Degree Level

An Investigation of Psychopathy in a Female Jail Sample: a Study of Convergent and Discriminant Validity (open access)

An Investigation of Psychopathy in a Female Jail Sample: a Study of Convergent and Discriminant Validity

The present study was designed to assess both the construct of psychopathy in a female jail sample as well as the quality of the measures that have been employed to assess this personality style. Utilizing the multitrait-multimethod matrix proposed by Campbell and Fiske (1959), the construct of psychopathy was measured via three instruments: (a) the Antisocial Scale of the Personality Assessment Inventory, (b) the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised, and (c) the Antisocial Scale of the Personality Disorder Examination. In addition, the predictive validity of each of these measures of psychopathy was evaluated to determine their ability to predict institutional violence and non-compliance. The results revealed significant convergence and divergence across the three instruments supporting the construct of psychopathy in a female jail sample. In addition, the measures of psychopathy demonstrated moderate predictive validity.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Salekin, Randall T. (Randall Todd)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ethnic Identity : An Examination of Hispanic International Students (open access)

Ethnic Identity : An Examination of Hispanic International Students

I interviewed twenty-four International students from the following countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Spain. Hereafter I shall refer to the respondents as Hispanic International students. My primary interest was to learn the way in which Hispanic International students defined themselves in view of ethnic definitions imposed on them by the administrative system in the U.S. First, Hispanic International students defined themselves primarily by their nationality. The second finding dealt with the usage of language. The Hispanic International students spoke Spanish with relatives and friends. They spoke English when a non-Spanish speaker joined the conversation. The third finding was related to the problems and adaptations encountered by Hispanic International students.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Correa, Minerva
System: The UNT Digital Library
Short Term Effects of External Electric Fields on Electrical Activity of the Pineal Gland in Rats (open access)

Short Term Effects of External Electric Fields on Electrical Activity of the Pineal Gland in Rats

The effects of short term exposure (5 minutes) to EEFs at relatively high dosages (10, 25, 39, kV/m) on the electrical activity in rat pineal glands was studied. Daytime and nighttime recordings were taken from an implanted microelectrode in the gland. The data show that (1) both the activity and frequency were enhanced when the animals were exposed to EEFs at 39 kV/m continuously and discontinuously; (2) the later condition yielded a sustained increase (36%) whereas the former a brief (10 sec) increase. This enhancement was statistically significant under both conditions (day and night). The effects observed were thought to be due to membrane alterations either in the pineal gland itself or in the neural inputs to the gland.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Vu, Hung Quoc
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Rhetoric of Androgyny: Gender and Boundaries in Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness (open access)

The Rhetoric of Androgyny: Gender and Boundaries in Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness

The androgyny of the Gethenians in The Left Hand of Darkness is a vehicle for Ursula Le Guin's rhetoric concerning gender roles. Le Guin attempts to make the reader identify with an ideal form of androgyny, through which she argues that many of the problems of human existence, from rape and war to dualistic thought and sexism, are products of gender roles and would be absent in an androgynous world. The novel also links barriers of separation and Othering with masculine thought, and deconstructs these separative boundaries of opposition, while promoting connective borders which acknowledge difference without creating opposition. The novel thus criticizes gendered thought processes and social roles, because they lead to opposition and separation.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Gleason, Benjamin P. (Benjamin Patrick)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Finitness and Verb-Raising in Second Language Acquisition of French by Native Speakers of Moroccan Arabic (open access)

Finitness and Verb-Raising in Second Language Acquisition of French by Native Speakers of Moroccan Arabic

In this thesis, the three hypotheses on the nature of early L2 acquisition (the Full Transfer/Full Access view of Schwartz and Sprouse (e.g., 1996), the Minimal Trees view of Vainikka and Young-Scholten (e.g., 1996), and the Valueless Features view of Eubank (e.g., 1996)), are discussed. Analysis of the early French production by two native speakers of Moroccan Arabic is done to determine if the L1 grammar is transferred onto the L2 grammar. In particular, the phenomena of verb-raising (as determined by the verb's position vis-a-vis negation) and finiteness are examined. The results of this study indicate that the relevant structures of Moroccan Arabic do not transfer onto the emerging French grammar.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Aboutaj, Heidi H. (Heidi Huttar)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Loose Id for Orchestra (open access)

