leverage tool in its foreign policy. The fourth chapter analyzes the current competition between two …

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The Relationship Between Mentoring And Social Status At Work: A Social Network Status Study, Lakeesha A. Flowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring is an important means of developing talent. Typically, mentoring involves two individuals – a mentor, who provides career development and psychosocial support to a less experienced counterpart (the protégé). Because mentoring is related to several desired outcomes such as career advancement, and job satisfaction, it is important to understand which individual characteristics are important to obtaining or providing effective mentoring. It is also necessary to examine potential but unconfirmed outcomes of mentoring such as social network status. This study examined the relationships between several individual characteristics, namely social intelligence and emotional intelligence, and mentoring relationships. In addition, this study …

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You Have Guns And So Have We...: An Ethnohistoric Analysis Of Creek And Seminole Combat Behaviors, Nathan R. Lawres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resistance to oppression is a globally recognized cultural phenomenon that displays a remarkable amount of variation in its manifestations over both time and space. This cultural phenomenon is particularly evident among the Native American cultural groups of the Southeastern United States. Throughout the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries the European and American states employed tactics and implemented laws aimed at expanding the geographic boundaries of their respective states into the Tribal Zone of the Southeast. None of these groups, however, sat passively during this process; they employed resistive tactics and strategies aimed at maintaining their freedoms, their lives, and their traditional …

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With The Protection Of The Gods: An Interpretation Of The Protector Figure In Classic Maya Iconography, Tiffany M. Lindley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iconography encapsulates the cultural knowledge of a civilization. The ancient Maya of Mesoamerica utilized iconography to express ideological beliefs, as well as political events and histories. An ideology heavily based on the presence of an Otherworld is visible in elaborate Maya iconography. Motifs and themes can be manipulated to convey different meanings based on context. An example of this mutability can be witnessed in the depiction of Otherworld gods. Maya gods were not like Old World pantheons; gods were fluid and could function in multiple roles. Protector gods are an example of the fluidity of Maya deities. Scenes of protector …

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Turning Away From Your Slavic Brother: The Effects Of Identity On Relations Between Russia And Belarus, Matt Matejka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On September 24, 2011, it was announced that Putin would run for president once again in 2012. The reaction in the West was that ―the more things change, the more they stay the same.‖ The Western conception of the post-Cold War Russia is often one of remarkable consistency since the turn of the century. This Western narrative focuses on an autocratic Putin reigning over his resurgent and confrontational Russia. Does this narrative tell the story of Russia today, or does it instead obscure it? To answer this I have elected to analyze Russian identity and how it relates to Russia‘s …

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Measuring Trust In Virtual Worlds: Avatar-Mediated Self-Disclosure, Amanda M. Surprenant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the development of trust between strangers interacting via avatars in virtual worlds. The first part of the study analyzed perceived trustworthiness based on the visual appearance of avatars; the second part makes observations of two strangers self-disclosing information via avatars in a virtual world; the third part analyzed an experimental situation of two individuals interacting via avatars, where avatar appearance was changed and participants were recruited based on their experience with interacting with others via avatars. Findings showed that perceived trustworthiness does vary based on the visual appearance of the avatar. A positive relationship was found for …

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Affirmative Action In Higher Education And The Talented Twenty Program In Florida, Miguel Ubiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Affirmative action in higher education is a necessary component for ethnic minorities to be afforded postsecondary educational access and opportunities to improve their socioeconomic status. The ban of affirmative action in undergraduate admissions, wherever instituted, has decreased the undergraduate enrollment of ethnic minorities. The broad objective of this research is to demonstrate how the elimination of affirmative action has lessened postsecondary educational access for minorities, who presently account for the majority or near-majority population in several states and will soon account for a much larger segment of the national population. This study will use two series of multiple regression models …

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Establishing Difference: The Gendering And Racialization Of Power In Genocide, Erin E. Welsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is designed to delve deeper into perceptions of identity, specifically gender and racial identity, the power relationship that emerges as each of these switches is reached in the progression towards genocide, and the effects of these perceptions during and after the genocide takes place. The primary question addressed is whether the power relationship that emerges as a result of these pre-genocidal stages becomes gendered and racialized due to perceptions rooted in a male-dominated hierarchy and a belief in the superiority of one ethnicity over another. The primary goal of this thesis is to analyze the power relationship in …

