Digital Archive @ GSU Copyright (c) 2012 Georgia State University All rights reserved. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu Recent documents in Digital Archive @ GSU en-us Tue, 15 May 2012 04:44:24 PDT 3600 An Adapted Model for Small Business Innovation Networks: The Case of an Emergent Wine Region in Southern California http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/6 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/6 Mon, 14 May 2012 12:01:23 PDT Small businesses and small business networks have become increasingly important over the past two decades. However, limited empirical research has been carried out on the interactions of these small businesses, specifically within supportive networks. This research focuses on the interaction of firms and organizations within a successful small business innovation network, and how innovative business practices are developed. Innovation network theory was used as a lens to view the dynamics within an innovation network comprised entirely of small businesses and organizations. For this research, a qualitative case study was undertaken, with an emergent wine region in Southern California targeted as an ideal case in which to study a small business innovation network. This research showed that in this instance of a small business innovation network, a hub firm, as defined by innovation network theory does not exist to orchestrate and manage the interactions within the network. Thereby, an adapted model for small business innovation networks is proposed and the results from this qualitative case study are mapped using this adapted theory. The results show a constellation of firms and organizations at the core of the network composition, undertaking deliberate and emergent strategies that affect the outcome and success of all members of the small business innovation network. The research identified a significant sense of place embedded in the regional culture and the importance of effective regional planning in positively impacting the success of the small business innovation network.

]]> Jeanette Kay Miller An Experiment on the Effect of Construal Level and Small Wins Framing on Environmental Sustainability Goal Commitment http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/5 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/5 Wed, 09 May 2012 09:52:09 PDT Companies are under increasing pressure from every category of stakeholder, from government and community to supply chain and consumer, to improve the environmental sustainability of their operations, products and services. To be most successful with environmental sustainability improvement initiatives, a company must have the commitment and effort of its employees. The purpose of this research is to study the effect of the company’s approach to the initiative on the level of employee commitment to the company’s environmental sustainability goals.

This research was conducted with a two-factor, factorial experiment. The experimental factors were construal level and small wins framing. Each of these factors had two levels, creating a 2x2 design with four treatment level combinations. A third study factor was environmental concern. Four other variables, goal difficulty, perceived organizational efficacy, gender and age, were included in the model as control variables. The dependent variable was goal commitment. Approximately 150 participants were recruited for the experiment and randomly assigned to one of the four fixed, treatment combinations. Hierarchical regression was used to estimate the factors’ main and interaction effects, as well as the significance of the control variables.

Neither of the two manipulated variables, construal level and small wins, was found to have a significant main effect on goal commitment. There were, however, significant interactions between environmental concern and construal level, and between environmental concern and small wins framing, on goal commitment. At high levels of environmental concern, the effects of construal level and small wins were as hypothesized, but at low levels of environmental concern, the effects of construal level and small wins were opposite of what was expected. Additionally, both organizational efficacy and gender were found to significantly affect one’s goal commitment.

]]> James O'Connor The Effect Of Organizational Knowledge Creation On Firm Performance: An Operational Capabilities-Mediated Model http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/4 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/4 Wed, 09 May 2012 09:52:07 PDT What operational factors can explain the performance differences between manufacturing firms? Scholars have produced a significant volume of research that examines the linkages between operational factors (resources and practices) and firm performance. There is agreement that organizational capabilities mediate the relationship between operational factors and firm performance. However, due to the numerous and sometimes contradictory definitions of organizational capabilities in the literature and because organizational capabilities includes non-operational factors, it has been suggested that operational capabilities, as a sub construct of organizational capabilities, is more appropriate for establishing an empirical relationship between operational factors and firm performance. Scholars have argued that process improvement practices facilitate the development of operational capabilities, which can consequently lead to improved firm performance. Other scholars have argued that process improvement practices facilitate organizational knowledge creation, which can also influence firm performance. We integrate these two theoretical perspectives into a single conceptual model that better explains the relationship between knowledge-creating practices and firm operational performance. Specifically, we argue that knowledge-creating practices play a significant role in developing a firm’s operational capabilities, which in turn, influence firm operational performance. This research investigates the existence of a relationship between organizational knowledge creation and firm operational performance that is mediated by operational capabilities.