Loose Id for Orchestra

Loose Id, scored for orchestra (piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B-flat, B-flat contrabass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B-flat, 2 trombones, 1 bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 parts), violin I, violin II, viola, violoncello, and contrabass), is an abstract realization in sound of the energy of the Id. Unleashed, without the counterbalance of Ego or Superego, the Id generates unbridled instinctual energy, resulting in an orgiastic frenzy. Distinct from a state of dementia, this piece represents a thoroughly lucid and intentional rampage of self-indulgence. The accompanying essay examines the underlying structural principles of Loose Id, focusing on how they aid the creation of the overall experience of the piece. Particular attention is given to the concepts of linearity and nonlinearity and their roles in different levels of creative and listening processes.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Bryant, Steven 1972-
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Rhetoric of Technological Flaws: Intel's Pentium Processor (open access)

The Rhetoric of Technological Flaws: Intel's Pentium Processor

This study analyzes the apologies presented by Intel Corporation as a response to the Pentiumâ„¢ microprocessor controversy. Dr. Andrew Grove's November 27,1994, Internet posting to the comp.sys.intel usegroup and Intel's December 20,1994, press release are analyzed using the methods of genre criticism. Further, a situational analysis is presented of the exigence and the audience. The exigence is represented by the relationship of society to technology while the audience is Internet users. This analysis attempts to demonstrate how situational factors constrain discourse related to technological flaws.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Burns, Judith Poitras
System: The UNT Digital Library
"Stately Temples": Consubstantiality and Consciousness in Frances E. W. Harper's Iola Leroy; or Shadows Uplifted (open access)

"Stately Temples": Consubstantiality and Consciousness in Frances E. W. Harper's Iola Leroy; or Shadows Uplifted

The purpose of this master's thesis is to examine Frances Harper's narrative strategy and moral didacticism in Iola Leroy: or Shadows Uplifted (1892) as she strives to achieve consubstantiality and a "heightened consciousness" within her characters and her audience while adhering to the literary and feminist paradigms of the late nineteenth century. Harper identifies with her African-American male audience's dilemma of "double-consciousness" and their veil of androcentrism. She also identifies with her Euro-American female audience's delicate and matriarchal roles, while also attempting to uplift their position of the "Other" to the "One." Finally, with her African-American female audience, Harper identifies with their complex situatedness of "double-consciousness" and the "Other," while also attempting to uplift them from a historically imposed position of selflessness to one of empowerment.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Louis-Ray, Deborah
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Function of Oral Tradition in Mary Lou's Mass by Mary Lou Williams (open access)

The Function of Oral Tradition in Mary Lou's Mass by Mary Lou Williams

The musical and spiritual life of Mary Lou Williams (1910 - 1981) came together in her later years in the writing of Mary Lou's Mass. Being both Roman Catholic and a jazz pianist and composer, it was inevitable that Williams would be the first jazz composer to write a setting of the mass. The degree of success resulting from the combination of jazz and the traditional forms of Western art music has always been controversial. Because of Williams's personal faith and aesthetics of music, however, she had little choice but to attempt the union of jazz and liturgical worship. After a biography of Williams, discussed in the context of her musical aesthetics, this thesis investigates the elements of conventional mass settings and oral tradition found in Mary Lou's Mass.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Fledderus, France
System: The UNT Digital Library
Characteristics of Four-Year Baccalaureate Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management Programs (open access)

Characteristics of Four-Year Baccalaureate Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management Programs

The research questions of this study were to determine the specific hotel, restaurant and institutional management courses offered as required and elective courses, to determine which hospitality management courses were taught by faculty members in the hospitality management program versus being taught by faculty in other programs, to determine the teaching methods used to present hospitality curriculum, and to determine the distance learning methods currently used.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Kirby, Allison D. (Allison Dawn)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Two for One, One for Two (open access)

Two for One, One for Two

The film is about three young Korean-American adults who have adapted to American society while retaining certain aspects of Korean culture in their lives. To expose their intermingled behaviors and concepts, the film combines the observational format of a documentary with an information style employing family photos, home movie recordings, and interviews with the three subjects and their families. An accompanying production report describes the research process, pre-production, production, and post-production.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Choi, Ho-Kyung
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparative Study of the Bel Canto Teaching Styles and their Effects on Vocal Agility (open access)

Comparative Study of the Bel Canto Teaching Styles and their Effects on Vocal Agility