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The Sustainability Of Overconsumption? A Discursive Analysis Of Walmart's Sustainability Campaign, Kathleen Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study inquires as to whether Walmart’s sustainability campaign represents a sincere and holistic change throughout the company’s global supply chain or if it is simply a public relations campaign which caters to the growing target market of “next-generation” consumers and justifies further expansion into “emerging markets”. A critical analysis of Walmart’s sustainability discourse is presented, using transcribed texts of various corporate and publicitygeared publications. Frequently utilized terms and themes are identified throughout the big-box retailer’s sustainability campaign which convey a distinctly Neoliberal ethos—a political economy which lies at the heart of current practices of institutional unsustainability—and emphasize the role …

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Johnson & Johnson's Recall Debacle, Lashonda Louallen Eaddy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been viewed as a role model by many organizations for its successful handling of a 1982 crisis involving cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules that resulted in seven deaths. The public relations community applauded J&J for a swift response and for promptly implementing actions to prevent a similar crisis from occurring in the future. However more recently, J&J has become a poster child for poor crisis communications amidst a flood of recalls that started in November 2009. The present study used concepts from Coombs’ (2004) Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and media framing research to develop a coding …

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Foreclosures And Crime: Testing Social Disorganization Theory In The Suburbs, Sara Hoskin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foreclosures have increased in the US since the 1970’s. The increase in foreclosures has caused concern among some researchers on their affect on crime. Social disorganization theory measures the effect various structural characteristics, such as poverty, residential instability/mobility, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, and family disruption have on crime. This study, though, is concerned with residential instability/mobility, or the presence of foreclosed houses in neighborhoods. Although most studies using this theory look at low-income neighborhoods, the following research looks at middle- and upper-income neighborhoods, which have been greatly affected by foreclosures. The theory also argues that the level of collective efficacy can reduce …

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Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: The Issue And Its Dimensions, Brenna Cathleen Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a variety of factors on environmental attitudes and behaviors. Studies have addressed a number of issues that are related to environmental matters. This examination extends the research in this area by incorporating educational attainment, political ideology, gender, marriage and family formation, religiosity and subjective spirituality, race and ethnicity, as well as several sociodemographic influences. The 2010 General Social Survey is selected for the analysis because it is the most recent data available and contains items pertaining to environmental concern and behavior, and the independent and control variables. Directions for …

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Human Spaceflight Decision-Making As A Potential Well Problem, Ari Litwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates funding within the US human spaceflight program in the timeperiod from 2004 to 2012. The approach taken employed the “potential well” model from physical science. The potential well model constrains any physical body trapped within it, and similarly a political “funding well” will constrain all programmatic decision-making. Two potential well models are employed, one represents classical physics while the other represents quantum physics. Since each model results in motion with certain properties, it can be seen if funding decisions also exhibit similar properties. In physics, the bifurcation between the classical world of aggregate bodies and the quantum …

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The Relationship Between Social Phobia, Peer Attachment, And Identity Within Different Cultural Contexts, Shengnan Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between social phobia, peer attachment, and identity development, within three different countries: China, India, and the USA. It was hypothesized that social phobia interferes with peer attachment, and that poor peer attachment interferes with identity development among late adolescents and emerging adults, thus peer attachment mediates the relationship between social phobia and identity. It was further hypothesized that this relationship between variables is moderated by culture such that in collectivistic cultures, where identity is more dependent upon group affiliation and identification, the interference of social phobia (through peer attachment) on identity would be much greater …

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An Examination Of Animal Service Officers' Views On Their Readiness To Recognize And Report Domestic Violence, Abigail M. Malick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past few decades there has been research dedicated to understanding the roles that animals play within violent households. The American Humane Association (2010) has developed what they termed The Link. This concept examines how forms of violence, including domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and animal abuse, are often intertwined. This qualitative study was facilitated using focus groups and interviews of animal service officers in Orange County, Florida to evaluate the relationship and training provided from a local domestic violence shelter. There were a total of 22 Orange County Animal Services employees who participated in four different focus …

