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- Creators: Arizona State University
Description
The Believe It! program developed and evaluated by Kovalski & Horan (1999) was the first interactive, multimedia, psychological-education intervention deployed on the Internet. In a controlled study, the authors reported that the ethnically diverse cartoon models were partially successful in using cognitive restructuring to promote more reasonable career beliefs among Caucasian middle-school young women. It was not clear if the program's lack of efficacy among minority young women was due to computer literacy factors affected by SES. Subsequently, three studies explored the role of matching or mismatching the ethnicity of animated agents in a graphically enhanced program with that of the young women receiving the cognitive restructuring treatment. Each of the studies used the same four outcome measures (Occupational Sex-Role Questionnaire, Believe It Measure, Career Beliefs Inventory, and the Career Myths Scale) before and after matched and mismatched participants received the Believe It! intervention. Webster (2010) analyzed data from African-American participants, Hardy (2011) Latinas, and Zhang (2013) Asian-Americans. The current study examined the matching hypothesis on a sample of ethnically isolated Caucasian young women in a rural setting. The results obtained in the three previous studies are consistent with similar research involving client and counselor dyads (e.g., Cabral & Smith, 2011). The Believe It! program had a clear impact on ethnically matched African-American young women, whereas pairings on ethnicity did not improve outcomes for either Latinas or Asian-Americans. A solitary effect on the Occupation Sex-Role Questionnaire in the current study suggests the hypothesis is worthy of further study.
ContributorsHacker, Robyn (Author) / Horan, John J (Thesis advisor) / Atkinson, Robert (Committee member) / Homer, Judith (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Arizona has an abundant solar resource and technologically mature systems are available to capture it, but solar energy systems are still considered to be an innovative technology. Adoption rates for solar and wind energy systems rise and fall with the political tides, and are relatively low in most rural areas in Arizona. This thesis tests the hypothesis that a consumer profile developed to characterize the adopters of renewable energy technology (RET) systems in rural Arizona is the same as the profile of other area residents who performed renovations, upgrades or additions to their homes. Residents of Santa Cruz and Cochise Counties who had obtained building permits to either install a solar or wind energy system or to perform a substantial renovation or upgrade to their home were surveyed to gather demographic, psychographic and behavioristic data. The data from 133 survey responses (76 from RET adopters and 57 from non-adopters) provided insights about their decisions regarding whether or not to adopt a RET system. The results, which are statistically significant at the 99% level of confidence, indicate that RET adopters had smaller households, were older and had higher education levels and greater income levels than the non-adopters. The research also provides answers to three related questions: First, are the energy conservation habits of RET adopters the same as those of non-adopters? Second, what were the sources of information consulted and the most important factors that motivated the decision to purchase a solar or wind energy system? And finally, are any of the factors which influenced the decision to live in a rural area in southeastern Arizona related to the decision to purchase a renewable energy system? The answers are provided, along with a series of recommendations that are designed to inform marketers and other promoters of RETs about how to utilize these results to help achieve their goals.
ContributorsPorter, Wayne Eliot (Author) / Reddy, T. Agami (Thesis advisor) / Pasqualetti, Martin (Committee member) / Larson, Kelli (Committee member) / Kennedy, Linda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
ABSTRACT The present study was designed to examine factors that led to the academic success of two rural secondary schools in New Mexico. The primary focus was on the characteristics and behaviors of leaders in two high-achieving rural schools and how these factors might have contributed to achievement of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in school year 2009-10. The secondary focus of the study concentrated on the characteristics of the rural environment of the schools and what role, if any, school location might have contributed to AYP. Of the approximately 820 public schools in New Mexico, 42 (30%) of secondary schools designated as "rural" achieved AYP in 2009-10. 2 of the 42 secondary schools, were selected for the study. Tara High School and Twelve Oaks Middle School, located in separate New Mexico villages, were identified as achieving the AYP in the 2009-10 school year through demographic and statistical data collected primarily from the New Mexico Public Education Department. The location of the two rural secondary schools along with the willingness of their principals to participate met the research criteria for being a descriptive case study to define any causal relationships between leadership practices and rural settings that resulted in achieving the AYP for student achievement. The researcher conducted interviews regarding leadership with two rural school principals, twelve secondary teachers, and seven parents. There was no direct contact with students in the study. Additionally, the researcher conducted on-site observations of both schools and conducted an on-line leadership survey for principals of the two rural schools and an additional 8 principals for data purposes only. Among the 3 data sets, the researcher found that there was complete unanimity as to the common characteristics of high-achieving schools located in rural communities influencing student achievement: culture, motivation, instructional leadership, empowerment, school leadership, trust, and community involvement. The twelve teachers and seven parents were unanimous that the two principals maintained a positive demeanor, visibly demonstrated care, supported and openly dialogued with the teachers to make their own classroom decisions, maintained an open-door policy, and modeled professional behavior.