This thesis examines the historical significance of the vocal methods employed from the middle of the seventeenth century to the beginning of the nineteenth century in what became known as the bel canto era. It provides further exploration into the pedagogical procedures of the bel canto technique through a study of the premier instructors and singers from this period. The resurgence of interest in this tradition is addressed along with its impact on current vocal pedagogy. The vital role that vocal agility played as one of its most distinguishing traits is the primary factor under investigation. A discussion of the bel canto teaching styles in relation to their approach to agility is a major point of inquiry. By maintaining a link between present artists and pedagogues and the old Italian school, it helps the singer understand the historical implications of vocal agility as an integral part of healthy vocal development.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Harper, Portia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluating Fish Impingement and Entrainment at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station (open access)

Evaluating Fish Impingement and Entrainment at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station

This study was designed to determine if impingement and entrainment by cooling water intake at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station have an adverse impact upon the Squaw Creek Reservoir fish population. The yearly impingement of fish was estimated to be 262,994 of 14 species. The threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) accounted for 96% of this total. Entrainment of eggs and larvae for a five month period was estimated to be 15,989,987 and 42,448,794 respectively. Two fish population studies were performed on Squaw Creek Reservoir to help assess impact. It was determined that the losses due to impingement and entrainment have no adverse impact upon the fish population of Squaw Creek Reservoir.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Bauml, George A. (George Arthur)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Traditional Medicine: a Blessing or Bane? The Case of Ghana (open access)

Traditional Medicine: a Blessing or Bane? The Case of Ghana

The study examines the socio-demographic characteristics of Traditional Medical Practitioners in Ghana. Their attitudes towards collaboration with biomedical practitioners, their associations, and regulation is also discussed. Data for the study was obtained from a Survey of Traditional Medical Practitioners in Ghana.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Sakyi-Addo, Isaac
System: The UNT Digital Library
Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and the Crime Films of the Nineteen Nineties (open access)

Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and the Crime Films of the Nineteen Nineties

Martin Scorsese's films, GOODFELLAS and CASINO, and Quentin Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION are examined to determine if the crime film of the 1990s has become increasingly more in the style of film noir. The differences and similarities between the two crime films each director has either written or co-written in the 1990s are delineated to demonstrate this trend. Other crime films of the latter 1990s (SEVEN, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, and MULHOLLAND FALLS) are also examined to aid in defining the latest incarnation of the crime film as "Noir Modernist," a term that is demonstrated to be a more accurate description for the current crime films than B. Ruby Rich's, "Neo-Noir of the 1990s."
Date: August 1996
Creator: Magnani, Matthew Daniel
System: The UNT Digital Library
Symplectic Integration of Nonseparable Hamiltonian Systems (open access)

Symplectic Integration of Nonseparable Hamiltonian Systems

Numerical methods are usually necessary in solving Hamiltonian systems since there is often no closed-form solution. By utilizing a general property of Hamiltonians, namely the symplectic property, all of the qualities of the system may be preserved for indefinitely long integration times because all of the integral (Poincare) invariants are conserved. This allows for more reliable results and frequently leads to significantly shorter execution times as compared to conventional methods. The resonant triad Hamiltonian with one degree of freedom will be focused upon for most of the numerical tests because of its difficult nature and, moreover, analytical results exist whereby useful comparisons can be made.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Curry, David M. (David Mason)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hooking Mortality of Largemouth Bass Caught on Controversial Artificial Lures and Live Bait : Lake Ray Roberts, Texas (open access)

Hooking Mortality of Largemouth Bass Caught on Controversial Artificial Lures and Live Bait : Lake Ray Roberts, Texas

A total of 192 largemouth bass were caught at Lake Ray Roberts, Texas (1995) to investigate five controversial bass angling techniques relative to hooking mortality. The bait types were Texas-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, Carolina-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, and live golden shiners. Overall hooking mortality was 21.87% and mortality was dependent upon bait type. Highest mortality resulted from the Texas-rigged scented lures, while the lowest mortality was generated by live golden shiners. A creel survey indicated that few anglers were having success with the investigated baits. Factors that had a confirmed effect on hooking mortality were hooking location and water temperature. Hooking mortality was not excessive compared to other similar studies.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Alumbaugh, Andrew E. (Andrew Edward)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparison of Remediation Methods in Different Hydrogeologic Settings Using Bioplume II (open access)

Comparison of Remediation Methods in Different Hydrogeologic Settings Using Bioplume II

