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The Experiences Of Pell Grant Students Who Lose Aid: A Mixed Methods Study, Jaime Carbajal, Jr. May 2022

The Experiences Of Pell Grant Students Who Lose Aid: A Mixed Methods Study, Jaime Carbajal, Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Understanding the link between financial aid and college attainment is particularly important for the Federal Pell Grant program, the nation’s largest financial aid program. Many studies have shown that the Pell Grant program increases retention, persistence, and graduation rates for undergraduate students (Castleman & Long, 2016; Evans & Nguyen, 2019). Nonetheless, 80% of Pell recipients do not go on to complete a college degree within four years (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2016). One possible reason for this outcome is the way the Pell Grant program is constructed and implemented. While the Pell grant starts out as a need-based aid, it becomes …


Changes In Cognitive Networks As A Result Of Sport-Related Concussion, Grace J. Goodwin May 2022

Changes In Cognitive Networks As A Result Of Sport-Related Concussion, Grace J. Goodwin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Given the high prevalence of concussion in sports, assessment of cognition has become a standard part of athletics, and results are used to inform return to play decisions. Neurocognitive measures (e.g., ImPACT) generate cognitive composite scores from individual subtests, and these scores are compared at baseline and post-concussion. Declines in scores provide evidence for concussive injury, and athletes undergo repeated assessments until their scores and symptoms improve. Recent research suggests that changes in the associations between test scores may provide important information about cognitive recovery. A network framework may help identify post-concussive cognitive changes that may not be apparent when …


Psychometric Properties Of The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire: Factor Analysis And Measurement Invariance By The Intersection Of Race And Gender, Jessica H. Habashy May 2022

Psychometric Properties Of The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire: Factor Analysis And Measurement Invariance By The Intersection Of Race And Gender, Jessica H. Habashy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) was originally validated in non-Hispanic White women and over the past two decades has become widely used as an eating pathology screening measure in college students. However, the original factor structure has generally failed to replicate across most studies, particularly among culturally diverse samples. The current study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the EDE-Q in a large sample of gender and racially/ethnically diverse college students. Participants included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of men and women from two universities. I first conducted exploratory factory analysis (EFA) to examine the factor …


The Effects Of Executive Function Between Anxiety And Math Achievement In Adolescents, Mckenzie Hall May 2022

The Effects Of Executive Function Between Anxiety And Math Achievement In Adolescents, Mckenzie Hall

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Anxiety in Children can develop into pervasive disorders in adulthood if not treated. Research shows dysfunctional Executive Function (EF) and anxiety are both shown to have a negative impact on math achievement in children and adolescents (Trezise & Reeve, 2018; Kalaycioglu, 2015; Owens, Stevenson, Hadwin & Norgate, 2012). Chung, Weyandt, and Swentosky (2014) found biological and neuropsychological support for EF as a unitary and multifaceted processor for regulating our emotional states as well as our daily procedures. Anderson’s (2002) model of Executive Control System (ECS) allows the factors of EF to be examined using a developmental approach towards EF processes. …


First-Day Expositional Interviews, Iterative Training, And Participant Skill In Descriptive Experience Sampling, Cody Michio Kaneshiro May 2022

First-Day Expositional Interviews, Iterative Training, And Participant Skill In Descriptive Experience Sampling, Cody Michio Kaneshiro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Descriptive experience sampling (DES) is a method of describing inner experience (i.e., directly apprehended thoughts, feelings, sensations, etc.). DES includes “iterative” sequences of random, natural-environment, beeper-driven sampling of inner experiences followed by an expositional interview that seeks to apprehend and describe those inner experiences in high-fidelity. DES investigators claim that these iterative sequences increase the participant’s DES skills. The present study tests that claim by investigating whether participants demonstrate higher skills in their very-last-sample interviews than they exhibited in their own very-first-sample interviews. The very-last-sample and very-first-sample interviews of six participants were quantitatively and qualitatively examined. We found that participants …


The Association Between Neighborhood Social Media Use And Social Cohesion, Sense Of Community And Perceived Safety Among Adults In Clark County, Nevada, Emily Strickler May 2022

The Association Between Neighborhood Social Media Use And Social Cohesion, Sense Of Community And Perceived Safety Among Adults In Clark County, Nevada, Emily Strickler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Place-based health is a concept that suggests where you live has an effect on your health outcomes. Social health factors such as social cohesion, sense of community, and perceived safety are all influenced by the neighborhood environment, and positively associated with health outcomes such as self-reported minutes of physical activity and symptoms of depression. With the increasing popularity of social media sites used specifically for neighborhood purposes, more neighbors are connecting than ever before. The purpose of this study was to determine if use of neighborhood social media sites was associated with the social health factors of social cohesion, sense …


Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Subsistence Practices At The Lake Roberts Vista Site (La71877) Gila National Forest, New Mexico, Laura A. Benedict May 2022

Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Subsistence Practices At The Lake Roberts Vista Site (La71877) Gila National Forest, New Mexico, Laura A. Benedict

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This work examines the faunal subsistence practices at Lake Roberts Vista, a small Mimbres pueblo with a pithouse component occupied during the Late Pithouse to Classic Mimbres periods (A.D. 550-1130). It is in the Sapillo Valley, a tributary to the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico. Inhabitants consumed mostly deer and rabbits throughout their occupation. Evidence suggests a decline in Artiodactyla resource abundance in later years based on a declining Artiodactyl Index and an increasing fragmentation rate of Artiodactyla bones. Inhabitants captured more cottontails than jackrabbits throughout their occupation.


Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Survey Of The Knowledge, Concerns, And Training Of Transit Personnel In Las Vegas, Nevada, Elena A. Bejinariu May 2022

Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Survey Of The Knowledge, Concerns, And Training Of Transit Personnel In Las Vegas, Nevada, Elena A. Bejinariu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transportation personnel, in particular bus drivers, encounter young people who are commercially sexually exploited frequently and throughout the course of their daily jobs. Given the frequency of this interaction, bus drivers are perceived to be the eyes and ears of the transportation industry, playing a key role in the identification and prevention of trafficking. To support national efforts in combating human trafficking, between September 1st, 2020 and June 15th, 2021, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada trained all its existing employees and new hires on human trafficking dynamics and reporting protocols. These included legal definitions, victim characteristics, recruitment …


Measuring Social Studies Teacher Self-Efficacy: Development Of A Valid, Reliable, And Fair Social Studies Self-Efficacy Scale, Leona Calkins May 2022

Measuring Social Studies Teacher Self-Efficacy: Development Of A Valid, Reliable, And Fair Social Studies Self-Efficacy Scale, Leona Calkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social studies education provides unique opportunities for students to learn about the democratic process and, more importantly, how to engage in civic life to become active citizens. It is through meaningful social studies education that students are deliberately helped to understand the world, and are provided space to discuss, deliberate, and inquire about problems in the world, both past and present, and then learn how they can work to solve these problems (NCSS, 2013a; Parker, 2008). Considering the role of social studies education in helping develop active citizens, there has been a call for social studies teachers to provide instruction …


Built Environment, Land Use, And Crime: A Las Vegas Study, Stacey Lynn Clouse May 2022

Built Environment, Land Use, And Crime: A Las Vegas Study, Stacey Lynn Clouse

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined land use and crime against persons and crime against property in Las Vegas, Nevada at varying spatial levels of analysis. Using crime data provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Assessor’s office, results at the macro-level of analysis reveal that property crime rates concentrated on commercial, transportation, communication and utilities, and industrial land use, whereas violent crime concentrated at commercial, multi-residential, and civic, institutional, and recreational land use. Upon examining the subtypes of land use that generate or radiate more crime, property crime concentrated on transportation land use, class 1 resorts, and …


Queens Of Discourse: An Observation Of Black Insta-Comediennes, Naoka Foreman May 2022

Queens Of Discourse: An Observation Of Black Insta-Comediennes, Naoka Foreman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study observed the ways Black females on Instagram perform sociopolitical humor online to push back against the dominant culture in this digital age – maintaining the Black comedy tradition. It explores and illuminates the strategies of resistance exhibited by Instagram comediennes through a textual analysis informed by minor discourse, intersectionality, and critical feminist theories. Each comic’s personae were investigated and their content on Instagram was randomly selected and coded then grouped into themes. Black insta-comediennes shared Black feminist thought, modified beliefs about Black females or conventionality, and negotiated with the industrial demands of show business to earn subjectivity on …


Women’S Use Of The Gym Space: How Physical Activity Spaces Communicate Inclusion And Exclusion To Women, Rachel Glaze May 2022

Women’S Use Of The Gym Space: How Physical Activity Spaces Communicate Inclusion And Exclusion To Women, Rachel Glaze

