Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Factor Structures Of The Erq-Ca, Rcads, And Rsca To Identify Unique Predictors Of Ptsd Symptom Clusters In Maltreated Youth, Amanda N. Howard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Youth who have experienced maltreatment have a higher risk of developing posttraumatic disorder (PTSD), which is associated with poorer mental and behavioral health outcomes including emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, and lower resiliency. At present, the literature largely focuses on youth who have experienced general trauma or PTSD symptoms, while maltreated youth are vastly understudied. The present investigation was the first study to date to examine the factor structures of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA), the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), and the Resiliency Scale for Children and Adolescents (RSCA) in a sample of maltreated …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Mindful Self-Regulated Learning Scale (M-Srls), Sarah Wolff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Modern mindfulness is a catch-all term. Just exactly what it looks like within the context of education and how it is taught vastly varies. As such, program fidelity and integrity is questioned. Here a definition of mindful self-regulated learning is proposed and the Mindful Self-Regulated Learning Scale (m-SRLS) is developed. This includes item generation and development, systematic testing of item performance, scale dimensionality, convergent and divergent validity, measurement invariance across groups and subgroups, and scale reliability over a series of five pilot studies and five primary studies using independent samples. The resulting m-SRLS is a context specific measurement tool that …

Evaluating The Scl-90-R For Use In Collegiate Athletes, Elena Gavrilova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study examines psychometric properties of the Symptom Checklist 90 – Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994) in collegiate athletes. The SCL-90-R is one of the most widely utilized measures of broad psychiatric distress. Current literature, however, suggests its factor structure varies across populations (Ardakani et al., 2016; Bakhshaie et al., 2011; Olsen et al., 2004; Ronan et al., 2000; Sereda & Dembitskyi, 2016; Smits et al., 2014; Urbán et al., 2016). Although the SCL-90-R has been previously utilized in studies involving athletes, the psychometric properties of this scale have yet to be investigated in this population. This study examined the …

The Effects Of Real-Time Computerized Needle Tip Location Feedback On State Anxiety And Immediate Performance Of Simulated Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia, Joseph Janakes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Complications of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) in the clinical setting are severe and frequently related to improper needle tip placement, which is a challenging skill for novice student learners. Accordingly, anesthesia education programs are incorporating simulation-based teaching methods that use expensive procedural task trainers to aid in UGRA training. However, it was unknown if the task trainers with real-time computerized needle tip location feedback affect student anxiety and immediate simulated UGRA performance, leaving educators wondering if the cost was justified.Aims: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of real-time computerized needle tip location feedback on students’ …

Training Design Enhancement Through Training Evaluation: Effects On Training Transfer, Elham Arabi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With recurring changes in the society, in terms of economy and technology, companies need to ensure that their human capital is aligned with these transformations in order to sustain in a competitive industry. To date, organizations view training as a requirement to increase their employees’ efficiencies and productivity, and reduce their attrition rates. Despite investment in employee training, research shows a lack of transfer of learning to job and as a result minimal return on investment. This issue is due to many barriers, but can be addressed by learning professionals. Poor learning design and training evaluation practices have been identified …

Breaking The Language Barrier: Equitable Assessment In General Chemistry, Eshani Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Because language provides the framework through which knowledge is constructed, it is crucial to consider the ways in which students with limited English proficiencies are able to express their understanding. English language learners (ELLs) make up a significant portion of the student body in the education system and represent many ethnic and racial minorities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) fields (Burke & Mattis, 2007). Despite the national push to build a more diversified, STEM-ready workforce, there is little research that considers the way ELLs are assessed in STEM courses at the postsecondary level. Literature reports that science tests …

"Already Writers": A Case Study In Assessment And Visual Rhetoric Connections In Digital Multimodal Composition, Fawn Elise Canady

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

English language arts must respond to shifts in literacy practices that reflect changes in ‘college and career ready’ that are more than technologically mediated, but also emphasize creative and social skills. The case study in this dissertation is a small part of a larger, ongoing formative experiment in digital multimodal composition (DMC). A formative experiment is a methodological approach that favors a collaborative, iterative research process that is centered on an instructional goal in authentic classroom settings (Reinking & Bradley, 2008). The intention of the larger research study was to support students’ learning through DMC. This dissertation explored one of …

