Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / Young women are influenced by a variety of different messages as they are transitioning from being viewed as little girls to being viewed as young women. While women of all ages can experience dissatisfaction with their bodies and appearance, this is especially common during the time when girls are entering into adolescence, adjusting to their changing bodies, and trying to develop a sense of who they are as an individual. Our society today has placed a significant importance on thinness and young women are bombarded with messages presenting them with an unattainable level of thinness as society‘s ideal. This paper describes adolescent development, looks at the sociocultural influences (family, peers, and media) that impact young women‘s body image, presents prevention and intervention programs that have been used with young women, and provides recommendations for family life educators on how to educate parents on the messages their daughters are being sent and provides them with suggestions on how to talk with their daughters about these messages.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared A. Durtschi / Many individuals in their teens and twenties believe achieving financial self-sufficiency is an important part of becoming an adult (Arnett, 2000); yet the research on this topic is very limited. The level of general responsibility a young adult obtains is related to their general level of self-confidence (e.g., Shim, Serido, Bosch & Tang, 2013). However, the relationship between financial responsibility and self-confidence is currently unknown. Additionally, the relationship between self-confidence and annual income among young adults is largely unknown. This is the first study to advance current knowledge with a large (N = 474) and longitudinal dataset of emerging adults. The goal of this study is to test the underlying process that may explain variation of annual income among emerging adults from the Transition to Adulthood Supplement, a subset of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The study used a structural equation model (SEM) to test three waves of data across four years. Results from the SEM analysis demonstrated that higher levels of financial responsibility were associated with higher levels of self-confidence two years later. Additionally, the findings showed that higher levels of self-confidence were associated with higher levels of annual income after an additional two years. The results suggest the importance of building financial responsibility and self-confidence in emerging young adults.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen Myers-Bowman / Female adolescent sexual behavior has several potential negative life consequences including: pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection, and HIV/AIDS. Educating parents on how they play a role in the decision-making process regarding the sexual behavior of their adolescent daughters has important implications for Family Life Educators. This thesis explores maternal influence on the risky sexual behavior of female adolescents related to age at first sexual intercourse, contraceptive use, and number of partners. ANOVA was used to explore the relationships between a variety of aspects in the mother-daughter relationship. Findings show there are associations between time spent together, perceptions of closeness, and communication in mother-daughter relationships, and contraceptive use at first and most recent intercourse and total number of partners.

Master of Science / Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Kevin Roberts / Distance programs in higher education have become commonplace in the United States because of developments in technology. Despite these advancements, hospitality programs have been reluctant to create fully online offerings for undergraduate students. This study wanted to focus on understanding the attitudes of undergraduate hospitality students about online learning. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to determine the attitudes of hospitality students about online learning, to analyze which technologies they have used during their academic careers, and to analyze which technologies are perceived as most useful to facilitate learning. Focus groups were conducted with a select group of students to better understand their attitudes and experiences with online learning and learning technologies. An online survey was distributed to undergraduate hospitality management students at five Midwestern universities. Means and standard deviations were used to measure overall student attitudes about online learning and to measure ratings of effectiveness and past use of selected technologies for online learning. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the relationships between educational levels of students and perceptions of online technologies, as well as the relationship between experience with online courses and attitudes towards online learning. A t-test was used to determine if a relationship existed between gender and attitudes towards online learning. Results from this study revealed that respondents preferred to use more familiar technologies such as slideshow presentations and email for online learning. Students reported that they would miss the interaction with their professors if they took an online course and would receive less help. Females and males differed in their attitudes about online learning. Results from this study will assist hospitality curriculum developers to better understand the attitudes and needs of undergraduate hospitality management students in the online learning environment.

