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- Title
- MEDICATE TO EXECUTE: CONSTITUTIONAL AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS.
- Creator
-
Schultz, Adam, Cronon, Chad, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The United States Supreme Court has not yet examined several aspects of the death penalty. One aspect is the ability for the state to forcefully medicate an incompetent inmate, which may result in the inmate appearing competent for execution. While the Supreme Court' ruled that it is unconstitutional to execute an inmate who is incompetent, inmates who would have had their executions vacated due to mental illness are executed because the state can put them on an involuntary medication regimen...
Show moreThe United States Supreme Court has not yet examined several aspects of the death penalty. One aspect is the ability for the state to forcefully medicate an incompetent inmate, which may result in the inmate appearing competent for execution. While the Supreme Court' ruled that it is unconstitutional to execute an inmate who is incompetent, inmates who would have had their executions vacated due to mental illness are executed because the state can put them on an involuntary medication regimen. According to many experts, involuntary medication regimens mask the affects of their illness instead of providing a cure. Experts often refer to this practice as the "chemical straitjacket." Because the effects of antipsychotic medication, inmates may be sedated to a point where they appear competent, but in reality, they are sedated to a point where their mental illness is still present yet undetectable. As a result, placing condemned inmates on involuntary medication regimens has the possibility to violate the inmate's Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The intent of this thesis is to examine whether the Supreme Court has successfully upheld its duty to promote a fair judicial system by allowing the medicate to execute scheme to continue. Through the analysis of case law, law review articles, and the American Constitution, this thesis will evaluate the treatment of condemned inmates who show signs of incompetence. Through analysis, this thesis aims to raise awareness to an issue that, in the opinion of this writer, deserves the attention of American courts and other governing bodies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004227, ucf:44960
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004227
- Title
- GENDER STEREOTYPES AND THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION.
- Creator
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Mathews, Adrienne, Fine, Terri, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study analyzes the effects of gender stereotypes on women gubernatorial candidates in the post "Year of the Woman" era to determine whether or not the electoral gains made by women running for legislative office in 1992 also extended to women contesting executive elections in subsequent years. This study proceeds in two parts. The first part of this study provides an empirical analysis of contextual and candidate specific factors thought to affect the way in which gender stereotypes...
Show moreThis study analyzes the effects of gender stereotypes on women gubernatorial candidates in the post "Year of the Woman" era to determine whether or not the electoral gains made by women running for legislative office in 1992 also extended to women contesting executive elections in subsequent years. This study proceeds in two parts. The first part of this study provides an empirical analysis of contextual and candidate specific factors thought to affect the way in which gender stereotypes surface during gubernatorial campaigns and how they affect women candidates accordingly. The contextual factors include state culture, party dominance, and tradition of electing women in each state. Candidate specific factors include prior campaign and or office holding experience. The second part of this study adopts a case study approach and focuses on two gubernatorial elections – New Jersey and Virginia – to provide a more detailed examination of how gender stereotypes emerge when women are candidates for governor. The findings from the empirical analysis show that women are more likely to contest gubernatorial elections that are Democratic in their partisanship and non-traditionalist in their political culture. However, these variables did not explain whether women were successful in winning gubernatorial elections. The second part of the analysis expanded on these findings by examining the dominant role gender stereotypes played in a traditionalistic state (Virginia) and the minimal role they played in a non-traditionalistic state (New Jersey). Generalizations were made based on the findings that indicate the importance of the campaign in light of contextual factors and how this affects women candidates in executive elections. Recommendations for a future research agenda regarding elections in which women are candidates for various levels of office are also discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001057, ucf:46802
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001057
- Title
- IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING OF A BLACKBOX AND A WHITEBOX FUZZER FOR FILE COMPRESSION ROUTINES.
- Creator
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Tobkin, Toby, Guha, Ratan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Fuzz testing is a software testing technique that has risen to prominence over the past two decades. The unifying feature of all fuzz testers (fuzzers) is their ability to somehow automatically produce random test cases for software. Fuzzers can generally be placed in one of two classes: black-box or white-box. Blackbox fuzzers do not derive information from a program's source or binary in order to restrict the domain of their generated input while white-box fuzzers do. A tradeoff involved in...
Show moreFuzz testing is a software testing technique that has risen to prominence over the past two decades. The unifying feature of all fuzz testers (fuzzers) is their ability to somehow automatically produce random test cases for software. Fuzzers can generally be placed in one of two classes: black-box or white-box. Blackbox fuzzers do not derive information from a program's source or binary in order to restrict the domain of their generated input while white-box fuzzers do. A tradeoff involved in the choice between blackbox and whitebox fuzzing is the rate at which inputs can be produced; since blackbox fuzzers need not do any "thinking" about the software under test to generate inputs, blackbox fuzzers can generate more inputs per unit time if all other factors are equal. The question of how blackbox and whitebox fuzzing should be used together for ideal economy of software testing has been posed and even speculated about, however, to my knowledge, no publically available study with the intent of characterizing an answer exists. The purpose of this thesis is to provide an initial exploration of the bug-finding characteristics of blackbox and whitebox fuzzers. A blackbox fuzzer is implemented and extended with a concolic execution program to make it whitebox. Both versions of the fuzzer are then used to run tests on some small programs and some parts of a file compression library.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004463, ucf:45110
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004463
- Title
- DOES CHRONIC STRESS ACCELERATE LATE-AGING COGNITIVE DECLINE IN MEMORY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING?.
