Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

2013 Softball Schedule, Cedarville University

Softball Schedules

No abstract provided.

Bereaved Mothers Seek Support Online: Ethnography & Autoethnography In A Virtual Community, Catherine Holestine

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Thieves Of Thankfulness: Inhibitors Of Gratitude, Rebecca C. Solom

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Gratitude has often been called the "poster child" of positive psychology as a result of demonstrated links to a number of positive outcomes across diverse areas of life (Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010). This study investigated four possible inhibitors of trait gratitude: cynicism, materialism/envy, indebtedness, and narcissism. The study sample consisted of upper-level undergraduate psychology college students from a university in eastern Washington. These potential inhibitors were measured, along with trait gratitude, at Time 1. Two months later, inhibitors and trait gratitude were once again measured. Partial correlational analyses were computed between Time 1 inhibitors and Time 2 gratitude while …

The Caterpillar Game: A Classroom-Wide Behavior Intervention, Angela L. Boyle

Masters Theses

The Caterpillar Game, which was developed specifically for this study, is a classroom-wide behavior management system that uses reinforcement principles. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the Caterpillar Game on first grade students' disruptive behavior. A concurrent multiple-baseline across settings was used to evaluate this intervention. Changes in disruptive behavior and teacher praise were evaluated through live classroom observations. Results suggest that the Caterpillar Game decreased student disruptive classroom behavior and increased teacher praise. Teacher satisfaction for the Caterpillar Game was also positive.

Assege HaileMariam

Evaluating The Status Of Cave Wilderness, Patricia Seiser

National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 2013

In 1964 the United States government passed landmark legislation creating a National Wilderness Preservation System to preserve and protect natural landscapes for primitive use. Despite four attempts to create a Cave Wilderness designation, two by the Cave Research Foundation, one by the National Speleological Society and one by a unit within the National Park Service system, no Wilderness designation has been made to protect and preserve a specific cave, region within a cave or a karst region. The question remains: if and when will the US declare a cave or portion of a cave/cave system as Wilderness? Two federal acts …

Remittances And The Dutch Disease: Evidence From Cointegration And Error-Correction Modeling, Artatrana Ratha

Economics Faculty Working Papers

Remittances have grown in size and importance. They are also among the most stable inflows of scarce foreign exchange for the developing world. While such inflows can boost economic growth, they may also cause domestic currency to appreciate and hurt exports – a side effect commonly referred to as the Dutch disease. This paper adds to this literature by applying the bounds-testing approach to cointegration and error-modeling (Pesaran, et al., 2001) on a reduced form model linking remittance inflows to real exchange rate in some of the major remittances destinations in absolute terms (viz. China, India, Mexico, and Philippines) and …

Diversity And Motivations Among Volunteers In Nonprofit Youth Development Programs, Emily Thielmann

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Portland, Maine, has a variety of programs that connect volunteers with youth based on particular risk factors. While there are many criteria that affect the outcomes programs yield for youth, the quality and reach of many of these small nonprofit programs is dependent on their volunteer capacity. The goals of this descriptive research project were to identify: nonprofit youth development program volunteer characteristics compared with local populations and volunteers nationally; motivations or benefits such volunteers associate with volunteering; and factors associated with volunteers’ overall satisfaction and longevity.

Torch (January/February 2013), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Efficiency And Competitiveness Of Umm Qasr Port In Iraq, Salem J. Hussein

World Maritime University Dissertations

The dissertation is a study of the importance of cost/time of a ship related to the problems and constraints in port facilities and the quality of services that are hampering Umm Qasr Port (‘UQP’) to be a competitive and efficient port. It develops and asks the composite research question: “Can UQP improve its competitiveness by modifications to its facilities, and if so, which modifications are necessary?” Under the Port User Cost concept it analyses the turnaround time of vessels in the port as the most important element concerning the users of the port. Therefore, subsequent analysis of outcomes aims to …

Premature Redeliveries Of Vessels Versus The Regime Of Damages : The Results In The Shipping Industry After The Global Economic Meltdown In 2008, Dimitrios Kyrkos