]]> Michael S. Jordan Predicting Purchase Timing, Brand Choice and Purchase Amount of Firm Adoption of Radically Innovative Information Technology: A Business to Business Empirical Analysis http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/3 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/3 Thu, 03 May 2012 08:12:18 PDT Knowing what to sell, when to sell, and to whom to sell is essential buyer behavior insight to allocate scarce marketing resources efficiently and effectively. Applying the theory of relationship marketing (Morgan and Hunt 1994), this study seeks to investigate the link between commitment and trust and firm adoption of radically innovative information technology (IT). The construct of radical innovation is operationalized through the use of cloud computing. A review of the vast scholarly literature on radical innovation diffusion and adoption, and modeling techniques used to analyze buyer behavior is followed by empirical estimation of each of the radical innovation adoption questions of purchase timing, brand choice, and purchase amount. Then, the inefficiencies in the independent model process are highlighted, suggesting the need for an integrated model. Next, an integrated model is developed to link the purchase timing, brand choice, and purchase amount decisions. The essay concludes with insight for marketing practitioners on the strength of the factors of commitment and trust on adoption of radical innovation, an improved methodology for the business-to-business marketing literature, and potential further research paths.

]]> Timothy R. Bohling Open Source In The Clouds - How Organizational Ambidexterity Shapes and is Shaped by Disruptive Innovation in an Open Source Software Provider http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/2 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/2 Thu, 03 May 2012 08:10:00 PDT How do incumbent firms effectively respond to disruptive innovations? The extant literature shows that incumbent firms, while often excelling at incremental innovation, usually fare poorly in the face of disruptive innovation. Even firms that have been the direct beneficiaries of disruptive innovations in the past can fall prey to more agile competitors during these periods of upheaval. Organizational Ambidexterity – the idea of striking the right balance between the exploitation of existing resources and the exploration of new capabilities – can be used as a theoretical framework to investigate how firms adapt and change in the face of disruptive innovation. In this study, we use ambidexterity as a lens to study Red Hat, a leader in Open Source Software, during the company’s transition through a period of disruptive innovation – namely Cloud Computing. The study reveals a number of interesting insights. The first is that the nature of the disruptive innovation itself shaped Red Hat’s organizational response. The second is that Red Hat demonstrated a high level of contextual ambidexterity in its response which, in turn, led Red Hat to selectively adopt structural ambidexterity principles. The third is that Red Hat’s history as a successful Open Source Software company enabled it to implicitly become ambidextrous by adopting and implementing key Open Source cultural values. In conclusion we discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.

]]> Alexander M. Heublein The Relationship of Breast and Gynecological Cancers with Smoking and Metabolic Syndrome - An Examination of NHANES Data 2001 - 2010 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/222 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/222 Thu, 03 May 2012 07:35:42 PDT Background: Breast and Gynecological cancers are a major public health problem. Smoking is associated with several chronic diseases including cancer. Other lifestyles of public health predispose many people to dyslipidemia, hypertension and obesity; risk factors for metabolic syndrome, and are associated with cancer.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to find if those who smoke, and have the metabolic syndrome, are more likely to have breast or gynecological cancers, and to find the distribution by education, having health insurance, race/ethnicity and socio-economic status.

Methods: A case-control study of females aged 20 years and above who participated in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2010.

Results: Females who have smoked more than hundred cigarettes in life and still smoke; a) have a 42 percent less chance of having a breast cancer diagnosis (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.36 – 0.93, p-value 0.025), and b) are 2.67 times as likely to report a cervical cancer diagnosis as females who have smoked less than hundred cigarettes in life (OR 2.67; 95% CI 1.72 – 4.13, p-value

Conclusion: Smoking and metabolic syndrome are very important indicators of reproductive health and needs further study. Smoking cessation interventions should be an integral part of cervical cancer prevention programs especially targeted at younger females and females who live below the federal poverty level.