- Creator
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Robinson, Diane, Bedwell, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Few studies exist examining the relationship between self-reported stress and cognitive function in healthy nonpsychiatric older adults, and even less studies have examined whether high levels of self-reported stress accelerate the cognitive decline found in normal late-aging populations. A group of older nonpsychiatric adults, ages 54 years and above, were asked to complete three measures assessing their self-perceived stress over the past month, past year, and their lifetime. Sixty-one...
Show moreFew studies exist examining the relationship between self-reported stress and cognitive function in healthy nonpsychiatric older adults, and even less studies have examined whether high levels of self-reported stress accelerate the cognitive decline found in normal late-aging populations. A group of older nonpsychiatric adults, ages 54 years and above, were asked to complete three measures assessing their self-perceived stress over the past month, past year, and their lifetime. Sixty-one adults between the ages of 54 and 88 (52% female) participated in a second phase in which neuropsychological tasks were administered to assess three cognitive domains; memory, learning, and executive functioning. A hierarchical regression examined each of the three domain scores to explore whether self-perceived acute and chronic stress, after covaring for state anxiety, was related to neuropsychological performance. No statistically significant regressions were found, which was predicted for the learning domain, but contrary to the hypotheses for the memory and executive functioning domain. The potential influence of age in this study was explored in a series of ANOVAs examining the interactions between the three stress measures with state anxiety and age on the three cognitive domains. A statistically significant interaction was found between age and perceived lifetime stress when examining the memory domain score. In the young-old participants an increase in stress showed a non-significant relationship with a decrease in memory performance, while in the older-old participants the opposite non-significant tendency was found. The current study also partially replicated an earlier report of a relationship between an increase in recent self-reported stress and a decrease in performance on a specific divided attention task, and extended this finding to include older adults. While the majority of the studyÂÂ's hypotheses were not supported, these preliminary findings provide the field with interesting areas to explore in future studies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003256, ucf:48515
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003256
- Title
- The Relationship of Fear to Success to Management Potential Variables.
- Creator
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Culbertson, Virginia M., Burrough, Wayne A., Social Sciences
- Abstract / Description
-
University of Central Florida College of Social Sciences Thesis; Early psychological research on achievement motivation has focused on the effects of fear of failure and the wish to succeed as component parts of need for achievement (nAch). Achievement motivation is defined as a need to achieve for its own sake rather than for the benefits of such achievement (Kimble and Garmezy, 1968, p. 691). It is considered to be a fairly stable personality characteristic, not particularly goal specific ...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Social Sciences Thesis; Early psychological research on achievement motivation has focused on the effects of fear of failure and the wish to succeed as component parts of need for achievement (nAch). Achievement motivation is defined as a need to achieve for its own sake rather than for the benefits of such achievement (Kimble and Garmezy, 1968, p. 691). It is considered to be a fairly stable personality characteristic, not particularly goal specific (Berkowitz, 1972, p. 115), involving two specific aspects--wish (or hope) to succeed and fear of failure. The first is seen as an approach motive which focuses on anticipation of reward. The second, fear of failure, is seen as an avoidance motive involving anticipation of punishment (McClelland, Clark, Roby, and Atkinson, 1958).
Show less - Date Issued
- 1979
- Identifier
- CFR0003519, ucf:52987
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0003519
- Title
- A Reassesment of the Presidential Use of Executive Orders, 1953-2008.
- Creator
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Romich, Graham, Knuckey, Jonathan, Lanier, Drew, Ilderton, Nathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Quantitative studies of the presidential use of executive orders have attempted to determine whether presidents are more prone to resort to unilateral action when faced with legislative opposition. To date, the results have been mixed however, with studies demonstrating that the type of executive order is an important factor in understanding the conditions under which presidents will resort to unilateral action. Despite this advancement in theory, there has been little consensus regarding the...
Show moreQuantitative studies of the presidential use of executive orders have attempted to determine whether presidents are more prone to resort to unilateral action when faced with legislative opposition. To date, the results have been mixed however, with studies demonstrating that the type of executive order is an important factor in understanding the conditions under which presidents will resort to unilateral action. Despite this advancement in theory, there has been little consensus regarding the actual conditions under which presidents will issue the different types of executive orders that have been identified in the literature.This thesis addresses this puzzle through an empirical analysis that engages the "Two Presidencies Thesis," which argues that presidential decision-making, action and success is conditioned by policy area (foreign and domestic) and executive order type (major, routine, or symbolic). An original dataset was constructed by coding all executive orders issued between 1953 and 2008 as related to either foreign or domestic policy. Thus, an analysis is undertaken of major executive orders, minor executive orders, foreign policy-based executive orders, domestic policy-based executive orders, and major and minor categories of each policy area.A multivariate analysis is completed using negative binomial regression given that the dependent variables are overdispersed count variables. The effects of divided government and ideological distance are the primary independent variables examined. The ideological distance variable consists of the absolute distance between the president's ideology and the ideology of the median member of the Senate. Various other control variables are included, including presidential party, election year, and approval ratings. The findings indicate that executive order type does matter in predicting presidential use of executive orders and that the prevailing political climate does influence the president's use of executive orders.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005992, ucf:50765
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005992
- Title
- The Nuts and Bolts of Leadership Training: A Meta-Analysis.