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Women are less likely than men to participate in recommended levels of physical activity. As gyms are built around exercise, this research sought to understand if women’s gym participation is limited, due to the space communicating messages of exclusion. Semi-structured interviews with seven women participants led to the discovery of three themes surrounding women’s experiences in the gym setting: Comfort and confidence in the space stem from self-perceived levels of attractiveness, women treat the space as communal to better understand how to navigate it, and organizational spaces can communicate messages of class and socioeconomic differences. Recommendations for future research included …


A Cautionary Tale From Nevada's Desert-People Before Company: A Case Study On Economic Development Approaches In Nevada, Ryann P.S. Juden May 2022

A Cautionary Tale From Nevada's Desert-People Before Company: A Case Study On Economic Development Approaches In Nevada, Ryann P.S. Juden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project utilized a mixed methods research design consisting of a case study of Nevada to explain the state’s reliance on company-based government incentives to attract new businesses to the state. Additionally, the project applied a comparative analysis of Brazil’s and Tennessee’s use of company-based government incentives, and a more detailed comparative analysis of Virginia’s people-based government incentive approach to economic development incentives to explore policy alternatives available to decision makers. This project used the historical institutionalism approach to show how policymakers have certain institutionally dominated predispositions impacting policy outcomes leading to a path dependency where rational choice theory’s credit …


Physical Therapy Alumni Rural Employment Assessment, Karen Aleyda Santos, Nikkita Jacob Crozier May 2022

Physical Therapy Alumni Rural Employment Assessment, Karen Aleyda Santos, Nikkita Jacob Crozier

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction and Purpose: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Doctor of Physical Therapy program (UNLVPT) encourages rural and underserved employment by requiring students to complete one clinical experience in either a rural or underserved setting. Students who participate in rural clinical experiences may be more likely to practice in rural settings. UNLVPT also assesses rural interest level during each student’s education. The purpose of this study was to determine if relationship exists between students’ pre- or post-clinical experience rural interest level and their practice location within the first two years after graduation. We hypothesized that an interest in rural practice …


A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis Of Queer Appropriation In Digital Spaces, Derek Bryant May 2022

A Feminist Rhetorical Analysis Of Queer Appropriation In Digital Spaces, Derek Bryant

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Appropriation is an invariable part of the way in which people communicate. In order to better understand what appropriation is and how appropriation functions communicatively, this research defines what appropriation is from a rhetorical perspective. As the world becomes more interconnected through the use of popular social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, the popularity of appropriation only continues to grow. This research focuses on popular examples of how queer culture is appropriated and used within mainstream culture by straight individuals as a way for to gain financial and social capital. Keywords: Appropriation, pop culture, digital spaces, TikTok, YouTube, …


Classroom Management Practices Appropriate To Children Of Military Families: A Case Study, Felicia Bucher May 2022

Classroom Management Practices Appropriate To Children Of Military Families: A Case Study, Felicia Bucher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this sociocultural study was to analyze the lived experiences of exemplary teachers who teach on a military base school. By teaching a lesser-known diverse group of students who are children of military families, the teachers in this study shared the sociocultural perspective of Vygotsky’s perezhivanie of the adjustment to how they approach classroom management and facilitate student learning despite the differences in teaching children of military families. The dissertation employed qualitative methodology using in-depth interviews with six teacher participants and a triangulation interview with the school principal. The findings are discussed in relation to classroom management strategies …


An Examination Of Interactions Of U.S. Players With Offshore Gambling Sites And Online Casino Reviews: Are They Offenders Or Victims?, Sinyong Choi May 2022

An Examination Of Interactions Of U.S. Players With Offshore Gambling Sites And Online Casino Reviews: Are They Offenders Or Victims?, Sinyong Choi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While the recent liberal stance of the United States has facilitated the proliferation of legal online gambling venues, the ‘black market’ of online gambling remains prevalent. Illegal online gambling poses concerns for the legal market and risks for gambling addiction and consumer protection. Numerous law violations occur in this domain, which are produced by the interactions between players, gambling sites, and online casino reviews. Exploring the interactions of players with online gambling sites and online casino reviews is vital in enhancing our understanding of illegal online gambling activity and therefore allows us to develop preventive measures that can reduce the …


Modeling And Analysis Of Subcellular Protein Localization In Hyper-Dimensional Fluorescent Microscopy Images Using Deep Learning Methods, Yang Jiao May 2022

Modeling And Analysis Of Subcellular Protein Localization In Hyper-Dimensional Fluorescent Microscopy Images Using Deep Learning Methods, Yang Jiao