Defining Problematic School Absenteeism Using Nonparametric Modeling, Kyleigh Kay Skedgell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contemporary classification models of school absenteeism often employ a multitier approach for organizing assessment and treatment strategies. Researchers have yet to agree, however, on how to objectively define problematic school absenteeism and identify demarcation points for each tier. The present study aimed to inform a multitier approach by determining the most relevant risk factors for problematic school absenteeism. The most useful targets of assessment for problematic school absenteeism are also addressed. The present study examined problematic school absenteeism defined at three distinct cutoffs: 1%, 10%, and 15% of full school days missed. The present study evaluated interactions among several youth- …

Development And Testing Of An Assessment To Measure Spatial Thinking About Enhanced Greenhouse Effect, Heather Jean Skaza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Americans, in general, do not behave in environmentally sustainable ways. We drive cars and fly in planes that emit planet-warming carbon. We purchase food in nearly indestructible packaging that is not recycled or repurposed. We do not consider the environmental impact of the “stuff” stuffed into our grocery and department stores, most of which is made of materials that had to be dug out of the ground, leaving rivers and skies full of pollution in its place. Citizens have a responsibility to understand complex global and local environmental problems. A person’s ability to think about the way that an environmental …

Using Generalizability Theory To Investigate Sources Of Variance Of The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 With Trainees, Dorothy Rita Parriott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be considered a serious developmental concern, which, complicated by its rising rate, creates a challenge for psychologists in properly and consistently diagnosing the disorder. Various types of assessments such as reporting measures, observation systems, and standardized assessments are currently used in the identification of ASD. Any one instrument typically examines multiple domains of functioning such as intellectual, neuropsychological (including adaptive, attention, sensory, motor, language, memory, executive functioning, academic, and social/emotional), and behavior (social and repetitive/restricted). Often, evaluators combine assessments that were not originally meant to detect ASD with those that were intended for that purpose. …

Factor Analysis Of The Sport Interference Checklist With Collegiate Athletes, Travis Albert Loughran

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There are a variety of cognitive and behavioral factors that have been indicated to have a negative impact on sport performance. College student-athletes may be at particular risk to evidence problems that interfere with optimal sport performance due to high physical, social, and emotional demands. To fully understand what factors influence student-athlete sport performance, appropriate, psychometrically validated assessment measures are needed. The Sport Interference Checklist (SIC) is an assessment tool that was developed to assess sport performance in both training and competitive situations for student-athletes. The SIC includes two scales, the Problems in Sport Training Scale (PSTS) and the Problems …

Impact Of A Grade Contract Model In A College Composition Course: A Multiple Case Study, Nayelee Villanueva

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Due to the complex nature of assessment in critical pedagogy practices, continued research is necessary in order to investigate the constantly evolving nature of education and the way we come to know how people learn. To research assessment in the critical classroom requires both instructor and students. This qualitative multiple case study investigated impacts of a grading contract as a form of assessment on student writing in a Basic Writing composition course. This study examined the impacts of a grade contract on students' writing, motivation for writing, revision practices, authorship and expectations of a Basic Writing composition course. Through a …

Interorganizational Performance Comparisons Using Quality Assurance Audit Results, Raymond E. Keeler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires government agencies to conduct performance measurements of their contractors for purposes of evaluation and comparison. To be most meaningful, performance comparisons need to consider all relevant characteristics that are of importance to the agency. Yet, bounded rationality theory states that managers of complex programs may have insufficient time and resources to consider all potentially relevant factors. Therefore, metrics used for decision making need to incorporate all relevant factors before the information is provided to decision makers.

Over the last several decades, government agencies have increasingly identified Quality Assurance compliance as …

Comparison Of The Pervasive Developmental Disorders Screening Test And Modified Checklist For Autism In Toddlers: Which Is The Better Predictor Of Autism In Toddlers?, Vanessa Marie Fessenden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has significant impact on children and families. Early intervention optimizes long-term diagnosis for children with ASD. Unfortunately, many children with ASD are not diagnosed until after age three and often receive services from a local school district rather than through early intervention services. However, many of the symptoms of ASD can be hard to identify because symptoms during infancy may be more difficult to detect or may present differently than manifestations of the symptoms at older ages. Despite the difficulty in identifying symptoms of ASD in young children, there are certain …

Assessing The Effect Of Simulation Models On Systems Learning In An Introductory Environmental Science Course, Heather J. Skaza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence within the systems dynamics community supporting the use of systems simulations in the classroom to improve student understanding, there is little published, controlled, experimental research. This paper describes the results of a paired experiment testing the effect of using system dynamics simulations to increase systems understanding in an introductory environmental science course. We believed that the students using the systems simulations would demonstrate a greater systemic understanding of environmental issues than those who did not.