- Creator
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Lacerenza, Christina, Salas, Eduardo, Joseph, Dana, Burke, Shawn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Organizations within the United States spent over $70 billion on corporate training in 2013; 35% of this budget was allocated to management and leadership, making this field the leading training area for organizations (O'Leonard, 2014). Despite this spending, only 13% of companies believe that they have done a quality job training their leaders (Schwartz, Bersin, (&) Pelster, 2014). This calls into question the utility and effectiveness of current initiatives. In response, this study meta...
Show moreOrganizations within the United States spent over $70 billion on corporate training in 2013; 35% of this budget was allocated to management and leadership, making this field the leading training area for organizations (O'Leonard, 2014). Despite this spending, only 13% of companies believe that they have done a quality job training their leaders (Schwartz, Bersin, (&) Pelster, 2014). This calls into question the utility and effectiveness of current initiatives. In response, this study meta-analytically organizes leadership training literature to identify the conditions under which these programs are most effective. Thus, the current meta-analysis provides the following contributions to the field: (1) meta-analytic data across years (1887 (-) 2014) and organization types, utilizing only employee personnel data; (2) investigation of training effectiveness across all Kirkpatrick (1959) evaluation levels (i.e., trainee reactions, learning, transfer, and results); (3) meta-analytic data computed using updated procedures identified by Morris and DeShon (2002); and (4) an examination of moderators not previously investigated. Based on data from 335 independent samples, results suggest that leadership training is effective across reactions (d = .63), learning (d = .73), transfer (d =. 82), and results (d = .72). The strength of these effect sizes is dependent upon several moderators, but the pattern of results is not consistent across all outcomes. For learning outcomes, programs incorporating information-, demonstration-, and practiced-based delivery methods were most effective while other design and delivery features did not affect results. In regards to transfer, programs that utilized information-, demonstration-, and practice-based methods, feedback, content based on a needs analysis, face-to-face settings, and a voluntary attendance policy produced the largest effect sizes. For results, longer programs that were mandatory, spanned weekly sessions, incorporated practice-based methods, and located on-site produced the largest effect sizes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006341, ucf:51578
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006341
- Title
- Limitations of Micro and Macro Solutions to the Simulation Interoperability Challenge: An EASE Case Study.
- Creator
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Barry, John, Proctor, Michael, Wiegand, Rudolf, Allen, Gary, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis explored the history of military simulations and linked it to the current challenges of interoperability. The research illustrated the challenge of interoperability in integrating different networks, databases, standards, and interfaces and how it results in U.S. Army organizations constantly spending time and money to create and implement irreproducible Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) integrating architectures to accomplish comparable tasks. Although the U.S. Army has made...
Show moreThis thesis explored the history of military simulations and linked it to the current challenges of interoperability. The research illustrated the challenge of interoperability in integrating different networks, databases, standards, and interfaces and how it results in U.S. Army organizations constantly spending time and money to create and implement irreproducible Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) integrating architectures to accomplish comparable tasks. Although the U.S. Army has made advancements in interoperability, it has struggled with this challenge since the early 1990s. These improvements have been inadequate due to evolving and growing needs of the user coupled with the technical complexities of interoperating legacy systems with emergent systems arising from advances in technology. To better understand the impact of the continued evolution of simulations, this paper mapped Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs with Tolk's Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM). This mapping illustrated a common relationship in both the Hierarchy of Needs and the LCIM model depicting that each level increases with complexity and the proceeding lower level must first be achieved prior to reaching the next. Understanding the continuum of complexity of interoperability, as requirements or needs, helped to determine why the previous funding and technical efforts have been inadequate in mitigating the interoperability challenges within U.S. Army simulations. As the U.S. Army's simulation programs continue to evolve while the military and contractor personnel turnover rate remains near constant, a method of capturing and passing on the tacit knowledge from one personnel staffing life cycle to the next must be developed in order to economically and quickly reproduce complex simulation events. This thesis explored a potential solution to this challenge, the Executable Architecture Systems Engineering (EASE) research project managed by the U.S. Army's Simulation and Training Technology Center in the Army Research Laboratory within the Research, Development and Engineering Command. However, there are two main drawbacks to EASE; it is still in the prototype stage and has not been fully tested and evaluated as a simulation tool within the community of practice. In order to determine if EASE has the potential to reduce the micro as well as macro interoperability, an EASE experiment was conducted as part of this thesis. The following three alternative hypothesis were developed, tested, and accepted as a result of the research for this thesis:Ha1 = Expert stakeholders believe the EASE prototype does have potential as a U.S. Army technical solution to help mitigate the M(&)S interoperability challenge. Ha2 = Expert stakeholders believe the EASE prototype does have potential as a U.S. Army managerial solution to help mitigate the M(&)S interoperability challenge. Ha3 = Expert stakeholders believe the EASE prototype does have potential as a U.S. Army knowledge management solution to help mitigate the M(&)S interoperability challenge. To conduct this experiment, eleven participants representing ten different organizations across the three M(&)S Domains were selected to test EASE using a modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach developed by Davis. Indexes were created from the participants' responses to include both the quality of participants and research questions. The Cronbach Alpha Test for reliability was used to test the reliability of the adapted TAM. The Wilcoxon Signed Ranked test provided the statistical analysis that formed the basis of the research; that determined the EASE project has the potential to help mitigate the interoperability challenges in the U.S. Army's M(&)S domains.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005084, ucf:50740
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005084
- Title
- Psychometric Issues Related to the Tinker Toy Test.