ContributorsIron Moccasin, Shawl D (Author) / Humphreys, Jere T. (Thesis advisor) / Appleton, Nicholas A. (Committee member) / Spencer, Dee A. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Job burnout, a prolonged reaction to job stress, includes mental and physical aspects of exhaustion related to professional work life. Linked to individual health-related problems, decreased job satisfaction, poor organizational commitment, and higher turnover, burnout poses a problem for both employees and organizations. The nursing profession identifies the prevalence of burnout and the resulting harmful effects in many settings, yet until now, rural critical access hospital settings have not been considered. To build and maintain a competent, healthy rural nursing workforce that responds innovatively to growing healthcare needs, it is important to examine burnout levels in rural nurses and to identify factors that might be associated with mitigating burnout.
This study focuses on how psychological capital, socio-demographic and organizational work-related factors are associated with burnout in this population. This cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study employed the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Health Professionals, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire assessing individual and organizational work-related factors as self-report tools. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses were performed to assess aspects of the nurses’ work environment, while describing the relationships among the variables.Means and standard deviations were examined across key variables and compared to reports from other studies. Hypotheses predicted psychological capital would be associated with burnout (negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, positively associated with personal accomplishment), and that individual sociodemographic and organizational work-related factors would also be associated with BO. It was further hypothesized that PsyCap would moderate the relationship between work-related factors and BO.
Maslach Burnout Inventory results reveal similar findings to those in the global sample. However, levels of emotional exhaustion and professional accomplishment were greater in our rural nurse sample compared to published values. Higher levels of psychological capital were found to be related to decreases in depersonalization and correlated to greater professional accomplishment. Psychological capital was not found to moderate associations within this study. Intent to stay more than one year had a strong, negative correlation with emotional exhaustion. The findings suggest burnout in this sample resembles that of the global problem and sets a baseline from which psychological capital trainings may be built.
This study focuses on how psychological capital, socio-demographic and organizational work-related factors are associated with burnout in this population. This cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study employed the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Health Professionals, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire assessing individual and organizational work-related factors as self-report tools. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses were performed to assess aspects of the nurses’ work environment, while describing the relationships among the variables.Means and standard deviations were examined across key variables and compared to reports from other studies. Hypotheses predicted psychological capital would be associated with burnout (negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, positively associated with personal accomplishment), and that individual sociodemographic and organizational work-related factors would also be associated with BO. It was further hypothesized that PsyCap would moderate the relationship between work-related factors and BO.
Maslach Burnout Inventory results reveal similar findings to those in the global sample. However, levels of emotional exhaustion and professional accomplishment were greater in our rural nurse sample compared to published values. Higher levels of psychological capital were found to be related to decreases in depersonalization and correlated to greater professional accomplishment. Psychological capital was not found to moderate associations within this study. Intent to stay more than one year had a strong, negative correlation with emotional exhaustion. The findings suggest burnout in this sample resembles that of the global problem and sets a baseline from which psychological capital trainings may be built.
ContributorsMcCay, Rebecca (Author) / Larkey, Linda K (Thesis advisor) / Kelly, Lesly (Committee member) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
The spread of urbanization leads to habitat fragmentation and deterioration and changes the composition of ecosystems for species all over the world. Different groups of organisms are impacted differently, and insects have experienced loss in diversity and abundance due to changing environmental factors. Here, I collected seed beetles across 12 urban and rural sites in Phoenix, Arizona, to analyze the effects of urbanization and habitat variation on beetle diversity and abundance. I found that urbanization, host tree origin, and environmental factors such as tree diversity and density had no impact on overall beetle diversity and abundance. Beetles were found to have higher density on hosts with a higher density of pods. In assessing individual beetle species, some beetles exhibited higher density in rural sites with native trees, and some were found more commonly on nonnative tree species. The observed differences in beetle density demonstrate the range of effects urbanization and environmental features can have on insect species. By studying ecosystem interactions alongside changing environments, we can better predict the role urbanization and human development can have on different organisms.