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Hyper-dimensional images are informative and become increasingly common in biomedical research. However, the machine learning methods of studying and processing the hyper-dimensional images are underdeveloped. Most of the methods only model the mapping functions between input and output by focusing on the spatial relationship, whereas neglect the temporal and causal relationships. In many cases, the spatial, temporal, and causal relationships are correlated and become a relationship complex. Therefore, only modeling the spatial relationship may result in inaccurate mapping function modeling and lead to undesired output. Despite the importance, there are multiple challenges on modeling the relationship complex, including the model …


Political Discussion And Disagreement: Seeking Validation Through News Media, Michael Carmona May 2022

Political Discussion And Disagreement: Seeking Validation Through News Media, Michael Carmona

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explores how often individuals discuss politics with family/friends and acquaintances, how often individuals are exposed to disagreement during those discussions, the strategies they use to respond to political disagreement, and the use of news media following those disagreements. Through the lens of Uses and Gratifications theory, this study examined these elements through an online survey of U.S. adults. The results of this study did not support Hopmann’s, Bjarnøe’s, and Wonneberger’s findings about the relationship between the frequency of political disagreement and the strategies for responding to that disagreement. This study highlights how the discussions and disagreements we have …


Cost Of Attendance And Competitive Balance In The Ncaa Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Michelle Calica Coyner May 2022

Cost Of Attendance And Competitive Balance In The Ncaa Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Michelle Calica Coyner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) justifies its power and regulatory structure as necessary to promote competitive balance. Despite this, there is limited research on the efficacy of NCAA policies that were implemented with the intention of supporting more parity in Division I conferences. This study examined whether the 2015 cost of attendance (COA) policy was associated with competitive balance in various groups within the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Through the lenses of the Matthew Effect and policy design theory, this study aimed to understand how NCAA policies may hurt or help inequality in college sport. Although not all …


Quality Of Care: A Business Case For Us Hospitals, Iwimbong Kum Ghabowen May 2022

Quality Of Care: A Business Case For Us Hospitals, Iwimbong Kum Ghabowen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act present some threats and opportunities to many hospitals across the USA. Under the Value-Based Purchasing Program, acute care hospitals' rewards are tied to incentive payments for the quality of care provided in the inpatient hospital. In the last 20 years, growing research has examined the effects of the quality of care on the financial performance of hospitals. There is a gap in the literature, particularly exploring the relationship between quality and hospital financial performance using national samples. This dissertation investigates the association between patients' experience of care, 30-day readmission rates, and case-mix-index (CMI) …


The Impact Of Collaboration Outcomes In Rape Crisis Centers, Robin J. Mendoza May 2022

The Impact Of Collaboration Outcomes In Rape Crisis Centers, Robin J. Mendoza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual violence is a health and human service issue that touches a multitude of individuals, organizations, and communities. Collaboration is essential to achieving desired outcomes to prevent or intervene in sexual violence. Rape crisis centers depend on cooperation and communication with other health and human service organizations to achieve common goals of reducing sexual violence. Increasing organizational effectiveness and diversifying social and systems change through maximizing relationships is an important facet of collaboration. The purpose of this research is to identify the extent of effective collaboration amongst rape crisis centers and their affiliates in the United States. Social and organizational …


Researcher-Participant Privilege: Confidentiality And Qualitative Criminology, Eric Michael May 2022

Researcher-Participant Privilege: Confidentiality And Qualitative Criminology, Eric Michael

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research institutions have the responsibility to comply with laws that govern the oversight of all research including research with human subjects. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) review research protocols and approve research based on the rights and safety of research subjects. When conducting qualitative criminological research, researchers must weigh ethical considerations around their methods. These methodological considerations are coupled with guiding ethical principles that are fundamental to human subject research. One major consideration regards breaking confidentiality which can bring about great risk to participants. The following thesis focuses on the ethics of researcher-participant privilege and issues that qualitative researchers have in …


Attentional Focus And The Development Of Skilled Performance, Harjiv Singh May 2022

Attentional Focus And The Development Of Skilled Performance, Harjiv Singh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A central question in the development of skilled movement is: how a performer should focus their attention while preparing for the execution of a motor skill? Considerable evidence has shown that directing attention towards an intended movement effect (i.e., external focus) results in performance benefits relative to focusing on body movements (i.e., internal focus). While most of the previous research has emphasized the effects of internal versus external foci, evidence also suggests that external foci located at greater distances from the body (distal foci) are more effective than external foci located in greater proximity to the body (proximal foci) and …


What Happens In Vegas: The Influence Of Las Vegas On High-Risk Attitudes And Behaviors, Marissa Tiemann May 2022