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Review And Evaluation Of Services And Resources To Engineers: A Case Study Of Outreach And Marketing, Assessment, And Future Directions In A Research Library, Matt Torrence

Academic Services Faculty and Staff Publications

Engineering student and faculty populations present a beneficial and unique challenge to libraries and the information science community. The literature, activities, and resource needs of this group provide insight into a demographic that is often among the early-adopters of new technologies, tools, and methods of sharing information. Despite the often non-bibliographic nature of their research efforts, there are numerous elements of the traditional service model that remain relevant and integral to the engineering research patron base. New methods of live and virtual instruction, the improved promotion of research consultation, and data management are prime targets for efficient and effective service …

The Role Of Librarians In Academic Success, Claudia J. Dold

Academic Services Faculty and Staff Publications

Librarians address all levels of information needs for the university: its acquisition, its production, its storage, and instruction for its safe and gainful use. Most of today’s college students have a high degree of computer literacy but are weak in their abilities to determine the quality of the information that is so readily available. Students need to be taught to find, evaluate, and use information in an academically-oriented manner in order to solve complex problems. Good library skills are integral to academic success. In conjunction with research and teaching faculty, librarians create a framework for knowledge acquisition in the evolving …

The Impact Of Maritime Oil Pollution In The Marine Environment: Case Study Of Maritime Oil Pollution In The Navigational Channel Of Shatt Al-Arab, Farhan M. Al Fartoosi

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Impacts Of Cash, Food, And Non-Food Grants On Poverty Alleviation In The Philippines, Mitzie Irene P. Conchada, John Paolo R. Rivera

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

The incidence of hunger in the country gave rise to government mitigation projects. One such endeavor is the Food-for-School Program (FSP). Its major goals are to help feed the poorest families in the Philippines, help them cope up with increasing prices of food and fuel, and provide education to children. Through this program, the government provides a kilo of rice to families suffering from severe hunger. Furthermore, FSP beneficiary families that ensure the regular attendance of their children in the various Department of Education (DepEd) educational institutions are entitled to a free kilo of rice from the National Food Authority …

Taboo Lexeme Conditioning And Obscenities In American English, Alexander Werny

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Taboo Lexeme Conditioning refers to the neurological, psychological, and sociological conditioning required during lexical acquisition for a native speaker to treat or experience certain lexemes as highly taboo. Taboo words differentiate both neurologically from non-emotional or non-taboo lexemes, and lexically person to person, in at least 4 ways: 1) they exhibit high activity in the emotional and moral processing structures of the limbic system, and can activate, or be uttered, independently of cortical structures involved in propositional language processing; 2) they generally receive a high amount of negative emotional response during lexical acquisition and subsequent usage, which affects how they …

Effects Of Emotion Regulation Strategies On Sexual Risk-Taking, Monica Lackups

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Sexual risk-taking is a growing problem and an area where there are significant individual differences in behavior. One contributing factor to risky sexual behavior may be emotion regulation difficulties. For example, suppression has negative effects on emotion experience, while reappraisal leads to increased well-being. Previous research has demonstrated the use of sexual behavior as an emotion regulation strategy in victimized populations. This study investigated whether emotion regulation strategies influence sexual risk-taking in a non-clinical college population. Individuals with higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties and higher suppression use engaged in more frequent sexual risk-taking behavior, whereas individuals who used reappraisal …

Community Violence Exposure Among Underprivileged Adolescents : What Are The Buffering Effects Of Family Qualities On Negative Outcomes?, Katherine Marie Harrison

LSU Master's Theses

Crime and violence are common in impoverished neighborhoods. Consequently, many youth are at risk for victimization and witnessing violent acts. Extensive research has established the presence of significant associations between violence exposure and aggression and posttraumatic stress symptoms among youth. Research has confirmed the protective role of several family characteristics against these negative outcomes despite adversity. However, the literature investigating the buffering effects of family in the relationship between community violence exposure and aggressive behavior and posttraumatic stress symptoms is limited. The current study examined the moderating effect of family factors such as household structure, social support, and parenting techniques …