ContributorsPaduano, Gabrielle (Author) / Savalli, Udo (Thesis director) / Sweat, Ken (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Interrogating Rusticism utilizes concepts from postcolonial theory and studies in cosmopolitanism to examine the relationship between the country and the city in nineteenth-century Britain. The project considers the way in which rural people, places, and cultures were depicted in popular literature and introduces two new terms that help inform one’s understanding of rural and urban interaction. “Rusticism” refers to a discourse reminiscent of Orientalism that creates an “us and them” dichotomy through characterizations that essentialize rural experience and cast it as distinct from urban living. “Extrapolitanism” evokes a cultural practice similar to rooted cosmopolitanism that entails traveling back and forth between the country and the city, engaging in both urban and rural cultural practices, and not committing oneself solely to the social and political causes of either the country or the city. Because rusticist stereotypes regarding rural life, such as the notion that rural labourers possess an energy and love for their work but are also uneducated and backward, have persisted into the twenty-first century, studying the more nuanced, less-rusticist aspects of rural life in nineteenth-century Britain is an often overlooked, but still very important, endeavor. Interrogating Rusticism closely examines literature by authors known for imbuing their works with rusticist portrayals of country life, and seeks to illuminate how, in addition to perpetuating rusticist discourse, those authors also cultivate an extrapolitan type of mindset when they do depict more nuanced aspects of rural life.
Each chapter follows a similar methodological approach that involves looking at a specific rusticist notion, the binary distinctions that help construct it, the historical background that contributed to its rise, a critically overlooked work that informed the writing process of a commonly studied piece, and how the commonly studied piece challenges the rusticist notion by revealing that the binary distinctions actually inform one another. Chapter 1 focuses on the rusticist idea that rural communities are pastoral, pre-modern sites untouched by the effects of modernity, the repeal of the Corn Laws, which eventually led to rampant poverty in the countryside, George Eliot’s travel memoir “Recollections of Ilfracombe” (1856) that chronicles her visit to a rural, sea-side community, and her first novel, Adam Bede (1859). Chapter 2 turns to the comparison that was often made between rural workers and nonhuman animals, the negative connotations it carried, which became even more pronounced following the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in 1859, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins’s dramatized account of their 1857 walking tour of rural England, The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices, and Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend (1864-65). The final chapter examines the expectation for male rural workers to be hearty, highly masculine figures, which was emphasized by both the use of the derogatory term Hodge to refer to rural workers and the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1884, Richard Jefferies’s post-apocalyptic novel After London (1885), and Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure (1895). Interrogating Rusticism helps elucidate often overlooked aspects of rural life in nineteenth-century Britain that can and should inform rural and urban interaction today as long-held stereotypes regarding rural life still persist and the world becomes increasingly more urban.
Each chapter follows a similar methodological approach that involves looking at a specific rusticist notion, the binary distinctions that help construct it, the historical background that contributed to its rise, a critically overlooked work that informed the writing process of a commonly studied piece, and how the commonly studied piece challenges the rusticist notion by revealing that the binary distinctions actually inform one another. Chapter 1 focuses on the rusticist idea that rural communities are pastoral, pre-modern sites untouched by the effects of modernity, the repeal of the Corn Laws, which eventually led to rampant poverty in the countryside, George Eliot’s travel memoir “Recollections of Ilfracombe” (1856) that chronicles her visit to a rural, sea-side community, and her first novel, Adam Bede (1859). Chapter 2 turns to the comparison that was often made between rural workers and nonhuman animals, the negative connotations it carried, which became even more pronounced following the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in 1859, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins’s dramatized account of their 1857 walking tour of rural England, The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices, and Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend (1864-65). The final chapter examines the expectation for male rural workers to be hearty, highly masculine figures, which was emphasized by both the use of the derogatory term Hodge to refer to rural workers and the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1884, Richard Jefferies’s post-apocalyptic novel After London (1885), and Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure (1895). Interrogating Rusticism helps elucidate often overlooked aspects of rural life in nineteenth-century Britain that can and should inform rural and urban interaction today as long-held stereotypes regarding rural life still persist and the world becomes increasingly more urban.