]]> Barbara A. Yankey COULD LOW VITAMIN D STATUS EXPLAIN THE INCREASED RATES OF HYPERTENSIVE DISORDERS IN PREGNANCY IN THE US POPULATION AND IN NON-HISPANIC BLACK WOMEN? AN EXAMINATION OF NHANES 2001-2006 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/221 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/221 Wed, 02 May 2012 19:33:04 PDT Background: The incidence of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy (HDP) is increasing in the US and is linked to serious long and short-term health problems for both mother and fetus. Vitamin D has been shown to have direct influence on molecular pathways involved in pregnancy. However a link between vitamin D status and HDP in Pregnant women has not been established.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine (1) the association between vitamin D deficiency and the occurrence of (HDP) and (2) whether non-Hispanic Black women (NHB) are at greater risk for HDP due to low vitamin D status.

Methods: Pregnant females in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study from 2001 to 2006 were used in this study. Participant’s response to interview questions and laboratory results were taken into account to determine HDP status. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between vitamin D status and HDP.

Results: Pregnant women with low vitamin D status (25(OH)D < 20ng/ml) were 1.123 (95%CI: 0.808-1.56) times more likely to have HDP compared to women who were vitamin D sufficient. This association was not significant. NHB women did not show a significant increased risk for HDP.

Conclusions: Low vitamin D status during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk for Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy. However more research on larger sample size is needed to determine the true extent of the association of vitamin D status with HDP in the general population and that of non-Hispanic Black women.

]]> Michelle V. Leander-Griffith Impact of Schistosomiaisis in Kasansa Health Zone in Democratic Republic of Congo http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/220 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/220 Wed, 02 May 2012 19:33:02 PDT ABSTRACT

Background: Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitological disease and constitutes one of the major neglected public health problems in the word. The consequences that this disease causes in the population are subject of controversy. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of schistosomiasis in term of malnutrition, anemia and low school performance in an endemic region, naïve of interventions.

Methods: The study was conducted in Kasansa health zone in Democratic Republic of Congo where schistosomiasis has been endemic for decades. School aged children were recruited at home. From each child, anthropometric measures, biological and laboratory exams were obtained. The questionnaire was used for economic status, behavior and other factors related to schistosomiasis. Regression logistic was used to control confounding factors. A 95% confidence interval was used for statistically significance.

Results: The proportion of malnutrition was 53.8%, anemia 67.0% and low school performance 41.1%. In this health zone, the study found and confirmed a high proportion of children who are infected with S. mansoni (89.3%) and malaria (65.1%).

Conclusions: This study showed high proportions of complications that are usually reported as associated with schistosomiasis, among school aged children in the health zone of Kasansa. Future studies are needed to show causality and to find efficient ways to control these morbidities.

]]> Mbuyi M. Kabongo Service Innovation in a Voluntary Organization: Creating Work Opportunities for Severely Developmentally Disabled Adults http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/1 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/bus_admin_diss/1 Wed, 02 May 2012 13:47:27 PDT Current literature on the developmentally disabled indicates they represent a large untapped labor pool that is significantly inhibited in its inclusion in the community. To address this unnecessary isolation, Right in the Community (RitC), a voluntary agency in Cobb County, Georgia, wanted to innovate its service offering by providing meaningful and sustainable work opportunities for those that are severely developmentally disabled. The Competing Values Framework (CVF) offers a dynamic and robust theoretical framework that has been adapted to explain many business factors in addition to organizational effectiveness. Based on a fourteen-month action research engagement at RitC, I adapted the CVF to concentrate on the dimensions of organizational focus, strategy formation and motivational traits to understand and guide service innovation in a voluntary organization. My research aided RitC’s development of a program to provide meaningful and sustainable work opportunities for those that are severely developmentally disabled. From a theoretical standpoint, I have added new knowledge on managing service innovation in voluntary organizations and adapted CVF for understanding and guiding service innovation in that particular context.

]]> Cathy Sue Neher New Urbanism and Brownfields Redevelopment: Complications and Public Health Benefits of Brownfield Reuse as a Community Garden http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/219 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/219 Tue, 01 May 2012 05:29:05 PDT Brownfields have an important impact on health. They can influence physical health by increasing risk for health hazards such as the potential for injury hazards, disease transmission, or exposure to chemicals. They can also influence social health determinants like neighborhood level social capital or behavioral risk factors. Reusing brownfields for community gardens reduces environmental hazards and associated health hazards. It further promotes public health, and sustainable quality environment. Community gardens increase nutrition access, especially for many in low income populations, and community aesthetic. They also strengthen social cohesion and create recreational or therapeutic opportunities for a community, becoming part of the urban green space network. Special care must be taken to protect public health when reusing a brownfield for a community garden, like sampling for chemicals, cleaning up soil, and using protective garden designs. The overall benefit to the community is worth the initial investment required.