- Creator
-
Guzman, Daniel, Fouty, Ed, Berman, Steven, Damato-Kubiet, Leslee, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
An evaluation of executive functioning is a critical component of a comprehensive assessment of higher cerebral functioning. The Tinker Toy Test (TTT) was introduced in 1982. This test allows an individual to demonstrate the extent of their executive capacities by permitting them to initiate, plan, and structure a potentially complex activity and carry it out independently in an unstructured fashion and administration is simple. This is a departure from more complex and structured tests of...
Show moreAn evaluation of executive functioning is a critical component of a comprehensive assessment of higher cerebral functioning. The Tinker Toy Test (TTT) was introduced in 1982. This test allows an individual to demonstrate the extent of their executive capacities by permitting them to initiate, plan, and structure a potentially complex activity and carry it out independently in an unstructured fashion and administration is simple. This is a departure from more complex and structured tests of executive function. There is a dearth of research on the TTT and this study seeks to examine some of the psychometric properties of this instrument; i.e., working time minimum, gender effects, convergent and divergent validity, and potential intellectual correlates. Participants included 10 male and 30 female student volunteers from a large university in Central Florida. Participants had no history of neurologic disease/trauma or conditions that would affect motor functioning of the upper extremities. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the WASI-II, and the TTT. A two-way mixed-design ANOVA examining TTT scores as a function of work time and gender revealed a non-significant gender main effect, F(1, 21) = .09, p = .767. The work time main effect was not significant, , F(1, 21) = .324, p = .575. A significant work time x gender interaction was observed, F(1, 21) = 4.983, p = .037. Convergent validity was assessed by comparing the TTT scores with the Matrix Reasoning subtest, r(38) = .32, p = .044, and the Similarities, r(38) = .34, p = .03, subtest on the WASI-II. Divergent validity was assessed by comparing TTT scores to the Block Design subtest of the WASI-II, r(38) = .245, p = .127. No significant correlation was found between intelligence and TTT (VCI, r(38) = -.16, p = .335; PRI, r(38) = .15, p = .344; and FSIQ, r(38) = -.02, p = .928). The data supports the continued use of the 5-minute working time minimum presented by Lezak, as this temporal index was a more accurate representation of executive functioning. This study demonstrated no association between TTT scores and intellectual functioning. The findings of this study support the validity of this underutilized test of executive functioning and its inclusion in neuropsychological test batteries.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005802, ucf:50044
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005802
- Title
- Public Opinion and the President's Use of Executive Orders: Aggregate- and Individual-Level Analyses Across Time.
- Creator
-
Jones, Brett, Lanier, Drew, Knuckey, Jonathan, Ilderton, Nathan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Presidential approval ratings are a political resource that presidents and their advisors hope to influence through strategic action in order to achieve their policy goals (McAvoy 2008, 284). Through 1999, scholarly literature had largely ignored the president's use of unilateral powers. Since Moe and Howell (1999a, 1999b), however, the literature on the unilateral presidency has expanded rapidly. Despite the rapid growth of literature examining the unilateral presidency, and 45 years of...
Show morePresidential approval ratings are a political resource that presidents and their advisors hope to influence through strategic action in order to achieve their policy goals (McAvoy 2008, 284). Through 1999, scholarly literature had largely ignored the president's use of unilateral powers. Since Moe and Howell (1999a, 1999b), however, the literature on the unilateral presidency has expanded rapidly. Despite the rapid growth of literature examining the unilateral presidency, and 45 years of presidential approval ratings literature, literature examining the link between the president's use of unilateral powers and subsequent presidential approval ratings is virtually nonexistent. Existing research has not statistically examined what effect, if any, the president's issuing executive orders has on subsequent job approval ratings. This thesis seeks to address that research gap. By modeling aggregate and individual-level presidential approval ratings, using fixed-effect models, OLS regression, and binary logistic regression, this thesis finds evidence indicating the president's issuing of executive orders has a negative impact on the subsequent presidential job approval ratings that individuals report. If an executive order is salient to the public, presidents receive lower presidential approval ratings from persons of all political parties; however, if the executive order is non-salient then presidents only receive lower presidential approval ratings from members of their own political party. Members of the opposition party report higher presidential approval ratings when the president issued non-salient executive orders. Thus, this thesis concludes that the president's issuing of executive orders has significant effects on subsequent presidential job approval ratings, and future research should be conducted to explore this relationship further.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006123, ucf:51164
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006123
- Title
- METACOGNITIVE COACHING AS A MEANS TO ENHANCE COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION DISORDERS.