A contaminant fate and transport computer model, Bioplume II, which allows simulation of bioremediation in ground water systems, was used to compare the effects of 11 remediation scenarios on a benzene plume. The plume was created in three different hydrogeologic settings from the simulation of an underground gasoline storage tank leak.
Date: May 1996
Creator: White, Sherry A. (Sherry Anne)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Political and Congressional Career of John Hancock, 1865-1885 (open access)

The Political and Congressional Career of John Hancock, 1865-1885

John Hancock was a Texas Unionist. After the Civil War, he became an opponent of the Radical Republicans. He was elected to Congress in 1871 and had some success working on issues important to Texas. As the state was redeemed from Radical Republican rule, Hancock was increasingly attacked for his Unionism. This led to a tough fight for renomination in 1874, and losses in races for the U.S. Senate and renomination in 1876. He was an unsuccessful congressional candidate in 1878, but was elected again in 1882. By then his political influence had waned and he did not seek renomination in 1884. Hancock had the potential to be a major political leader, but lingering resentment to his Unionism hampered his political career.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Hancock, W. Daniel
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Violence in Same-Sex Relationships (open access)

Domestic Violence in Same-Sex Relationships

The purpose of this study is to examine domestic violence as it occurs in same-sex male relationships. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with twenty-five gay males, who were between the ages of 23 and 43, and who had previous experience being in a homosexual relationship where domestic violence was present. The major findings of this study include the respondents': 1) definitions of domestic violence and abuse; 2) the type of domestic violence or abuse personally experienced; and 3) reasons they believe domestic violence or abuse occurs in these types of relationships. This study illustrates the need for further research in this area of domestic violence and for programs or services targeted for this specific population.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Cruz, Joe Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Job Satisfaction on Home and Family Life for Female Managers in Health Care Food Service (open access)

The Impact of Job Satisfaction on Home and Family Life for Female Managers in Health Care Food Service

This research study evaluated the impact specific work-related factors have on home and family life for female managers in the health care food service industry. A random sample of 333 (33%) of the population was chosen to participate in this study. Each participant was a member of the American Dietetic Association's Management in Health Care Systems dietetic practice group. The work aspects with the most negative impact were number of hours worked per week, work schedule, and job security. Two variables found to significantly predict the overall impact of work on home and family life were number of hours worked per week (p-value .002) and annual gross income (p-value .002).
Date: August 1996
Creator: Odera, Vivian
System: The UNT Digital Library
Changing Perceptions of Heraldry in English Knightly Culture of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries (open access)

Changing Perceptions of Heraldry in English Knightly Culture of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and discuss the changing ways in which the visual art of heraldiy was perceived by the feudal aristocracy of twelfth- and thirteenth-century England. It shows how the aristocracy evolved from a military class to a courtly, chivalric class, and how this change affected art and culture. The shifts in the perceptions of heraldry reflect this important social development of the knightly class.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Lewis, Robert Lee, III
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Foreign Assistance and Democracy in Central America: Quantitative Evaluation of U.S. Policy, 1946 Through 1994 (open access)

U.S. Foreign Assistance and Democracy in Central America: Quantitative Evaluation of U.S. Policy, 1946 Through 1994

U.S. policymakers consistently argue that U.S. security depends on hemispheric democracy. As an instrument of U.S. policy, did foreign assistance promote democracy in Central America, 1946 through 1994? Finding that U.S. foreign assistance directly promoted neither GDP nor democracy in Central America, 1946 through 1994, I conclude that U.S. policy failed consistently in this specific regard.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Lohse, Stephen Alan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Knowledge-of-Correct-Response vs. Copying-of-Correct-Response: a Study of Discrimination Learning (open access)

Knowledge-of-Correct-Response vs. Copying-of-Correct-Response: a Study of Discrimination Learning

Copying prompts with subsequent unprompted practice produced better learning of simple discriminations than feedback only of a correct response without subsequent practice. The Copy condition promoted faster acquisition of accurate performance for all subjects, and shorter response latencies and durations for 3 of 4 subjects. The data support the findings of Barbetta, Heron, and Heward, 1993 as well as Drevno, Kimball, Possi, Heward, Garner III, and Barbetta, 1994. The author proposes that response repertoires are most valuable if easily reacquired at times after original learning. Thus, reacquisition performance data are emphasized. The data suggest that discriminations acquired by copying prompts may result in useful repertoires if a practice procedure is used which facilitates transfer of stimulus control from a formal prompt to a naturally occurring stimulus.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Geller, David, 1952-
System: The UNT Digital Library