]]> Julia N. M. Campbell GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY GROUPS HEALTH EDUCATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/218 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/iph_theses/218 Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:05:05 PDT Georgia State University’s Institute of Public Health along with the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Chemical Hazards Program conducted a needs assessment survey to learn more about the concerns of environmental advocates and other community leaders in Georgia regarding exposure to toxic chemicals. The purpose of the Georgia Environmental Advocacy Groups Health Education Needs Assessment was to better understand community concerns, to identify hazardous waste sites that might warrant some degree of public health evaluation, to find community leaders and personnel interested in assisting the Chemical Hazards Program in implementing public health interventions, to inform the community about the services offered to the public by the Georgia Department of Public Health and to better understand the best methods for distributing health education material. This is the first time the Chemical Hazards Program has conducted an environmental advocacy group leader needs assessment. The results of this pilot study will help the development of future needs assessments conducted by the CHP.

Survey development began in August of 2011 and Georgia State University Institutional Review Board approval was granted January 2012. Participants were selected due to their current leadership role of a Georgia environmental advocacy group/organization. Contact information was found for 137 environmental group leaders. Depending on available contact information, potential participants either received the survey through the mail or electronically via email. Surveys were distributed on January 13, 2012 and had to be returned by February 20, 2012.

Twenty-one Georgia environmental advocacy group leaders participated in the survey. A majority of participants cited protect/restore natural habitats as the main purpose of their organization, but the survey did reveal 10 environmental groups that focused on protecting human health. Seven of participants that were dedicated to protecting human health expressed interest in working further with the GDPH to develop or implement public health interventions. The survey was also successful in informing participants about the Chemical Hazards Program. Prior to the needs assessment, more than 80% of participants were not aware of the program. Many pertinent suggestions were also made to aid in the development of the brochure aimed at educating community members about the services offered by the CHP.

Although a variety of environmental health concerns were cited by the participants, water quality was most often mentioned. More participants reported they were very concerned about drinking water than any other environment. Ninety percent also reported being either concerned or very concerned about contamination in oceans, lakes and streams. A section of the survey also addressed hazards found within the home, unclean drinking water was selected by far the most often as being of greatest concern compared to all other indoor hazards. Many participants listed specific waste or industrial sites that are of concern among members of their community as a source of contaminants. A few contaminated environments were also listed including specific rivers and lakes. Though many did not list specific sources, the majority of participants cited water contamination as being a chemical contamination issue that has the greatest impact on human health.

The survey helped reveal specific community concerns regarding potential chemical contaminants and sites that may lead to the CHP conducting public health assessments/consultations and exposure investigations. The survey also revealed the need for general environmental health education and intervention activities based on concerns of the participants as well as the lack of concern by many. The survey was also successful in identifying individuals that may help the CHP gain future partnerships and identifying creative methods for distributing health education material. The CHP plans to follow-up with many of the participants and the survey will be further developed and used to survey other leaders, community members, and public health workers etc. to further investigate the needs and concerns of communities across Georgia.

]]> Laura N. Frame Mathematical Methods for Network Analysis, Proteomics and Disease Prevention http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/math_diss/6 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/math_diss/6 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:15:44 PDT This dissertation aims at analyzing complex problems arising in the context of dynamical networks, proteomics, and disease prevention. First, a new graph-based method for proving global stability of synchronization in directed dynamical networks is developed. This method utilizes stability and graph theories to clarify the interplay between individual oscillator dynamics and network topology. Secondly, a graph-theoretical algorithm is proposed to predict Ca2+-binding site in proteins. The new algorithm enables us to identify previously-unknown Ca2+-binding sites, and deepens our understanding towards disease-related Ca2+-binding proteins at a molecular level. Finally, an optimization model and algorithm to solve a disease prevention problem are described at the population level. The new resource allocation model is designed to assist clinical managers to make decisions on identifying at-risk population groups, as well as selecting a screening and treatment strategy for chlamydia and gonorrhea patients under a fixed budget. The resource allocation model and algorithm can have a significant impact on real treatment strategy issues.