We conducted an experiment during the fall semester of 2009, with 304 students enrolled in four sections of …

The "White-Eyed" Eastern Towhee: A Molecular Assessment Of The Validity Of Pipilo Erythrophthalmus Alleni, Jeremy Shawn Batten

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Exploring the factors that influence the distribution and diversification of organisms is essential to the field of evolutionary biology. Molecular examination across a species' distribution may result in the discovery of differentiated populations that, when interpreted in the context of past events (e.g. climate change), may elucidate the causal mechanisms. Comparative phylogeographic studies have revealed both similar and disparate genetic patterns among co-distributed organisms, although similar geographic patterns may differ greatly in temporal scale and thus in the magnitude of genetic differentiation. Studies of diverse taxa occurring across the southeastern United States have revealed several common patterns of intraspecific divergence …

True Reflections? An Assessment Of The Correlation Between Self-Reported Racial Identities And Craniometric Patterning, Rebecca V Lockwood

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Modern anthropologists reject the notion that individuals can be assigned to clear-cut divisions of racial origins, yet this identification technique is a required practice in forensic settings. Forensic anthropologists study morphological features and craniometric values to assess the possible ancestry of an unidentified set of human remains. This ancestral assessment is subsequently translated into a "racial" description, as these categories are commonly used and understood by society; Race, however, is an artificial social construction, and racial categories fluctuate over time and space. Consequently, the forensic assessment of race based on cranial characteristics could significantly differ from an individual's self-assessment of …

A Study Of Selected Hotel Officials And Managers With Respect To Assessment Of Job Attitudes, Michael Joseph Signorelli

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify those characteristics which make up an appropriate work attitude among officials and managers in a Resort Industry setting. Upon identification of these management characteristics, acceptable guidelines would be followed to develop an objective instrument to assess management work attitudes which might help reduce job turnover, thereby reducing the costs incurred in replacing key executives; An attitude scale was chosen because instruments which measure intelligence, aptitude and achievement favor those individuals with more formal education than found among managers in the resort industry. In addition, research indicated that an appropriate work attitude increases …

Amnesty As A Tool Of Conflict Resolution: A Comparative Assessment, Nabil Ouassini

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Drawing upon various theoretical approaches and the analysis of case studies, the current study explores the use of amnesty as a way of dealing with civil strife in national and international conflicts. Conflicts in different regions in the world are examined to illustrate the use of amnesty for restorative purposes, but primary attention will focus on how Arab countries are using amnesty in the current war on terror. By examining amnesty in both general and specific cases, the present study hopes to shed light on the effectiveness of amnesty as a restorative principle in addition to the manifest and latent …

Habitat Selection By The Relict Leopard Frog (Rana Onca): Assessment Of Vegetation Use At Two Scales, Sean Moran Harris

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, two populations of the rare Relict Leopard Frog (Rana onca) have gone extinct. These population extinctions occurred concomitantly with the encroachment of native emergent vegetation into pools in which frogs were usually observed. In order to determine if adult Rana onca prefer more vegetatively open habitats, a radio-telemetry study was conducted. A total of 809 radio telemetry observations were made on 34 frogs from April 2 through December 7, 2004. Binary Logistic Regression was used with both macrohabitat and microhabitat data to compare habitat characteristics between low-use and high-use segments of the spring. A more traditional multiple …

The Forgotten Chinese Cemetery Of Carlin Nevada: A Bioanthropological Assessment, Ryan William Schmidt

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The investigation of historical cemeteries enables direct assessment of biological variability, health and disease, and additional insights into populations that have gone relatively undocumented in North America and elsewhere. This thesis examines a historic cemetery located in northern Nevada, in the town of Carlin. A total of 13 well-preserved skeletal individuals were excavated in 1996, all buried within coffins and whose Chinese origin has been confirmed through historical documentation and associated artifacts (Chung et al. 2005). Although the sample size is small, it provides a number of important insights into the health and behavior of early Chinese-American communities, including dental …

Attitudinal And Behavioral Assessments Of Generations X And Y At The Palms Casino Resort, Ch-A Mosley

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Las Vegas area casino hotels have recently begun to vie for the attention and business of Generations X and Y. This is evidenced by the influx of night clubs, lounges, and party-like pool scenes in Strip properties. The purpose of the study is to utilize the Palms Casino Resort's young adult clientele to determine what attributes they find appealing about it. The data garnered through primary empirical research revealed implications for potential marketing initiatives and future research. This project was both quantitative and qualitative in nature.