The Unequal Distribution Of Professional Autonomy In Schools, Joseph Cleary

LSU Master's Theses

This qualitative study examines the ways in which educators interpret and respond to government interventions in public schools. I conducted semi-structured interviews with eleven teachers and two principals at two public high schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana . By comparing the perceptions of educators at a low-performing school (which serves high percentages of minority and low-income students) with perceptions of educators at a high-performing school (which serves fewer numbers of minority and low-income students), this study demonstrates how an educator’s sense of autonomy relates to students’ socioeconomic backgrounds. Findings show that educators, who work in schools with high numbers of …

Moving Toward A Small-Screen Culture: Examining The Relationship Between Computer And Smartphone User Characteristics And Online Participation And Creation, Amanda Bradford Cortright

LSU Master's Theses

This study investigates the relationship between smartphone and desktop or laptop computer users’ characteristics and online content creation and participation. A survey collected demographic information as well as detailed information on which devices were preferred by the participants in various circumstances. Results showed age and income were the two primary demographic factors in determining a user’s degree of comfort with technology as well as their likelihood to participate with or create online content. Employing the Diffusion of Innovations theory, this research found support for the idea that home computers have seen to fruition the diffusion process, and are not factors …

Backpacker Selves In A Hostel: Discourse, Identity, And Existential Authenticity, Emley Kerry

LSU Master's Theses

Backpacker tourists are able to boldly lay claim to authenticity to local place—especially as they see themselves in relation to more (by their categorization) mainstream tourists—through the feeling of an authentic self that arises through backpacking tourism. Backpacker discourse about travel embodied travel experiences reflects and shapes sense of existential authenticity, a transformative travel euphoria in which the backpacker’s true identity is discovered through intense, sensuous experiences and perception of immersion in a foreign culture. This thesis uses ethnographic information and methods collected in a number of hostels—but primarily in Bogotá, Colombia—in order to demonstrate the relationship between the material, …

Invisible Architecture: Underwater Excavation Of Site 77, Paynes Creek National Park, Belize, Tekla Chantae Rudie

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents research concerning invisible architecture and its importance to Maya archaeology. Maya architecture, mechanisms for the disappearance of sites, and strategies for their discovery are briefly discussed. Several examples of sites with invisible architecture are then put forth, including Santa Rita Corozal, where research has determined that as much as 50% of structures at the site may be invisible. Background on previous work at the Punta Ycacos salt works in Paynes Creek National Park is presented, followed by detailed description of recent excavations at Site 77. The site consists of preserved wooden posts in the sea floor and …

When We Break Bread Together: Perceptions Of Consensus Amongst Queer Organizers, David M. Caswell

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis aims to understand consensus decision making through the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) activists in Louisiana through autoethnography and interviews with various individuals involved in Louisiana LGBTQ organizations. When looking at the experiences and perceptions of the participants in relation to each other and the author’s own experiences, the ideas equity, responsibility, and flexibility stand out along with organizational structure. This suggests that consensus may be defined based on these elements. In the narrow scope of this thesis, consensus building in queer spaces in Louisiana can be defined as the opportunity to be in …

To Speak As A Human, A Modern And As An American : Blues Rhetoric In Cornel West's Prophetic Pragmatism, Raquel M. Robvais

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines Cornel West’s description of the human condition and the works of art produced in three particular ways. First, there is being human which is a universal condition that speaks to all people and their struggles in the face of death and fallibility. Second, there is the condition of being modern, which speaks to people in a particular age in which power must be challenged with intelligence. Third, there is the idea of being American, which is to confront historical legacies of injustice through political action and agency. Rhetoric speaks to these existential crises and draws its resources …

Louisiana Department Of Children And Family Services : A Case Study Of Child Welfare Workers' Burnout, Crystal Ward

LSU Master's Theses

Social work can be an extremely gratifying profession. However, social workers who are exposed to graphic realities related to vulnerable and traumatized individuals and families may experience challenging workload demands and increased levels of burnout. To best understand and support these key human service workers, it is important to investigate variables influencing levels of burnout. In this study, the author examined whether specific individual worker characteristics contribute to burnout among child welfare workers in Louisiana. Characteristics were compared to individual variables such as job tenure, agency department, supervisor/front line worker, and educational background. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was completed …