]]> Kun Zhao Vertical Firm Boundaries: Supplier-Customer Contracts and Vertical Integration http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/finance_diss/20 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/finance_diss/20 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:13:34 PDT I empirically examine the choice of a firm’s vertical boundaries—specifically, the decision to use supplier-customer contracts instead of either using markets or vertical integration. I examine the determinants of supplier-customer contracts using data on a customer’s contractual purchase obligations with its suppliers. Contracting propensity is positively related to supplier relationship-specific investments (RSI), the supplier’s relative bargaining power, and vertical integration costs, and negatively related to contracting costs, alternative sources of information about the customer, and the percentage of a customer’s input traded on financial markets. I also find that customer firms which have product market contracts with their suppliers have better relative performance. These performance effects are enhanced by relationship-specific investments and are robust to corrections for endogeneity. Additionally, I examine the choice between vertical integration versus supplier-customer contracts and find that the choice is predicted by the type of RSI. Consistent with theory, RSI measured using tangible (intangible) assets are positively related to integration (contracts). Further, positive (negative) shocks to industry-level intangible investment are related to increases in a firm’s contracting activity and decreases (increases) in the level of vertical integration, while positive (negative) shocks to industry-level tangible investment are related to decreases in contracting activity and increases (decreases) in the level of vertical integration. My results suggest that market frictions play an important role in shaping supplier-customer contracting activity and firm boundaries.

]]> Ryan M. Williams Problem-Based Learning as a Teaching Method Versus Lecture-Based Teaching in Respiratory Therapy Education http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/rt_theses/13 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/rt_theses/13 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:34:00 PDT ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although Problem-based learning (PBL) approach is a common teaching technique in medical education, its use in the field of respiratory therapy is somewhat controversial. With so many programs adopting PBL strategies, it is important to examine whether there are differences between PBL and traditional teaching approaches in regards to learning outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if there are any significant differences between PBL and lecture-based program students in their cognitive abilities in mechanical ventilation.

METHODS: Two universities with BS programs in respiratory therapy were chosen—one uses PBL (15 participants) and on uses lecture-based method (24 participants). All 39 participants were given10 multiple-choice questions related to mechanical ventilation derived from the NBRC RRT written exam forms (C & D) as a pre and a post test.

RESULTS: The dependent t-test showed a significant difference between the pre and post test of the lecture-based and the PBL groups, resulting in a p value of 0.006 and 0.025 respectively. The independent t-test showed a significant difference in the pre-test favoring the lecture-based group (p = 0.039). However, the independent t-test showed no significant difference in the post-test (p=0.085)

CONCLUSIONS: PBL is increasing in popularity despite the fact that studies of its efficacy have been thus far inconclusive. This study has shown PBL to be effective, but not significantly more effective than traditional lecture-based methods in regards to objective test scores.

]]> Bandar M. Almasoudi Associations of Serum Vitamin D Concentrations with Dietary Patterns in US Children http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/nutrition_theses/33 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/nutrition_theses/33 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:26:57 PDT Background: Contribution of dietary sources to vitamin D status is not clearly known. Some studies have shown that dietary intake of certain vitamin D rich foods had a significant positive influence on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, whereas other studies have shown no effect. Although sunlight exposure is a major source of circulating serum 25(OH)D, children and adolescents have been advised on the dangers of sun exposure. Diet may therefore be an important contributor of circulating serum 25(OH)D in absence of or reduced sunlight exposure.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with any specific dietary patterns in US children and adolescents using assay-adjusted serum 25(OH)D data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004 and 2005-2006.

Methods: Data from 2 cycles of the NHANES 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 for individuals aged 2 to ≤19 y, were used to study the association between dietary patterns and serum 25(OH)D. Dietary patterns were established using factor analysis based on food-frequency questionnaire data. Eigenvalues and Scree plot were used to derive 2 major principal factors. They were labeled as High Fat Low Vegetable (HFLV) and Prudent dietary patterns.