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Application Of Modeling And Simulation To Reduce Costs Of Acquisition Within Triple Constraints, Syed N. Mohammad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A key component of defense acquisition programs operating using the Integrated Defense Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Life Cycle Management System is the reliance on the triple constraints of cost, schedule, and performance. While the use of Modeling and Simulation tools and capabilities is prevalent and well established in the Research and Development, Analysis, and Training domains, acquisition programs have been reluctant to use Modeling and Simulation in any great depth due to inaccessibility of tools, Subject Matter Experts, and implications to cost and schedule. This presents a unique Simulation Management challenge which requires an in-depth understanding of the technical capabilities …

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Comorbidity Of Psychopathy In Schizotypy: Skin Conductance To Affective Pictures, Kathleen A. Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research substantiates a relationship between psychopathy and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, which has begun to elucidate why some individuals with schizophrenia are violent. Unfortunately, this relationship has been limited to self-report. To objectively corroborate this finding, undergraduate students were recruited from an online screening administration of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. This resulted in 56 participants (52% male) with a mean age of 20.37 (SD = 4.74) and a wide range of schizotypy scores who participated in the experiment. Following completion of self-report measures, participants viewed 15 pictures (five neutral, five threatening, and five of others in distress) from the International Affective …

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A Study Of The Relationship Between Trade Liberalization And Human Development In Sub-Saharan Africa's Least Developed Countries, Stephanie A. Rash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between trade liberalization, measured using the Heritage Foundation’s Trade Freedom indicator, and human development, measured using the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index, in subSaharan Africa’s Least Developed Countries between 1990 and 2011 as data allows. In addition to exploring the relationship between these two variables, alternative factors that influence human development are examined in bivariate correlations with human development as well as used as control variables in a multiple regression analysis. Namely, this study includes government effectiveness, the percentage of the labor force employed in the agricultural sector, …

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A Look At Jail-Based Reentry Programs, Mindy Weller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the years correctional-based reentry programs have gained the attention of academics and government officials alike. Academic research has focused primarily on programs implemented in prisons and juvenile facilities. Reentry programs operating out of jails have been vastly under represented amongst these studies. This research study works towards closing this gap by examining jail-based reentry programs by observing the influences of age, race, gender, level of offence (misdemeanor/felony), and program completion on recidivism. Findings were measured for both those who participated but did not complete the programs and those who successfully completed the programs. Data from three jail-based reentry programs …

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Prescription Drug Misuse Among College Students: An Examination Of Sociological Risk Factors, William C. Watkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prescription drug misuse (PDM), defined as use without a prescription or solely for the feeling or experience caused by the drug, has become a popular topic among substance use researchers. While the vast majority of studies on the topic tackle epidemiological questions surrounding PDM, there is a notable lack of studies that look specifically at risk factors rooted in sociological/criminological theories. The current research seeks to bridge this gap in the literature by examining theoretically based explanations for PDM among college students utilizing three criminological theories commonly applied to other forms of substance use: Social Learning Theory, Social Bonding/Control theory, …

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Exploring Theology And Practice In Islamic Parenting, Mergin Akin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore Muslims’ parenting styles and determine how factors such as religion, education, income, physical and verbal punishment experienced as a child, and the perception of Islamic childrearing influence their parenting styles. The research focuses on the main tenets of parenting in the Islamic tradition such as fatherhood, motherhood, children’s and parent’s rights and responsibilities, discipline methods, and physical punishment. The study also informs the role of marriage in Islam and the adopted concepts and theories of Western sociological literature. Findings show that authoritative parenting was the most predominant parenting style among study participants. …

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This Is Just Temporary: A Study Of Extended-Stay Motel Residents In Central Florida, Stephanie Guittar Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motel life has existed in the United States for over 100 years. However, it was not until the HEARTH Act in 2009 changed the federal definition of homelessness that those who live in motels more or less permanently were considered homeless persons. This project utilizes qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 18 families with children who are living in motels to explore their experiences with motel life and social service providers, their housing identity, and identity management strategies. Findings show that most of the motel residents did not identify with the conventional definition or image of homelessness and instead negotiated the term …