- Creator
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Parsons, Christine, Marino, Matthew, Ph.D., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Preparing undergraduate students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a national priority. This project analyzed the effects of virtual metacognitive academic coaching between graduate student coaches and undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders at a large, four-year university. The project team analyzed the persistence of the undergraduate students in their major, as well as the graduate students' abilities to...
Show morePreparing undergraduate students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a national priority. This project analyzed the effects of virtual metacognitive academic coaching between graduate student coaches and undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders at a large, four-year university. The project team analyzed the persistence of the undergraduate students in their major, as well as the graduate students' abilities to transfer the coaching experiences to K-12 settings. A mixed-methods design evaluated qualitative (i.e. student/coaches' surveys and interviews) outcomes for undergraduate STEM majors and for graduate students. The goal of this project is to develop iteratively a model of scalable supports that can be utilized to support undergraduates with disabilities in STEM majors' at large universities such as UCF. Graduate student coaches paired with undergraduate STEM majors with Executive Function disorders (n=26) worked collaboratively throughout one semester to developed strategies that supported the success of the undergraduate students' coursework. Both coaches and students provided examples of positive effects of the academic coaching process that supported student course work and created experiences that the graduate students could use in a K-12 setting.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH2000176, ucf:45947
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000176
- Title
- Cognitive and vascular risk factors for depression: Testing an integrated theoretical framework.
- Creator
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Scott, Rosanna, Paulson, Daniel, Rapport, Mark, Dvorak, Robert, Dangiolo, Mariana, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Objective: Theoretical models that have guided the study of later-life depression include the vascular depression hypothesis, depression-executive dysfunction syndrome, and the CaR-FA-X model. Evidence suggests these can be integrated into a single developmental model of disordered mood (and its associated overgeneral memory feature) in later-life to delineate a mechanism of the vascular depression effect and identify modifiable intervention targets.Methods: In older adults, four serial...
Show moreObjective: Theoretical models that have guided the study of later-life depression include the vascular depression hypothesis, depression-executive dysfunction syndrome, and the CaR-FA-X model. Evidence suggests these can be integrated into a single developmental model of disordered mood (and its associated overgeneral memory feature) in later-life to delineate a mechanism of the vascular depression effect and identify modifiable intervention targets.Methods: In older adults, four serial mediation models evaluated the relationships between (1) vascular burden and depressive symptoms via executive control and rumination, and (2) vascular burden and autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) via executive control and rumination. In younger adults, four simple mediation models were conducted to compare results to older adults, including models assessing the relationships between (1) executive control and depressive symptoms via rumination, and (2) executive control and AMS via rumination. Bias-corrected bootstrapping was employed throughout.Results: Older adult n=56; younger adult n=63. Older adult serial mediation models demonstrated significant individual relationships between a working memory measure and depressive symptoms, as well as between rumination and depressive symptoms. The vascular depression effect neared significance. No other direct or indirect effects were supported. In younger adults, rumination was significantly associated with depressive symptoms; all other hypothesized relationships were not significant.Conclusions: Model 1, evaluating the impact of vascular burden on depressive symptoms in older adults via working memory and rumination, respectively, was the most effective in integrating vascular depression, DED, and CaR-FA-X. However, there was not support for a vascular depression mechanism. Null results in this sample could be attributable to inadequate power or measurement error. Clinically, results promote interventions that target older adults presenting with depression, executive dysfunction, or rumination, independently or combined.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007860, ucf:52759
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007860
- Title
- Impulsivity and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Testing competing predictions from the working memory and behavioral inhibition models of ADHD.
- Creator
-
Raiker, Joseph, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Impulsivity is a hallmark of two of the three DSM-IV ADHD subtypes and is associated with myriad adverse outcomes. Limited research, however, is available concerning the mechanisms and processes that contribute to impulsive responding by children with ADHD. The current study tested predictions from two competing models of ADHD (-) working memory (WM) and behavioral inhibition (BI) (-) to examine the extent to which ADHD-related impulsive responding was attributable to model-specific...