Master of Arts / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Thomas Vontz / The Honor Flight Network is a national non-profit organization based out of Springfield, Ohio, with the mission to “transport our heroes to Washington D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials.” Kansas Honor Flight – Wamego High School pairs high school students from the local chapter of the National Honor Society with area veterans. This experiential service-learning project provides America’s next generation the opportunity to connect with and learn from America’s “G.I. Generations.” Veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Viet Nam War are accompanied by student-guardians who serve as their assistants and guides. The avowed mission is accomplished with students first and foremost providing service for their veteran through the duration of the trip. Yet, the promise of the journey is realized when the student-guardians are able to witness the memorials through the eyes of those who exemplified courage, fortitude, patriotism, service, and sacrifice – flesh and blood representatives of civic virtue. Similarly, the veterans behold the beneficiaries of their sacrifice providing respectful service; virtuous acts voluntary, not obligatory. Different generations of constitutional stakeholders – those who actively preserved the republican experiment, others preparing to be engaged participants therein – experiencing hope for the future as well as gratitude for those who came before. This report includes a narrative of the inaugural mission of Kansas Honor Flight – Wamego High School. Using said narrative as exemplar of following flights, the report chronicles the creation of bridging social capital through implicit reciprocity and the emergence of intergenerational trust-building. The spanning of generations is discussed through the sharing of enduring republican principles. Heroes are democratized as witness is bore by the soldier who lived to tell the tale.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Thomas Vontz / This qualitative study explored middle school students’ conceptions of citizenship through the use of civic images. Citizenship education as the primary purpose for social studies education is firmly established; however, citizenship is an abstract concept. The definition and characteristics of citizenship, as well as research concerning the decline or evolution of civic behaviors, is inconclusive and oscillating. Recently adopted national and state social studies standards focus on inquiry and literacy skills, emphasizing the use of primary sources; namely historical documents. These texts are often insufficient curriculum drivers and generate a need to find alternative primary sources that scaffold and support students’ understanding. Images speak a familiar language and have been found to support student learning of history. This study fills a gap in the research regarding the use of images to teach citizenship, the purpose of social studies. Using a case study approach to research, multiple methods of data converged to address the research question, how do suburban middle school students understand citizenship through civic images? Twenty-seven eighth-graders enrolled in two Guided Study courses served as the research participants. The researcher spent two weeks at the start of the study, observing the students in their educational environment. Following the observations, for approximately eight weeks, students viewed a civic image and responded to a series of questions adapted from the Stanford History Education Group’s Historical Thinking Skills Chart (2006). At the conclusion of the eight weeks, the researcher conducted focus group interviews with each class and individual interviews with eight randomly selected students and the participating teacher. The results of this study support the use of images as instructional resources to teach abstract concepts, particularly citizenship, as well as support the use of images as primary sources to teach inquiry and literacy skills. The civic images deepened student understanding of civic and historical concepts and, more importantly, they informed students’ definitions of citizenship. Equality and community were revealed by the data as defining characteristics of citizenship for the students involved in this study, supporting previous research that members of younger generations are redefining what it means to be a good citizen.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sonya L. Britt / This dissertation, consisting of three studies, explores the factors that influence the financial wellness of employees participating in a workplace financial education program. This dissertation also explores the influence that financial wellness has on the intention to engage in retirement planning activities and perceived retirement preparedness. Data for all three essays was obtained from a Financial Wellness Assessment instrument used in conjunction with a workplace financial education program provided by Financial Finesse (2013). The primary conceptual framework used to guide the three studies was Joo’s (2008) conceptual framework of financial wellness. The first essay examined factors that have been conceptualized as components of financial wellness—financial behaviors, perceived financial knowledge, and financial attitudes. Results showed that employees comfortable with their current level of non-mortgage debt and those with perceived financial knowledge had a greater sense of overall financial wellness. Core financial behaviors and advanced financial behaviors were also found to be associated with financial wellness with core financial behaviors having the biggest effect on financial wellness. Maintaining an emergency fund, having a handle on cash flow, paying credit card balances off in full each month, and paying bills on time were significantly related to greater financial wellness. Personal factors associated with a greater sense of financial wellness included household income, being under age 30, homeownership, being married, and not having children in the household. The second essay examined the influence of various subcomponents of financial wellness on retirement planning intention. Results indicated that retirement was the leading financial topic of interest of employees. Findings also demonstrated that desirable core financial management behaviors and a financial attitude of comfort regarding current non-mortgage debt increased the likelihood of employee intentions to engage in retirement planning activities. Specific financial behaviors associated with retirement planning intention included having a handle on cash flow, paying bills on time, and paying off credit card balances in full each month. Personal factors such as age and income also influenced retirement planning intention as older employees and those with greater household income were more likely to intend to plan for retirement. Having children in the household and non-Caucasian/White ethnicity decreased the likelihood of retirement planning intention. Finally, the third essay utilized Joo’s (2008) conceptual