The thesis was designed to determine the nature, type, and scope of drug use existing on the Ball State University Campus. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to a ten percent stratified random sample of undergraduate students with a proportional allocation of ten percent from each of the four college years.Results of the survey revealed drug use (use for other than medically prescribed reasons) by 31.5 percent of the sample. Ball State students who used drugs were likely: To be 21 to 22 years of age, to be males, to be juniors, to major in the Science of Humanities, to be divorced, to specify “none” for religious affiliation, to live in off-campus unapproved housing, to have a grade point average of 1.5 to 2.0, to have parents with incomes of $15,000-$20,000, to have begun their use of drugs as college sophomores, to have received their first drugs from friends, to have used, to be currently using, and to anticipate continuing to use the drug, marijuana, and to give curiosity as their main reason for using drugs.

This study was designed to examine: (1) the extent to which cheating occurs in fundamentalist Christian colleges; (2) the attitudes of fundamentalist Christian college students toward cheating; (3) attitudes of fundamentalist Christian college students toward cheating among their peers; (4) the kinds of cheating practices of fundamentalist Christian college students; (5) the degree to which students engage in neutralizing behavior to justify cheating; (6) differences in cheating behaviors according to gender; (7) differences in cheating behaviors according to ethnicity; and (8) differences in cheating behaviors according to the length of duration of Christian commitment. Based upon the responses of 337 students attending 3 different Christian colleges, it was concluded that: (1) most Christian fundamentalist students do not engage in cheating; (2) respondents believe that each of 17 self-reported cheating behaviors are serious forms of cheating; (3) respondents are unlikely to report cheating among peers; (4) plagiarism is the most common cheating behavior; (5) most respondents justify cheating on the basis of the workload at school and the pressure to obtain good grades; (6) there are no differences in cheating behavior according to gender; (7) there are differences in cheating behavior according to groups; and (8) most respondents do not cheat regardless of the self-reported duration of Christian commitment.

The present study examined the influence of the demographic variables of age, gender, major in college, and level of education or class standing on individuals' stage of moral development. Trevino's interactionist model, combined with the basic principles of cognitive moral development, provided the theoretical basis for this study. One-hundred and forty-four university students, representing business, home economics, and liberal arts majors, participated in this qualitative study. The research instrument used was the Sociomoral Reflection Measure (SMR), designed to measure an individual's level of moral development. The SMR considered four stages of moral development: 1) unilateral and simplistic, 2) exchanging and instrumental, 3) mutual and prosocial, and 4) systemic and standard, in addition to three transitional stages: a) transition 1/2, b) transition 2/3, and c) transition 3/4. The stage achieved indicated an individual's level of moral maturity. One-way analysis of variance statistics were performed to test the research hypotheses. Frequencies and percentages were also calculated for both the demographic and sociomoral stage data with regard to the total sample. Analogous with previous research, findings indicated that age directly related to an individual's current stage of moral development. Concurrently, the class standing variable also was found to influence one's stage of moral development. Conversely, the remaining demographic variables tested differed from previous studies, failing to prove significant. A collegian's choice of major was not found to influence stage of moral development achieved. Furthermore, the impact of gender-based differences on stage of moral development did not appear to be of significance. / Graduation date: 1995

Previous research has shown that accountants may be inadequate moral reasoners. Concern over this trend caused the Treadway Commission (1987) and the Accounting Education Change Commission (1990) to call for greater integration of ethics into the student's training. Ponemon and Glazer (1990) found a difference in cognitive moral development (CMD) between accounting students at a public university and a private university with a liberal arts emphasis. This study expands Ponemon and Glazer's research by examining two liberal arts universities, one a private, secular institution and one a Catholic institution. The primary research question asks if Catholic university accounting students manifest greater CMD growth than secular university accounting students. Additionally, this study examines and compares the priority that accounting students from the different institutions place on ethical values versus economic values. It was expected that Catholic university accounting students would manifest both greater CMD growth and a greater concern for ethical values over economic values when compared with non-Catholic university accounting students. The study utilized a two-phase approach. In the first phase, an organizational study of two institutions was made to determine how each strives to integrate moral development into their accounting students' education. In the second phase, lower-division and senior accounting students were given three ethical and values related tasks to complete which propose to measure differences in ethical and economic values.

The term emerging adulthood was coined during the 21st century to describe human development between adolescence and adulthood, during the ages of 18-25 (Arnett, 2000). During this stage, individuals can explore life areas. Emerging adults beginning college have a unique opportunity to form their identities and develop value systems (Hauser & Greene, 1991). With increasing autonomy, college students have possibilities for positive development and risk; values may be imperative in that differentiation. Furthermore, value systems are believed to play a major role in decision-making (Schwartz, 1992). Parents are influential in values development (Simpson, 2001; Steinberg & Sheffield Morris, 2001). During emerging adulthood, individuals have opportunities to notice discrepancies between their parents’ value system and society. Thus, emerging adults evaluate and choose personal values, which may or may not be similar to those of their parents, peers, or broader culture. Findings from this study indicate female caregivers’ parenting styles and closeness of the parent-child relationship have significant direct effects on the degree to which values are freely chosen. Specifically, Authoritarian parenting style (β = -.43 B = -1.70, p < .001), Authoritative parenting style (β = .12, B = .53, p < .001), and Emotional Support (β = .30, B = 6.80, p < .001) significantly predicted the degree to which values are intrinsically chosen. Only one significant relationship was found for male caregivers; there was a significant positive relationship between the authoritative parenting style and quality of the parent-child relationship (β = .64, B = .10, p < .001).

Freely choosing a life direction, or flexible valuing, is a core component of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Initial research suggests that valuing behavior may contribute to psychological well-being, but has been stymied by a lack of an efficient measure. The current study examined the psychometric characteristics of a new measure of flexible valuing, the Meta-Valuing Measure (MVM), in a sample of 532 undergraduates. Exploratory factors analysis revealed 3 orthogonal factors, Valuing (&#945; = .94), Freedom from Values Conflict (&#945; = .92), and Flexibility in Valuing (&#945; = .73). The majority of expected relationships with other constructs were significant including those with measures of values, mindfulness, quality of life, experiential avoidance, and psychological distress.

Young people have high rates of risk-taking, including alcohol use/abuse and high risk sex. The main purpose of this study was to gain insight into the drinking patterns and sexual behaviour of young UWC students. The aim was to investigate the relationship between alcohol use and unsafe sex practices (such as unplanned sex, multiple partners, and non/inconsistent condom use) and to identify any shifts in sexual practices in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Why do Christian college students participate, or not, in local churches while they attend Christian colleges? This study was designed to investigate and help answer this question through an analysis of selected factors that influence evangelical college students' intensity of involvement in local churches during their college years. Because most Christian liberal arts colleges and evangelical Christian churches share the common mission of assisting in students' spiritual development, this study was designed to help these institutions in understanding the declining participation of students in local churches, according to most current research. Since one might assume that more students who attend evangelical Christian colleges would participate in local churches, the current research focused on full-time undergraduate students attending Christian College Consortium-member schools. Several independent variables were selected and analyzed to determine if they made a significant impact upon the student's intensity of involvement. Data was gathered electronically using the Local Church Involvement Survey (LCIS), an on-line instrument created by the researcher for this study. Besides standard demographic variables, other independent variables studied included: student friendships, student relationships with ministry leaders, student leadership in church and college ministries, student opportunity for intergenerational involvement, student opportunities for ministry in church and college settings, and student perceptions of church and college commitment to students' spiritual development. Data from 1025 surveys revealed a participation rate much higher than national averages, according to precedent literature. Nearly all of the independent variables and demographic variables studied made a statistically significant impact upon students' intensity of involvement in local churches, the exceptions being gender, classification in school, college opportunities for ministry, and housing situation. The strongest positive correlations existed between intensity of involvement and opportunity for student leadership, the student's perception that the local church genuinely cares for their spiritual growth, and the church's offering of significant ministry opportunities. The standard deviation between the LCIS scores was large and the mean and median scores were somewhat modest. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