The Blessing Of The Fleet : Heritage And Identity In Three Gulf Coast Communities, Audriana Hubbard

LSU Master's Theses

Annual Blessing of the Fleet festivals are held throughout communities all along the Gulf Coast; each year boats parade down local waters to receive the blessing of the priest before the opening of the shrimp season. The shrimping industry has a long history in the area and has become intrinsically tied to local individual and community identities. This thesis investigates three festivals held in Chauvin and Morgan City, Louisiana, and Biloxi, Mississippi to understand how the festival is used by participants as a way of negotiating their shrimping identities in a changing socio-economic environment. The tourism and the oil industries …

Schizotypy: The Dynamic Relationship Between Trait And State Processes, Rebecca K. Macaulay

LSU Master's Theses

Importantly, elevations in emotional reactivity to stress are often found in individuals vulnerable for psychosis. This study investigated several meaningful factors that appear to either increase vulnerability to stress (degree of schizotypy traits, trait negative affect, low perceived control, and impaired selective attention), or increase resiliency to stress (trait positive affect). A modified Posner spatial-cueing task utilizing affective cues was employed to assess selective attention within a neutral and an uncontrollable stressor condition. Between group differences (high, medium and low in schizotypy traits) and interactions between affective traits, state affect, and perceived control were evaluated in order to shed light …

Cognitive Performance As A Predictor Of Functional Capacity In Schizophrenia, Tracey Lauren Auster

LSU Master's Theses

Previous literature has demonstrated that persons with schizophrenia suffer from cognitive deficits and struggle with deficits in everyday living skills, two areas of functioning thatare related in some way. Nearly all cognitive domains are affected in schizophrenia, and most of them have been associated with poor functioning. Therefore, a possible link is the existence of an attentional bottleneck where the demands of attentional load and the lack of attentional resources to handle these demands, decreases capacity to carryout everyday living skills. Researchers have suggested the existence of a structural bottleneck that limits individuals’ ability in the use of cognitive resources. …

The Effects Of Interactivity And Involvement On Users' Attitude Toward And Perception Of Brands And Purchase Intent On Facebook, Christina Persaud

LSU Master's Theses

Communications practitioners have long studied factors related to consumers’ impressions of brands as well as their intent to purchase from brands. While early research has focused on traditional advertising methods, newer research is geared towards understanding how interactive features are changing this relationship. The rise of newer computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies, specifically social media, has lead to many changes in the way organizations market their brands as they allow for unique, interactive communication between an organization and its publics. While the notion of interactivity, a core feature of CMC, has no one definition, researchers continue to examine its effects within …

The Reintegration Experiences Of Ex-Child Soldiers In Liberia, Gracie E. Brownell

Social Work Dissertations

Previous researchers have reported the lasting effects of child soldiering and the difficulties that ex-child soldiers experience as they transition to civilian living. The primary purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding about the reintegration experiences and meaning of reintegration as perceived by ex-child soldiers located in or near Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. Furthermore, this study explores participants' expectations, perceptions of the reintegration process as well as contributing factors and obstacles to reintegration that helped shaped their reintegration experience within the context of Liberia. A phenomenological research design was used to study the reintegration experiences …

Professional Preparation And Practices Of Child Custody Evaluators: A Comparative Study Of Masters-Level And Doctoral-Level Practitioners, Aaron Robb

Social Work Dissertations

While a substantial amount of the research on child custody evaluation practices has focused on psychologists and psychiatrists, virtually none of the existing research has addressed child custody evaluation practices of social workers or other mental health professionals. This study explores and describes the training and practice differences between doctoral-level child custody evaluators, primarily psychologists, and their masters-level counterparts, who are drawn from a much wider professional background. The exact population of evaluators in the community is unknown, thus a snowball sampling method was utilized for outreach to evaluators who then provided responses to a survey instrument. Statistical comparisons of …