ContributorsHohner, Max (Author) / Bivona, Dan (Thesis advisor) / Tromp, Marlene (Committee member) / Free, Melissa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
ABSTRACT
Although it is generally acknowledged that a college degree is foundational to achieving success in the 21st century, only 19.5% of those entering public community colleges graduate with an associate's degree within three years (NCES, 2014). Many challenges have impeded students including being underprepared to transition from high school to college, being a first-generation college student, and having limited support networks.
The purpose of this action research project was to implement a college-going readiness program designed to increase the social and personal readiness of high school students making the transition from high school to college. The College Transition Project, the intervention, offered a series of face-to-face class sessions for students and online supplemental materials for students and parents (a) guiding and assisting students in navigating the college system, (b) improving social readiness, and (c) increasing goal setting, time management, communication, and stress management. The curriculum was designed to include key topics including potential pitfalls or challenges common to previously unsuccessful college students. Goal orientation, co-regulation, and self-regulation theories provided frameworks supporting the intervention. Over a five-week period, an instructor taught students who received information on these topics; while students and parents could review online resources at any time.
A concurrent mixed methods research design was employed and data included pre- and post-intervention surveys, field notes, and post-intervention interviews. Results indicated some modest outcomes were attained. Quantitative results indicated no changes in various study measures. By comparison, qualitative data showed students: recognized the usefulness of co-regulation as it related to college preparedness, realized self-regulation efforts would aid their transition to college, and developed some college navigation skills that would facilitate transition to college. Most students acknowledged the need to identify goals, engage in self-regulation, and practice self-efficacy as critical components for students transitioning from high school to college. The discussion explained the outcomes in terms of the theoretical frameworks. Implications focused on additional ways to develop self-efficacy and employ co-regulated activities and relationship building to aid in developing motivation and to nurture emerging identities in students who were transitioning from high school to college.
Although it is generally acknowledged that a college degree is foundational to achieving success in the 21st century, only 19.5% of those entering public community colleges graduate with an associate's degree within three years (NCES, 2014). Many challenges have impeded students including being underprepared to transition from high school to college, being a first-generation college student, and having limited support networks.
The purpose of this action research project was to implement a college-going readiness program designed to increase the social and personal readiness of high school students making the transition from high school to college. The College Transition Project, the intervention, offered a series of face-to-face class sessions for students and online supplemental materials for students and parents (a) guiding and assisting students in navigating the college system, (b) improving social readiness, and (c) increasing goal setting, time management, communication, and stress management. The curriculum was designed to include key topics including potential pitfalls or challenges common to previously unsuccessful college students. Goal orientation, co-regulation, and self-regulation theories provided frameworks supporting the intervention. Over a five-week period, an instructor taught students who received information on these topics; while students and parents could review online resources at any time.
A concurrent mixed methods research design was employed and data included pre- and post-intervention surveys, field notes, and post-intervention interviews. Results indicated some modest outcomes were attained. Quantitative results indicated no changes in various study measures. By comparison, qualitative data showed students: recognized the usefulness of co-regulation as it related to college preparedness, realized self-regulation efforts would aid their transition to college, and developed some college navigation skills that would facilitate transition to college. Most students acknowledged the need to identify goals, engage in self-regulation, and practice self-efficacy as critical components for students transitioning from high school to college. The discussion explained the outcomes in terms of the theoretical frameworks. Implications focused on additional ways to develop self-efficacy and employ co-regulated activities and relationship building to aid in developing motivation and to nurture emerging identities in students who were transitioning from high school to college.