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Comparing Types Of Adaptive Automation Within A Multi-Tasking Environment, Grant S. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the many years of research examining the various effects of automation on operator performance, stress, workload, etc., the focus has traditionally been on the level of automation, and the invocation methods used to alter it. The goal of the current study is to instead examine the utilization of various types of automation with the goal of better meeting the operator’s cognitive needs, thus improving their performance, workload, and stress. The task, control of a simulated unmanned robotic system, is designed to specifically stress the operator’s visual perception capabilities to a greater degree. Two types of automation are implemented to …

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Implementing Sustainability Initiatives: A Study Of U.S. Local Governments, Nick Lebredo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability has been framed by the World Commission on Environment and Development as a fundamental concept in human society and by Fiorino (2010) as a critical conceptual focus for public administration over the next decade. A large number of U.S. local governments have implemented sustainability initiatives. Nevertheless, relatively few studies have comprehensively examined sustainability implementation by local governments. This study makes a concerted effort to examine sustainability implementation in U.S. local governments, which have taken the lead in many areas of sustainability. This study also develops a capacity building model to empirically evaluate how organizational strategies and capacities influence sustainability …

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Bottoms Up, Jack Sim

Social Space

Brushed-Off Testimony, Stanley L. Brodsky, Dustin B. Wygant

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

Empirically Guided Case Conceptualization Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (Mmpi-2-Rf) In A Forensic Disability Evaluation, Lauren M. Vines, Roger O. Gervais, Dustin Wygant

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

Child Custody Evaluations: Ethical, Scientific, And Practice Considerations, Robert P. Archer, Dustin Wygant

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

Understanding Phonological Memory Deficits In Boys With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Dissociation Of Short-Term Storage And Articulatory Rehearsal Processes, Jennifer Bolden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Relationship Between Nonprofit Capacity Building, Organizational Learning And Organizational Effectiveness: A Case Study Of Strengthening Communities Fund Program In Central Florida, M L. Broxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elements Of Azeri's Independent Foreign Policy: Energy, Geography, And Global Powers Rivalry., Muniz Omar Vera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Relationship Between Mentoring And Social Status At Work: A Social Network Status Study, Lakeesha A. Flowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

You Have Guns And So Have We...: An Ethnohistoric Analysis Of Creek And Seminole Combat Behaviors, Nathan R. Lawres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With The Protection Of The Gods: An Interpretation Of The Protector Figure In Classic Maya Iconography, Tiffany M. Lindley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Turning Away From Your Slavic Brother: The Effects Of Identity On Relations Between Russia And Belarus, Matt Matejka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Measuring Trust In Virtual Worlds: Avatar-Mediated Self-Disclosure, Amanda M. Surprenant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Affirmative Action In Higher Education And The Talented Twenty Program In Florida, Miguel Ubiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Establishing Difference: The Gendering And Racialization Of Power In Genocide, Erin E. Welsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sustainability Of Overconsumption? A Discursive Analysis Of Walmart's Sustainability Campaign, Kathleen Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Johnson & Johnson's Recall Debacle, Lashonda Louallen Eaddy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foreclosures And Crime: Testing Social Disorganization Theory In The Suburbs, Sara Hoskin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: The Issue And Its Dimensions, Brenna Cathleen Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human Spaceflight Decision-Making As A Potential Well Problem, Ari Litwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Relationship Between Social Phobia, Peer Attachment, And Identity Within Different Cultural Contexts, Shengnan Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An Examination Of Animal Service Officers' Views On Their Readiness To Recognize And Report Domestic Violence, Abigail M. Malick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Application Of Modeling And Simulation To Reduce Costs Of Acquisition Within Triple Constraints, Syed N. Mohammad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comorbidity Of Psychopathy In Schizotypy: Skin Conductance To Affective Pictures, Kathleen A. Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Study Of The Relationship Between Trade Liberalization And Human Development In Sub-Saharan Africa's Least Developed Countries, Stephanie A. Rash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Look At Jail-Based Reentry Programs, Mindy Weller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prescription Drug Misuse Among College Students: An Examination Of Sociological Risk Factors, William C. Watkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exploring Theology And Practice In Islamic Parenting, Mergin Akin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Is Just Temporary: A Study Of Extended-Stay Motel Residents In Central Florida, Stephanie Guittar Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comparing Types Of Adaptive Automation Within A Multi-Tasking Environment, Grant S. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Implementing Sustainability Initiatives: A Study Of U.S. Local Governments, Nick Lebredo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations