Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. "April, 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-147).

Project (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. "April, 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-119).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1995. / Includes abstract and vita. "October 1995." This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #053-0086. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-183).

Thesis (D. Min)--Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-188).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. "March 2003" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-118).

Thesis (M.A.)--Cincinnati Christian Seminary, 1985. / Typescript. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-150).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes final project proposal. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-99, 158-160).

The near-miss effect has been demonstrated to maintain gambling behavior by producing physiological changes or thoughts that an individual has "almost won" or was "close" to a winning outcome when, in fact, they lost. Participants were asked to rate each outcome presented on a 10-point Likert scale regarding how close they perceived an outcome was to a win on an automated slot machine created on a Visual Basic program. Data was analyzed for differences between similar outcomes presented with and without an auditory stimulus. Near-miss outcomes presented with an auditory stimulus were rated significantly higher than near-miss outcomes without an auditory stimulus on average across participants. Implications may reveal the effects auditory stimuli on modernized slot machines have on gambling behavior and options for treatment.

The purpose of this research was to explore traffic event severity relationships, evaluate the potentiality of a hazardous event, and develop a framework of observable event factors. Data was collected from three regions in Virginia, each assumed to exemplify a unique driving environment due to amount of traffic and infrastructure characteristics. In combination, a broad spectrum of site, traffic, and driver performance variables were accounted for. Observational techniques of surveillance, incident reporting, and inventorying were used to collect site, traffic, and driver data. This effort resulted in 368 observed traffic events that were evenly distributed among the three regions that represented metropolitan, mid-sized city, and town/rural driving environments. The 368 events were evaluated for severity and contributing variables where 1% of the events were non-injury crashes, 10% were serious, near-crashes, 24% were near-crashes, and the remaining 65% were serious errors with a hazard present. Exploratory analyses were performed to understand the general relationship between event severity levels. Binary logistic regression analyses (α = 0.05) were performed to further scope predictor variables to identify traffic event characteristics with respect to severity level, maneuver type, and conflict type. The results were that 69 of 162 observed predictor variables were valuable in characterizing traffic events based on severity. It was found that variables could be grouped to create event severity signatures for crashes, serious near-crashes, and near-crashes. Based on these signatures, it was found that there is a trend between severity levels that included a propensity for problems with straight path maneuvers, lateral and longitudinal vehicle control, and information density within the driving environment as contributing to driver error and hence crashes and near-crashes. There were also differences between the severity levels. These differences were evident in the degree of control the driver appeared to have of the vehicle, type of control regulating the driving environment, and type of road users present in the driving environment. Modifications to roadway evaluative techniques would increase awareness of additional variables that impact drivers to make more informed decisions for roadway enhancements. / Ph. D.

Depuis 1976 le concours de beauté « Miss Brésil Gay » a lieu chaque année à Juiz de Fora (Brésil) et ses 36 éditions ont attiré régulièrement des milliers de touristes. La compétition se déroule entre les 27 États brésiliens représentés par des concurrentes qui ne sont pas des travestis, mais des garçons qui s’habillent en femme. Tenu comme l’un des premiers de ce genre au Brésil, il est devenu l’une des manifestations culturelles les plus représentatives de la ville et l’un des événements gays les plus connus du pays. Cette thèse discutera de l’homosexualité et des « tribus gays » pour valider l’hypothèse que le concours se rapproche d’une « effervescence postmoderne ». La première partie est basée sur la sociologie classique, la sociologie compréhensive, l’imaginaire et la sociologie du quotidien. Il y a ensuite une révision théorique des points les plus pertinents de l’ouvrage de Michel Maffesoli en relation à ce travail : tribalisme, identités, altérité, effervescences et Dionysos. Les rites et rituels de passage reçoivent une attention spéciale, en fonction de leur importance dans cette étude. La deuxième partie est une approche transdisciplinaire sur l’homosexualité à travers la reconstruction sociohistorique, les identités, les effervescences touristiques, les utilisations du corps et l’homophobie. La troisième partie est consacrée au travail sur le terrain, composé par les « histoires de vie » de cinq misses gays brésiliennes. Il s’agit d’une recherche qualitative qui utilise les méthodes de l’Observation Participante et de la Participation Observante pour arriver aux analyses de données, à la validation des hypothèses et à la vérification des résultats, répertoriées dans la cinquième partie. À travers le microcosme du Miss Brésil Gay, l’objectif est de contribuer à l’élaboration de nouvelles catégories de la pensée sociologique sur l’homosexualité et sur les fêtes « tribales », à partir d’un regard postmoderne. / Since 1976 the beauty pageant contest Miss Gay Brazil is held annually in Juiz de Fora (Brazil) and its 36 editions regularly attract thousands of tourists. The competition takes place between the 27 Brazilian states represented by competitors who are not transvestites, but men who dress as women. Held as one of the first of its kind in Brazil, it has become one of the most representative cultural events in the city and one of the country’s best known gay events. This thesis will discuss homosexuality and « gay tribes » to validate the hypothesis that the contest is approaching a « postmodern effervescence ». The first part is based on traditional sociology, « comprehensive sociology », the imaginary and « everyday life sociology ». There is also a theoretical review of the most relevant points of works by Michel Maffesoli in relation to this study: tribalism, identity, alterity, effervescence and Dionysus. The rituals and rites of passage are given special attention, according to their importance in this research. The second part is a transdisciplinary approach to homosexuality, through a socio-historical reconstruction, identities, « gay tourism », utilisations of the body and homophobia. The third part is devoted to the « field », composed by the « life stories method » of five Brazilian Gay Misses. This is a qualitative research that uses « observing participation » and « participating observation » to arrive at data analysis, validation and verification of results, exposed in the fifth part. Through the microcosm of Miss Gay Brazil, the aim is to contribute to the development of new categories of sociological thought on homosexuality and fêtes « tribales » from a postmodern point of view.