ContributorsSanchez, Luís, Ed.D (Author) / Buss, Ray (Thesis advisor) / Gonzales, Steven (Committee member) / Span, Derrick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
This document examines the many ways in which the arts can benefit rural areas. It aims to illuminate potential opportunities found in rural areas for all types of artists, and discusses important points on building arts programs, organizations, and events in these areas. Having a strong arts presence can positively impact the economy, education system, community and well-being in rural areas. The arts help to strengthen community identity, provide exposure to new artistic experiences while preserving local culture, create a more resilient economy, strengthen the education system, and provide a creative outlet for community members. Musicians visiting a rural community have access to a unique and fulfilling opportunity to create, advocate, share and learn. Creating short and long term arts programs and organizations within these communities is an important way of guaranteeing a more sustainable presence of the arts. This document outlines rural areas and their typical characteristics, discusses the impact the arts can have on the rural economy, education system, and well being of the community and its individuals, and explores the many opportunities and experiences available to visiting artists and musicians in rural areas. It also discusses key issues and approaches when creating arts programs, events, and organizations in rural areas. Interviews with rural residents, artists and musicians, and arts advocates, along with the author’s personal experiences and observations provide unique insight into arts advocacy in rural areas, and why it is important.
ContributorsOff, Sarah Nicole (Author) / Jiang, Danwen (Thesis advisor) / Schmidt, Margaret (Thesis advisor) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Campbell, Andrew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Background: Studies show that rural schools may be less supportive of student fruit/vegetable (FV) consumption, but few studies have investigated the relationship between school locale and FVs. The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between school locale (rural vs. urban) and students’ FV selection, consumption, and waste in elementary, middle, and high schools. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 37 Arizona schools evaluated differences in the selection, consumption, and waste of fresh FVs from students (n=2525; 45.7% female; 41% non-white; mean age=11.6±3.3; 23.5% rural) using objective plate waste measures. Zero-inflated negative binomial regressions examined differences in FV grams selected, consumed, and wasted by urban vs. rural locale, adjusted for sociodemographics and school.
Results: The percent of students who selected, consumed, and wasted zero grams of FVs were 14%, 21%, 20%, respectively. Among students with some (non-zero amounts), the average selected, consumed, and wasted FVs were 115.0±81.4g, 51.7.5±65.1g, 65.2±66.7g, respectively. Rural students (versus urban) had lower odds of selecting (OR=0.75), consuming (OR=0.78), and wasting (OR=0.71) any FVs, after adjusting for covariates. However, among students with some FVs on their plates, rural students selected (IRR=1.40), consumed (IRR=1.18) and wasted (IRR=1.62) more grams of FVs.
Conclusions: Rural students had reduced odds of selecting and consuming any FVs, but with lower odds of waste, perhaps due to reduced selection. Once some FVs were on the tray, likelihood of consumption and waste by rural students were greater. Results support interventions targeting rural students’ FV intake to reduce waste.
ContributorsJepson, Molly Eilish (Author) / Bruening, Meg (Thesis advisor) / Adams, Marc (Committee member) / Grgich, Traci (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Background: Adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables has been shown to prevent chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type two diabetes. The majority of Americans still consume inadequate daily servings of fruit and vegetables, which include women. Inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables can be contributed to multiple barriers that hinder consumption in both urban and non-urban areas. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) has been shown to positively influence fruit and vegetable consumption by providing healthy foods, such as fruit and vegetables. This study aims to compare the fruit and vegetable consumption of WIC and non-WIC participants between urban and non-urban Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of a single time point from the Snuggle Bug/Acurrucadito Study, which had a sample size of (n=53) participants. The participants were separated into two groups, WIC participants, and non-WIC participants, and then further divided based on their respected RUCA code for comparison purposes. The assessment of fruit and vegetable consumption assessment derived from the participant’s 3-day food record. Results: The average consumption of fruit and vegetable consumption among participants was 3.8±2.5 servings There was an inverse relationship between WIC participation and fruit and vegetable consumption among all categories (fruit no juice -0.79, vegetables -0.32, vegetables no potato -0.32, fruit no juice and vegetables -1.1, and fruit no juice and vegetables no potato -1.1). However, none of the results were considered statistically significant. In addition, our study was unable to identify an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and locale due to the small sample size. Conclusions: There was no link observed between fruit and vegetable consumption and WIC participation. Further research of high quality is needed to confirm the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption of WIC and non-WIC participants in urban and non-urban populations.
ContributorsOrtiz, Steven Michael (Author) / Bruening, Meg (Thesis advisor) / Whisner, Corrie (Committee member) / Shepard, Christina (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022