Results: Serum 25(OH)D was significantly lower in HFLV dietary pattern group compared to Prudent dietary pattern group (25.1 vs 27.0 ng/mL; P=0.001). The highest serum 25(OH)D concentrations for all subjects were in the low-intake HFLV group or medium and high-intake Prudent groups (P=0.003 and P=0.012, respectively). In multivariate adjusted analysis, children with higher Prudent dietary contribution scores to overall diet showed a significant positive relation with serum 25(OH)D (β=62.01, P=0.016). When data were stratified by sex, a significant positive relation was observed in girls who consumed the Prudent diet (β=86.34, P=0.014) and a significant negative relation was observed in girls who consumed the HFLV diet (β=-84.32, P=0.022).

Conclusion: Overall, serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with Prudent dietary pattern but not with HFLV dietary pattern in US children and adolescents. When stratified by sex, the relation between dietary patterns and serum 25(OH)D was confined to only girls. Children consuming HFLV pattern diet may benefit from vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure (outdoor activities), and should be encouraged to consume more vitamin D fortified foods.

]]> Bernadette Martineau CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-EMPOWERMENT OF IMMIGRANT LATINA SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: A LEADERSHIP INTERVENTION http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/103 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/103 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:17:21 PDT Latina survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience IPV at similar rates as other ethnic groups. However, the intersection of multiple cultural factors, including acculturation, can greatly influence a woman’s experience of IPV. For example, research suggests that Latinas experience unique forms of control and unique barriers to service in addition to positive coping. Nevertheless, a scarcity of culturally relevant interventions plagues the IPV field. Moreover, evaluations of such programs are remarkably scarce in the research literature. The current study evaluates an innovative peer leadership intervention, the Líderes program, which is grounded in a self-empowerment framework. The Líderes program is a peer education leadership initiative that taps into the natural leadership skills of Latinas. Although the effectiveness of similar peer leadership models addressing public and occupational health concerns, education outcomes, and nursing leadership can be found in the literature, this is the first documented attempt to include survivors of IPV as participants in such a program.

The study used a mixed methods design. The quantitative component included a multiple baseline research design including nine participants. The survey measured variables related to leadership development and a facilitator rating was utilized to measure behavioral change. The qualitative component included analysis of journals written by the participants documenting their experience of the program.

Results revealed that the Líderes curriculum was effective in influencing the self-empowerment of participants across the intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral domains of leadership. The qualitative results supported this finding and provided evidence for the important role of a supportive environment for this change to occur.

The Líderes training program is the first training program for Latina community leaders who are also survivors of IPV. This study highlights the advantages of a peer-intervention training program as a way to develop existing strengths among Latina survivors of IPV.

]]> Josephine V. Serrata THE ROLE OF FRONTAL LOBE WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING IN PREDICTING ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONING IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/102 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/102 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:17:19 PDT Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by a gradual deterioration of the patients’ ability to independently perform day to day activities. Researchers have discovered significant changes in neuroanatomy, cognition and behavior that are related to the disease process of AD and researchers continue to uncover new variables, such as the presence of vascular risk factors, which may further increase our ability to understand and characterize the disease. The purpose of this study is to identify the neuroanatomical, cognitive and behavioral variables that best predict impairment of instrumental activities of daily living in individuals with probable AD.

Reduced white matter integrity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as well as the presence of vascular risk factors significantly predicted impairments in activities of daily living (ADLs). Executive functioning skills, typically described as frontal lobe system behaviors, were positively associated with ADLs. Further, executive functions fully mediated the relationship between frontal lobe white matter integrity and ADLs. A better understanding of the variables responsible for diminished ADLs in AD will allow researchers and clinicians to better target prevention and intervention strategies and ultimately help individuals with AD to maintain their independence for a longer duration.