A System Model For Source Water Assessment In The Las Vegas Valley, Silvia Albuquerque

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The 1996 amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 created the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) with an objective to evaluate potential sources of contamination to drinking water intakes. The development of a Source Water Assessment Plan for Las Vegas Valley surface water runoff into Lake Mead is important since it will guide future work on source water protection of the main source of water; Once the vulnerability of the intake was determined, a tool was developed to help with source water assessment, using the system dynamics model Stella. This model calculates the average vulnerability of the intake, …

Assessment Of Bivariate Normality, Pejmon Sadri

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

There are three methods, which are most commonly used to assess the bivariate normality of paired data, two of which are also used to assess the multivariate normality. Nevertheless, none of the methods is very efficient or conclusive in their assessment of bivariate normality. In this thesis we are proposing a new method to test bivariate normality. This new method makes use of a set of if and only if conditions inherent in the theory of bivariate normal distribution. The proposed new method is highly efficient, accurate, and very easy to apply using any available standard statistical software.

A Cultural Assessment Of Employee Motivation In The Brazilian Hotel Industry: A Comparison Between The Northeast And The Southeast, Ana Claudia Quadros Gomes

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study used Hofstede's (1980) Value Survey Module to compare culture and Hackman and Oldham's (1980) intrinsic motivation six-item measure to compare motivation to work between hotel employees in Northeast and Southeast Brazil. The results of this study showed there are significant cultural differences between the two regions. These differences are correlated to motivation; Sub cultural differences found between Northeast and Southeast Brazil require that training contents and organizational culture differ between the regions since employees' values and needs and values are not the same. The correlation between culture and motivation suggests that cultural differences may be used by managers …

Recontextualization And Identity Assessment Of Unprovenienced Mummified Human Remains, Gwyn Dee Madden

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

While museums and other facilities housing human remains will obviously vary in the organization and documentation of remains, most realized in the 1990's much could be done to improve conditions. Due to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 and the inventories required therein, UNLV human remains collections were examined or re-examined and some were found with little or no accompanying information. Some of these remains were skeletonized and others mummified, as the study of mummified remains is a specialty within physical anthropology incorporating a multi-disciplinary focus, few if any have likely been fully examined; Therefore, this …

United States Post Gulf-War Policy Toward Iraq: A Systemic Assessment, Amanda Christine Ringelberg

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis proposes that US policy is structurally flawed toward Iraq and the Middle East in general. This structural flaw in US policy-making is a result of ignoring the regional considerations of the Middle East as a subsystem. Current US strategy toward Iraq is doomed to fail because of the unique structural considerations in the Middle East and the failure of policy-makers to recognize them; The thesis begins with a theoretical examination of the Middle East subsystem, based on principles from international systems theory. Several patterns of regularity that define the subsystem are then outlined. An assessment of US goals …

Gis For Source Water Assessment And Nonpoint Source Modeling In The Las Vegas Valley, Marcelo Reginato

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis develops a better understanding of issues related to surface water contamination and protection of drinking water sources in the Las Vegas Valley. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to identify source water protection zones and to estimate nonpoint source loads for the entire watershed; The extent of the source water protection zones is represented by the valley's dry weather flows. After source water protection zones were defined, field work and GIS defined the potential contaminant sources and land uses within the protection zones; The GIS nonpoint source model shows that roads account for approximately 25% of the …

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Of Off-Ramp Structures Of The Las Vegas Downtown Viaduct, Mohammad Ohidul Hasan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of analytical studies conducted on the off ramp structures of the Las Vegas downtown viaduct. In the first stage, the moment, shear and deformation capacities of the columns were determined by moment-curvature analysis. Then, the existing design of the bridge columns was compared to the requirements of the current bridge design codes. In the second stage, the moment, shear and deformation demands on the columns due to a strong earthquake were determined using the seismic provisions of the current bridge design codes. In the third stage, non-linear three dimensional finite element models of the off …

Confidence Intervals For Exposure Risk Assessment, Mark S Kirkham

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The problem of estimating exposure to a pollutant involves estimation of chemical intake Q. Typically, Q has the form Q = q11q12&cdots;q 1r1/q211q22 &cdots;q2r2t where all thetaij's are unknown means of certain random variables. In assessing the risk to human health from exposure to the pollutant of concern, a confidence interval estimate of Q is needed. In the case of independent normal random variables, point estimates and certain types of interval estimates of a product of several parameters exist in the literature, but not for a ratio of products. In many situations, lot of prior knowledge is available regarding the …