Academic integrity essentially centers on an individual’s ethical attitudes and behaviors as well as injunctive norms, or norms that dictate what is socially accepted and lauded. One key influence may be pluralistic ignorance; here arguments for cheating posit that students cheat because they perceive that others are “doing it” to a greater extent than is actually true and thus what they are doing is minimized in relation to others. Research indicates that students perceive cheating as more widespread than it actually is (Hard, Conway, & Moran, 2006). A considerable gap in the research is noted when looking at definitions of what constitutes academic fraud, research has indicated that when students are asked if they have cheated and then given a definition of cheating, their self-reports of cheating increase (Burrus et al., 2007). This indicates that students’ definition of cheating and a universities’ definition of cheating may be incongruent. Participants were 507 members of the Florida Atlantic University community during the 2012-2013 academic year who completed a survey that consisted of items, which centered on self-reported cheating, perceptions of what cheating constitutes, and estimates of cheating prevalence. Results indicate that students reported peer cheating to be higher then self reported cheating, that participants distinguished between five different forms of cheating, and that faculty and students hold differing definitions of cheating. The findings suggest a disconnect between faculty perceptions and definitions of academic integrity and students. This would suggest that greater efforts should to be taken to bring a more uniform operational definition of what constitutes academic dishonesty that universities, faculty, and students can rely on. Second, as a pluralist model of cheating was supported, universities could develop campaigns like those aimed at reducing drinking, hooking up, and increasing women in STEM fields (Lambert, Kahn & Apple, 2003; Mattern & Neighbors, 2004; Muldoon, 2002; Schroder & Prentice, 1998). Research has suggested social norm campaigns targeting pluralistic ignorance can be effective on college campuses. In educating students about what actually happens and the discrepancy between reality and perception, cases of academic dishonesty could be reduced. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Due to a living and learning work environment that is filled with role ambiguity, resident assistants often handle situations that require clear and competent ethical decision making. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the various aspects of ethics that affect the lives and job performance of resident assistants. Through an examination of the levels of moral development and the ethical issues faced by resident assistants, the intentionality and the quality of values education for resident assistants is hoped to be improved. One hundred and seventeen resident assistants at a mid-sized, Midwestern, public university created the sample population. All 117 participants completed the survey resulting in a 100 percent return rate.Resident assistants at Ball State University do not have a unique profile of moral development. As a group they tend to make decisions based upon the established rules of society rather than individual rights or universal principles. Results from the Defining Issues Test showed that they have a principled morality score of 37.07% in comparison to the standardized mean score for college students of 42.3%. In their work environments, they report situations involving dating or relationship issues as occurring most often. Colleagues dating their residents was perceived as the least serious out of 16 ethical situations. Situations of racial, gender, or religious intolerance were considered quite serious by the resident assistants. Out of the 117 participants, 109 resident assistants reported situations which created personal ethical or moral dilemmas. Dilemmas that included issues of the enforcement of or the belief in housing policies were reported 21 times. Director or staff conflicts involving a variety of situations were reported as an issue by 17 resident assistants. Relationships with residents that are based upon friendship and/or respect along with perceived issues of resident assistant harassment created the third largest category out of 15 categories of moral dilemmas.Resident assistants are paraprofessionals with a great amount of responsibility and are often put in situations which involve unconscious ethical decision making. Suggestions for hiring, training and role modeling are given in order to better meet the needs of resident assistants. Professionals and researchers must continue to examine the areas of moral development and ethical issues because understanding the issues that concern resident assistants is an important step in creating an ethical campus community. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education