Show moreImpulsivity is a hallmark of two of the three DSM-IV ADHD subtypes and is associated with myriad adverse outcomes. Limited research, however, is available concerning the mechanisms and processes that contribute to impulsive responding by children with ADHD. The current study tested predictions from two competing models of ADHD (-) working memory (WM) and behavioral inhibition (BI) (-) to examine the extent to which ADHD-related impulsive responding was attributable to model-specific mechanisms and processes. Children with ADHD (n = 21) and typically developing children (n = 20) completed laboratory tasks that provided WM (domain-general central executive [CE], phonological/visuospatial storage/rehearsal) and BI indices (stop-signal reaction time [SSRT], stop-signal delay, mean reaction time). These indices were examined as potential mediators of ADHD-related impulsive responding on two diverse laboratory tasks used commonly to assess impulsive responding (CPT: continuous performance test; VMTS: visual match-to-sample). Bias-corrected, bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that CE processes significantly attenuated between-group impulsivity differences, such that the initial large-magnitude impulsivity differences were no longer significant on either task after accounting for ADHD-related CE deficits. In contrast, SSRT partially mediated ADHD-related impulsive responding on the CPT but not VMTS. This partial attenuation was no longer significant after accounting for shared variance between CE and SSRT; CE continued to attenuate the ADHD-impulsivity relationship after accounting for SSRT. These findings add to the growing literature implicating CE deficits in core ADHD behavioral and functional impairments, and suggest that cognitive interventions targeting CE rather than storage/rehearsal or BI processes may hold greater promise for alleviating ADHD-related impairments.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004155, ucf:49070
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004155
- Title
- ESSAYS ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
- Creator
-
Tan, Tih Koon, Frye, Melissa, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation is composed by two essays that explore corporate governance issues in S&P firms. The first essay examines changes in corporate governance after a firm gets added to the S&P 500 index? Using firms added from 1994 to 2007, this paper examines how governance mechanisms change for these firms. Specifically, I look at both the overall governance and details on how each mechanism changes. I find that governance improves after being added to the index. Controlling for firm size,...
Show moreThis dissertation is composed by two essays that explore corporate governance issues in S&P firms. The first essay examines changes in corporate governance after a firm gets added to the S&P 500 index? Using firms added from 1994 to 2007, this paper examines how governance mechanisms change for these firms. Specifically, I look at both the overall governance and details on how each mechanism changes. I find that governance improves after being added to the index. Controlling for firm size, leverage, prior firm performance, and growth opportunities, the market reacts positively to governance improvements as a whole. In addition, changes in governance are positively associated with changes in operating performance. In the second essay, the departure of a CEO often raises questions about who will replace him/her. This study examines the homogeneity/heterogeneity nature of the internal labor market using a novel measure, a heterogeneity index, which captures the concentration of executive compensation levels. I find that a more homogeneous internal labor market is associated with (1) a greater likelihood of an internal replacement, (2) a higher probability of a CEO turnover, and (3) a bigger tournament prize. In addition, the negative performance-turnover relationship is strengthened by a more homogeneous internal labor market. The heterogeneity index seems to proxy for internal labor market competition.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003258, ucf:48549
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003258
- Title
- Three Essays on Compensation and the Board of Directors.
- Creator
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Cherry, Ian, Gatchev, Vladimir, Turnbull, Geoffrey, Schnitzlein, Charles, Roberts, Robin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In my first essay, I find a statistically and economically significant director-specific component in CEO pay following the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). In the cross-section of firms, directors that award relatively higher (lower) CEO pay in one firm also award relatively higher (lower) CEO pay in other firms of whose boards they are members during the year. Based on my estimates, the director-specific component is responsible for around (&)#177;3.5% of total CEO pay or...
Show moreIn my first essay, I find a statistically and economically significant director-specific component in CEO pay following the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). In the cross-section of firms, directors that award relatively higher (lower) CEO pay in one firm also award relatively higher (lower) CEO pay in other firms of whose boards they are members during the year. Based on my estimates, the director-specific component is responsible for around (&)#177;3.5% of total CEO pay or around (&)#177;$230,000 per CEO-year on average. In addition to affecting CEO pay levels, the director-specific component also has a significant effect on the changes and the composition of CEO pay, thus affecting CEO incentives. I pursue two potential explanations for our findings(-)changes in board composition and changes in director behavior after SOX. I do not find evidence that the director-specific component in CEO pay is due to changes in board composition. Instead, I find evidence that the director-specific component in CEO pay is due to changes in director behavior related to the additional risks and employment concerns imposed on directors after SOX. My findings are consistent with the view that SOX discourages directors from taking risks when awarding CEO pay and so directors award CEO pay that they can more easily justify through direct experiences in other firms. These findings have wide implications about the importance of directors in setting CEO pay, the existence of agency problems within the board, and the consequences of regulation in general and SOX in particular.My second essay concerns the compensation of directors themselves. I find that institutional ownership is positively related to the level of director compensation and the proportion of equity based compensation that directors receive. These results are consistent with the interpretation that institutions prefer stronger links between firm performance and board compensation and are willing to pay higher levels of compensation for better governance. I also investigate the difference between the effects of active versus passive institutional investment and find that active institutions appear to have a larger economic impact on director compensation. However, I do not find a statistical difference between the effects of active and passive ownership.My third essay studies the strategies that firms follow when apportioning incentive compensation within the board of directors. Firms tend to preserve the structure of director incentives over time so that firms using equal (variable) incentives in one year are more likely to use equal (variable) incentives in the following year. I further examine whether the structure of director incentives within the board affects acquirer performance in corporate acquisitions. I find that the five-day announcement returns of firms awarding equal director incentives are around 1% higher than the returns of firms that award variable director incentives within the board. These results are robust to standard controls related to acquirer returns, to different lengths of the announcement window, and to alternative incentive strategy classification schemes. Overall, my findings are consistent with the idea that director incentives play a significant role in corporate performance and with the idea that equal director incentives dominate variable incentives in circumstances where the success of the outcome is likely to depend on the board as a whole.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005588, ucf:50265
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005588
- Title
- Rumination and executive dysfunction: Risk factors for vascular depression.