framework of financial wellness to explore factors that predict perceived retirement preparedness. Higher levels of financial satisfaction, perceived financial knowledge, and confidence in current asset allocation increased the likelihood employees demonstrated a sense of retirement preparedness. Core and advanced financial behaviors were also associated with perceived retirement preparedness. Younger employees and household income of $100,000 or more increased the likelihood of perceived retirement preparedness. Results of these three studies demonstrate that financial wellness has a significant influence on perceived retirement preparedness of employees engaged in information seeking activities as part of a workplace financial education program. Key components of financial wellness such as objective financial status, financial knowledge, financial attitudes, financial satisfaction, and financial behaviors were also found to be associated with the intention to engage in retirement planning activities. These findings are relevant to financial counselors, financial planners, financial educators, academicians, and employers dedicated to promoting increased financial wellness among employees.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Margaret Gail Shroyer / Thomas S. Vontz / A foundational mission of our public schools is dedicated to preserving a democratic republic dependent on a literate and actively engaged citizenry. Civic literacy is essential to supporting the rights and responsibilities of all citizens in a democratic society. Civic knowledge is the foundation of our citizens’ civic literacy. National Standards for Civics and Government (Center for Civic Education,1994) promote civic literacy for all students including elementary children. Therefore, understanding important civic concepts is essential knowledge for elementary educators. Civic knowledge has not been required or monitored in teacher preparation or licensure. At the time of this study, there were no comprehensive measures of elementary teachers’ civic knowledge. The purpose of this study was to investigate a project funded by the Center for Civic Education that developed a Civic Knowledge Inventory (CKI) for elementary teachers using a Delphi technique. Specifically, this study analyzed the use of a Delphi process to identify major civic constructs elementary teachers should know and to create a valid and reliable measure of elementary teachers’ knowledge of these selected civic constructs. The Delphi technique engaged eight anonymous civic scholars to work together via the Internet. Through rounds of input and feedback they identified important civic knowledge that elementary teachers should know and created a multiple-choice measurement tool aligned to these constructs. In final analysis, the Delphi panelists collectively created a map of civic concepts that included: Constitutionalism, Representative Democracy, Citizenship, Human Rights, Civic Society, Market Economy and Examples of Non-Democracy as essential constructs accompanied by an outline of related sub-concepts and elements. This outline was then used to design, improve, and ultimately select the best test items for each construct. An item analysis was completed on data produced by 89 volunteer pre-service elementary teachers to identify high performing items to be included in the CKI. Therefore, the CKI could be used to examine the extent to which teacher preparation programs adequately prepare elementary teachers to be civic educators and thus guide teacher preparation as well as related professional development initiatives.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / William Adams / This is an exploratory study on the existing transition efforts of the Kansas State University Graduate School for master’s degree students. There are a variety of graduate students at Kansas State University with many different graduate program experiences. This study identifies the current status of incoming master’s degree students outreach and details experiences of transitioning graduate students to make suggestions on future strategies. It is vital to identify if, and which, programs are catering to the different needs of these students during their socialization into their graduate program. The study has three main objectives: (1) determine the level of personal contact and emphasis on relationship-building during a master’s degree student’s transition, (2) identify the general efforts and practices of specific master’s degree programs and the Kansas State University Graduate School, and (3) to document the needs of students as they transition into graduate school at Kansas State University. The research was conducted through use of confidential one-on-one in-depth interviews with nine Kansas State University graduate program directors and two Graduate School administrators. Ten newly admitted to the Kansas State University graduate program in the spring of 2013 were interviewed. The qualitative approach to this study enabled the researcher to get detailed testimonials and experience-based knowledge from all of these key stakeholders. Overall, the study revealed that graduate students value face-to-face and personal interaction and showed that student-to-student contact is a preferred component to a successful socialization of graduate students. The needs of transitioning graduate students included assistance with course scheduling, assistantship responsibilities, advisor selection, and an overall understanding that graduate school is different from undergraduate school. Future graduate program strategies that would assist in the successful socialization of graduate students include: orientations, meeting with graduate program directors, social and networking opportunities, and workshops. Involvement in student organizations and utilization of on-campus resources are also a part of most of the graduate programs, and graduate school transition outreach. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher offers suggestions to the Graduate School, graduate programs, and incoming students in order to help enhance the transition experience of master’s degree students into graduate school at Kansas State University.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra Stith / Farrell Webb / This study explored the impact of differentiation of self on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). First, the study determined if differentiation of self in a relationship added to the variance accounted for by the known risk factors including relational satisfaction, marital conflict, romantic jealousy, depression, anxiety, and attitude about violence towards women. Second, it examined the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between differentiation of self and IPV. Results indicated that differentiation of self in a relationship is a predictor of perpetration of intimate partner violence in relationships even after controlling for other known risk factors. Results also indicated that gender did not moderate the relationship between differentiation of self and perpetration of violence.