]]> Matthew A. Mumaw TEMPERAMENT AS A PREDICTOR OF INFANT IMMUNIZATION DISTRESS AND RESPONSE TO TREATMENT http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/101 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/101 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:17:18 PDT There is a growing body of research on interventions to decrease infant distress during painful procedures, and distraction is a particularly practical option. However, the effectiveness data for distraction for infant pain relief are mixed. Inconsistencies in response to distraction might be explained by unique characteristics of the infant patient. Some researchers argue that temperament is the best predictor of differences observed between individuals and also the most sensitive to novel environmental factors such as exposure to pain. This study examined whether infants’ temperament is predictive of response to immunization injection pain and whether temperament moderates the relation between a distraction intervention and infant distress. Data for this study came from two prior studies of healthy infants receiving immunizations (Cohen, 2002; Cohen et al., 2006). Participants included 252 healthy infants and toddlers who ranged from 1 to 22 months of age. Infants were randomly assigned to “typical care” condition or “distraction” condition. The period of time before, during, and after the injection was videotaped and observational coding was used to assess infant distress. Prior to the immunization, parents completed six pre-injection visual analogue scales about their child’s temperament. An oblique rotation factor analysis was conducted with the temperament data and provided two temperament factors that map onto the ‘easy/difficult’ and ‘time-to-warm-up’ dimensions documented in the literature; these two factors were used for analyses. After controlling for site and gender, regression analyses revealed that neither easy/difficult temperament (p = .098, b = .109) nor time-to-warm-up temperament (p = .572, b = -.037) was predictive of distress. There was a significant treatment condition and time-to-warm-up temperament interaction, b = .0011, SE = .0005, p = .0254, such that distraction decreased distress in infants that were slower to warm up, or warmed up neither slowly nor quickly. No other significant distraction x temperament interactions were found. Temperament was not found to impact infant distress during immunizations in this study but results speaking to whether temperament serves as a moderator of the relation between distraction and distress were mixed. Results suggest that temperament is a factor that warrants closer attention when examining how infants respond to interventions around pain.

]]> Naomi E. Joffe Developmental Trajectories of Marriage, Coparenting, and Parenting Stress for Parents of Adolescents and Young Adults with Intellectual Disability http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/100 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/100 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:17:16 PDT This study assessed marital quality, coparenting, and parenting stress over time for parents of children with intellectual disability by creating developmental trajectories from longitudinal data. Both mothers and fathers (N = 152 couples), with children ages 6-18 at the first wave, evaluated their relationship and parenting stress on up to 4 occasions over a 14-year period. The study provided separate models of change over time for mothers and fathers which showed that marital quality, coparenting, and parenting stress are dynamic relationship constructs that changed during the child’s development. Overall, marital quality was found to follow a curvilinear pattern, with declines when children were adolescents and increases as children entered young adulthood. Positive coparenting increased linearly over time for mothers and fathers, and negative coparenting declined linearly for mothers. With an emphasis on transition periods in the family life cycle, trajectories included indicators of the child’s development to allow for periods of discrete change in the trajectories based on the child’s entrance into adolescence and young adulthood. The child’s entrances into these developmental periods were associated with changes in levels of marital quality and coparenting for mothers only. Patterns for stress over time depended on the parent reporting, with mothers reporting decreases in parent and family problems over time and a quadratic trend for pessimism, with initial growth in reported pessimism followed by declines as the children exited adolescence. Fathers, however, did not report significant changes for parent and family problems and perceived increases in pessimism with time. The study also assessed how support in the marital and coparenting roles with time is associated with levels of parenting stress. Marital quality consistently predicted lower levels of parent and family problems for both parents, but findings for associations between marital quality and pessimism, and coparenting with both types of stress, varied depending on the parent reporting.

]]> Shana S. Richardson An Exploration of Pathological Gambling Among Diverse Populations http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/99 http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/psych_diss/99 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:14:35 PDT This study used an ecological perspective to identify pathological gambling (PG) risk and protective factors, nonclinical resources, and prevention strategies based on the perceptions of Georgia stakeholders. With an ecological perspective, human behavior is perceived as an outcome of the interaction between the individual and various factors in their social environment. The ecological perspective is especially suitable for examining the higher PG prevalence among ethnic minority groups since these populations have been documented as encountering greater exposure to PG social and environmental risk factors (Smedley & Syme, 2000). To assess prevention needs, data were obtained from a 2008 needs assessment where diverse perspectives were collected through semi structured focus groups and interviews. A qualitative approach was used to address the study's aims. Grounded theory was used to guide the data analysis. Findings indicated that community perceptions of risk and protective factors, nonclinical resources, and prevention strategies were present at multiple levels of analyses. Furthermore, data trends also indicated that charitable gambling and other social norms should be considered in prevention.

]]> Ayana N. Perkins