- Creator
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Brush, David, Paulson, Daniel, Rapport, Mark, Bohil, Corey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Introduction: The widely-supported vascular depression hypothesis is underspecified with respect to cognitive mechanisms by which high cerebrovascular burden (CVB) and neuropathology relate to depressive symptoms. Integration of the vascular depression hypothesis with the CaR-FA-X model, a framework of affect regulation mechanisms, suggest that Rumination (R) and executive dysfunction (X) may increase due to altered recruitment of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex resulting from high CVB and...
Show moreIntroduction: The widely-supported vascular depression hypothesis is underspecified with respect to cognitive mechanisms by which high cerebrovascular burden (CVB) and neuropathology relate to depressive symptoms. Integration of the vascular depression hypothesis with the CaR-FA-X model, a framework of affect regulation mechanisms, suggest that Rumination (R) and executive dysfunction (X) may increase due to altered recruitment of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex resulting from high CVB and underlying neuropathology. This process would contribute to depressive symptomatology among older adults with high CVB. The progression of examined hypotheses included mediation models examining mechanistic relationships between predictors (CVB, DLPFC activation), cognitive correlates (rumination, executive functioning), and affective outcomes (depressive symptoms). Method: A sample of 52 community-dwelling, stroke-free, individuals over the age of 70, without history of severe mental illness, dementia, or severe cognitive impairment, completed the Ruminative Responses Scale, provided self-reported cerebrovascular burden data (cardiac disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol), and completed executive function tasks (Stroop, Flanker) while their hemodynamic response was measured using fNIRS. The Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptomatology. Prefrontal cortical recruitment was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).Results: A progression of conventional and bootstrapped regression-based models broadly supported relationships between CVB and depressive symptoms, but not between DLPFC activation and depressive symptoms. No mechanistic relationships were found, with respect to analyses testing prospective cognitive mediators.Conclusions: Primary findings from this study indicate that cerebrovascular burden predicts depressive symptomatology among older adults and is related to a reduction in inhibitory control ability. Further, these findings inform CVB measurement and mental health implications of contrasting approaches to CVB measurement. A primary contribution of this thesis is that results appear to support utilization of fNIRS, a low-cost and accessible neuroimaging paradigm, for the study of lateralized cognition among older adults.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0006981, ucf:51648
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006981
- Title
- POLITICAL TRANSITION IN A POST-ARAB SPRING MIDDLE EAST: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TUNISIA, EGYPT, AND YEMEN.
- Creator
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Martin , Dominic, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The Arab Spring that began in Tunisia and spread throughout the Middle East shook the region. These populous movements unseated authoritarian rulers whose power and position were well entrenched, potentially setting numerous countries on a path towards democratization. This project seeks to explain why the democratic transitions within the countries of Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen have been largely unsuccessful. The large amounts of literature that flooded the academic forums through articles...
Show moreThe Arab Spring that began in Tunisia and spread throughout the Middle East shook the region. These populous movements unseated authoritarian rulers whose power and position were well entrenched, potentially setting numerous countries on a path towards democratization. This project seeks to explain why the democratic transitions within the countries of Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen have been largely unsuccessful. The large amounts of literature that flooded the academic forums through articles and books are analyzed, providing numerous explanations as to why these transitions have been unsuccessful such as polarization, deadlock, sectarianism, violence, and institutional conflict. This literature focuses on either one or several of the above-mentioned explanations while not pinning down a central cause for these phenomena, since they are all present in all three cases. This paper asserts that the cause of this hindered transition is the emphasis that these States placed upon electoral democracy. An emphasis placed on elections during transition highlighted and exacerbated factors (polarization, deadlock, sectarianism, violence, and institutional conflict) already present in these societies but kept dormant under authoritarian rule. To illustrate this the initial transitional government, representative body elected, and executive is analyzed to show how each governing unit stressed elections before a constitution. The identification of an overarching cause for the lack of fruitful transition like this project seeks to accomplish is of great importance, filling a much needed gap in the literature of comparative Middle Eastern revolutionary studies; along with providing foreign policy makers a tool to craft more impactful policy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004555, ucf:45216
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004555
- Title
- Working Memory Capacity and Executive Attention as Predictors of Distracted Driving.
- Creator
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Louie, Jennifer, Mouloua, Mustapha, Szalma, James, Smither, Janan, Matthews, Gerald, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The present study empirically examined the effects of working memory capacity (WMC) and executive attention on distracted driving. Study 1 examined whether a Grocery List Task (GLT) distractor would load onto WMC. Forty-three participants completed a series of WMC tasks followed by the GLT. They then completed two driving trials: driving without the GLT and driving while completing the GLT. It was hypothesized that WMC would positively correlate with GLT performance. A bivariate correlation...