What Happens In Vegas: The Influence Of Las Vegas On High-Risk Attitudes And Behaviors, Marissa Tiemann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The probability of victimization is affected by various factors, such as child abuse, a history of victimization, sexual assault, substance abuse, and risky behaviors. Previous research has attributed differences in victimization risk to differences in lifestyle. Overtly sexual cultures like Las Vegas, Nevada, could impact the adoption of risky behaviors (e.g., binge drinking, casual sex, and substance abuse) that could increase victimization risks. This study seeks to understand the impact of the city of Las Vegas on adopting high risk sexual attitudes and behaviors by examining the length of time an individual has spent in Las Vegas. This study used …


Communicating Pain Unseen: Addressing Health Outcomes In Sexual Activity For Women With Endometriosis, Madison Wiese May 2022

Communicating Pain Unseen: Addressing Health Outcomes In Sexual Activity For Women With Endometriosis, Madison Wiese

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Roughly 160 million women live with endometriosis, a chronic disease involving the uterine lining shedding on the outside of the uterus causing immense physical and emotional pain (Becker et al., 2020). One common symptom of endometriosis is dyspareunia, or painful sex (Ballard et al., 2008). This study aims to uncover how gender expectations from society impact women with endometriosis specifically in sexual encounters. Informed by the traditional sexual script theory and sexual script theory, the study examines how traditional gender norms might influence women’s prioritization of their own health needs as well as the physical, emotional, and relational health outcomes …


Family Functioning In Youth With Bipolar Disorder, Kayla Fobian May 2022

Family Functioning In Youth With Bipolar Disorder, Kayla Fobian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family functioning encompasses a family’s ability to maintain an environment that supports and benefits each member of the family. Among families of youth with a bipolar disorder (BD), family functioning is impaired compared to healthy controls. However, few studies have examined family functioning across psychopathology in youth. Additionally, few studies have examined which symptoms (depressive, manic, or externalizing) are most strongly associated with family functioning. Therefore, the purpose of this manuscript is to benchmark impairments in family functioning in youth with BD compared to youth with other psychiatric disorders and to examine the differential influence of depressive, manic, and comorbid …


Jazz Sampling Hip Hop: A View Of The Expanded Rhythm Section And The Musical Interactions Between Musicians And Machines, Molly Kaylynn Redfield May 2022

Jazz Sampling Hip Hop: A View Of The Expanded Rhythm Section And The Musical Interactions Between Musicians And Machines, Molly Kaylynn Redfield

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This document presents a study on a musical fusion that I term “jazz/hip hop.” The study presents a historical overview of jazz/hip hop origins beginning with 1960s beat poets to jazz/hip hop artists emerging in the early 2000s. Modeled after Phillip Tagg’s and John Fiske’s semiotic methodology and William C. Banfield’s African American Cultural Theory and Heritage Model, the methodology defines the musical and cultural aesthetics of jazz/hip hop. Interviews from jazz/hip hop artists are presented; justifying the use of hip-hop aesthetics and countering the argument that commercial elements are added for mainstream recognition. I examine that samples musically interact …


Locating A Marketplace At The Ancient Maya City Of Lakamha’, Mexico Using The Configurational Approach, Jonathan Roldan May 2022

Locating A Marketplace At The Ancient Maya City Of Lakamha’, Mexico Using The Configurational Approach, Jonathan Roldan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In some cases, plazas that undergo archaeological testing for marketplace activity are identified using a method known as the configurational approach. This preliminary research method compares plaza locations to a list of associated features, often treated as a list of criteria. However, this approach has been criticized for its speculative nature and the equifinality of the results. Additionally, some argue that these “criteria” are only a list of assumptions. Until now, the configurational approach has received little attention due to its limitations and speculative nature, yet it remains an integral part of the preliminary process in marketplace research. This project …


Consumers Of Sex, Romance And The Spectacle: An Ethnographic Study Of Female Tourists In Bangkok’S Adult Entertainment Zones, Jason H. Scott May 2022

Consumers Of Sex, Romance And The Spectacle: An Ethnographic Study Of Female Tourists In Bangkok’S Adult Entertainment Zones, Jason H. Scott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research is an ethnographic study of female sex tourism in Bangkok, Thailand and explores how women, as consumers, participate in activities and spaces that were historically reserved for male tourists. Much of the existing scholarly literature investigates the way men from the global North participate in sex tourism practices. Very little attention, however, has been given to the way female tourists engage as consumers in the global sex tourism industry. Studies conducted in the Caribbean suggest that sexual consumption practices among female tourists are dichotomously different from men because of traditional gender roles and sexual scripts. To guide this …