Show moreThe present study empirically examined the effects of working memory capacity (WMC) and executive attention on distracted driving. Study 1 examined whether a Grocery List Task (GLT) distractor would load onto WMC. Forty-three participants completed a series of WMC tasks followed by the GLT. They then completed two driving trials: driving without the GLT and driving while completing the GLT. It was hypothesized that WMC would positively correlate with GLT performance. A bivariate correlation indicated that WMC was positively associated with performance on the GLT. Study 2 tested a series of distractor tasks (GLT, Tone Monitoring, and Stop Signal) to examine whether these three distractor tasks were also related to WMC, and if each of the distractor tasks would result in poor driving performance. Eighty-four participants were randomly assigned to the distractor conditions. Results indicated that GLT was related to WMC, but Tone Monitoring was not related to WMC. Also, engaging in each of the three distractor tasks led to significantly poorer driving performance. Study 3 evaluated whether rainy or clear weather conditions would affect the relationship between WMC and distracted driving using the same three distractor tasks (GLT, Tone Monitoring, and Stop Signal) as used in Study 2. Ninety-six participants were randomly assigned to the distractor conditions. Results showed that engaging in GLT while driving led to slower braking response times compared to not engaging in GLT driving while driving. Furthermore, WMC moderated the degree to which distraction impaired performance. The present findings clearly indicate that all three distractor tasks had a deleterious effect on driving performance. Furthermore, this effect of distraction on driving depends on many factors, including the type of distraction, the driving performance measure, and the individual's cognitive capabilities. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed and directions for future research are presented.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007042, ucf:51981
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007042
- Title
- Applied problem solving in children with ADHD: The mediating roles of working memory and mathematical calculation.
- Creator
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Friedman, Lauren, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Vasquez, Eleazar, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The difficulties children with ADHD experience solving applied math problems (i.e., word problems) are well documented; however, the independent and/or interactive contribution of cognitive processes underlying these difficulties is not fully understood and warrant scrutiny. The current study examines two primary cognitive processes integral to children's ability to solve applied math problems: working memory (WM) and math calculation ability (i.e., the ability to utilize specific facts,...
Show moreThe difficulties children with ADHD experience solving applied math problems (i.e., word problems) are well documented; however, the independent and/or interactive contribution of cognitive processes underlying these difficulties is not fully understood and warrant scrutiny. The current study examines two primary cognitive processes integral to children's ability to solve applied math problems: working memory (WM) and math calculation ability (i.e., the ability to utilize specific facts, skills, or processes related to basic math operations stored in long-term memory). Thirty-six boys with ADHD-combined presentation and 33 typically developing (TD) boys aged 8-12 years old were administered multiple counterbalanced tasks to assess upper (central executive [CE]) and lower level (phonological [PH STM] and visuospatial [VS STM] short-term memory) WM processes, and standardized measures of mathematical abilities. Bias-corrected, bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that CE ability fully mediated between-group differences in applied problem solving whereas math calculation ability partially mediated the relation. Neither PH STM nor VS STM was a significant mediator. When modeled together via serial mediation analysis, CE in tandem with math calculation ability fully mediated the relation, explained 79% of the variance, and provided a more parsimonious explication of ADHD-related deficits in applied math ability. Results suggest that interventions designed to address applied math difficulties in children with ADHD will likely benefit from targeting basic knowledge of math facts and skills while simultaneously promoting the active interplay among these skills and CE processes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006593, ucf:51300
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006593
- Title
- The Impact of Job Experience Training on Executive Functioning Skills for Students with Language Impairments.
- Creator
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Elliott, Christopher, Martin, Suzanne, Boote, David, Hopp, Carolyn, Whiteman, JoAnn, Cerasale, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The collaborative efforts of families, educators, and policy makers have mergedvocational training with special education services for students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 introduced mandates for schools to provide transition services for students with disabilities based on three areas of need: a) education, b) employment,and independent living. This legislation has led to more work-based learning programs that meet the postsecondary needs for...
Show moreThe collaborative efforts of families, educators, and policy makers have mergedvocational training with special education services for students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 introduced mandates for schools to provide transition services for students with disabilities based on three areas of need: a) education, b) employment,and independent living. This legislation has led to more work-based learning programs that meet the postsecondary needs for students with disabilities. Despite this increase in work-based learning programs many students with disabilities are still unable to make successful transitions into postsecondary outcomes. Using a mixed method design, this study examined the impact of a Job Experience Training (JET) program on the executive functioning skills of seven young men (15 to 18 years of age) over the course of seven weeks at an assisted living facility. Resultsof the teacher evaluations showed the students were capable of completing tasks, making individual goals, and increasing executive functioning skills while participating in the JET program. Conversely, the results from the parent and student assessments showed little to no change in executive functioning skills once the participants were outside the context of theassisted living facility. Future research is encouraged to examine a longitudinal study across multiple job sites that evaluates and measures the students' ability to transfer executive functioning skills to other contexts and further investigate mentoring as the core teaching strategy of a JET program.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005161, ucf:50714
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005161
