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Asperger's Disorder: A Musical Treatment For Child Anxiety, Jeremy Marriott Jan 2010

Asperger's Disorder: A Musical Treatment For Child Anxiety, Jeremy Marriott

Theses : Honours

School-aged females with Asperger's Disorder (AD) are significantly affected by debilitating anxiety. At present, no empirically validated treatments exist to treat this anxiety. To investigate this affect and treatment gap, a mixed-methods revelatory single-case design, built on evidence-based treatment elements was designed and tested. Solo pianist, David Helfgott rated, performed and provided musical performances by Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Claude Debussy which were listened to once each morning before school by a 10-year-old female with AD. Anxiety was recorded via a self-report Daily Journal and parent-report Spence Child Anxiety Scale for 20 consecutive school days. Results indicated support for the …


The Role Of Social Support Systems In Reducing Loneliness And Social Isolation For Parents Whose Partner Work Fly-In/Fly-Out, Nicole Fresle Jan 2010

The Role Of Social Support Systems In Reducing Loneliness And Social Isolation For Parents Whose Partner Work Fly-In/Fly-Out, Nicole Fresle

Theses : Honours

Fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) practices in the mining and contracting industries are currently prominent and expanding throughout Western Australia. There is a strong need for effective social support systems for families during the worker's deployment due to long periods of time apart, reappraisal of family roles and social isolation. This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of parents whose partners are employed on a fly-in/fly-out basis and their views of social support systems in addressing the issues of loneliness and isolation. Family resilience was also utilised to investigate how female home-based partners deal with the stress involved …


The Relationship Between Amount Of Training And Performance On A New Task, Jacinta Avril Tan Jan 2010

The Relationship Between Amount Of Training And Performance On A New Task, Jacinta Avril Tan

Theses : Honours

This paper was designed to examine the relationship between training and transfer tasks and performance on these tasks whereby training can be used to predict transfer. Previous research has assumed that performance of an established task should extrapolate the power function of learning. That is, performance of an established skill in a new domain will continue to improve at the same rate with practice as if there was no change in the domain. 60 participants were recruited from the University of Edith Cowan and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions; I 0 block condition, 20 block condition, or …


Factors That Influence Help-Seeking Behaviours In Young Men Aged 25 To 30 Years, Meredith Bolland Jan 2010

Factors That Influence Help-Seeking Behaviours In Young Men Aged 25 To 30 Years, Meredith Bolland

Theses : Honours

Using Heidegger's (1962) hermeneutic phenomenology informed by van Manen (1984) and Gadamer (1975), this qualitative inquiry has been an exploration, analysis and interpretation of the lived experiences of the help-seeking phenomenon in young men aged 25 to 30 years. A purposive sample of thirteen young men, 25 to 30 years of age, living in urban areas of Perth, were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The ultimate aim of this study was to discover meaning and enhance the understanding of the essential experiences that influence help-seeking behaviours of these young men. The findings of this inquiry indicate a sophisticated emotional discourse …


Resilience In Families With Same-Sex Parents, Natasha Griffiths Jan 2010

Resilience In Families With Same-Sex Parents, Natasha Griffiths

Theses : Honours

Research suggests resilience can be viewed as a dynamic process facilitating positive functioning within the context of significant adversity. A nuclear family type that remains a controversial and stigmatized group is families with same-sex parents. Same-sex families face a great number of challenges, due to the presence of heterosexism in society and they are often heavily criticised within the broad public domain. The current study adopted a phenomenological methodology to identify the family resilience processes utilised by same-sex families. Five lesbian couples (n = 10) raising children in Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. A thematic analysis technique outlined by Glesne …


The Impact Of Crime Outcomes On Public Opinions On Sentencing: In Particular Regards To Recent "One Punch" Legislation, Teneke Kuek Jan 2010

The Impact Of Crime Outcomes On Public Opinions On Sentencing: In Particular Regards To Recent "One Punch" Legislation, Teneke Kuek

Theses : Honours

Australia has recently experienced a punitive swing in sentencing policies and legislation. Consequently, politicians have responded favourably to popular demands for harsher sentencing. A comprehensive review of the current literature has been undertaken to understand why the community has adopted such a punitive position. It has been suggested that the media have hypersensitised the public into believing that crime is much more prevalent than it actually is, resulting in the individual fearing becoming a victim of crime. The public then chooses to elect politicians who appear to be concerned with their safety and the associated legislation. Expectancy/value theory contends that …


Determining The Point Of Optimum Transferability Of Skill, Amanda Puchar Jan 2010

Determining The Point Of Optimum Transferability Of Skill, Amanda Puchar

Theses : Honours

Cognitive research assumes that practice on a task can lead to improved performance, most often resulting in the attainment of automatic performance and possibly the transfer of this learning to another task. This study examined all of these questions through the use of a computer generated counting task that required participants, consisting of 60 randomly selected university students and friends and family of the researcher, to count stars on a display screen and determine if the number of stars presented was an odd or even number. Coefficient of variation (CV) measures that calculated the variability for a given level of …


From Junior To Senior Sport: Do Athletes Differ In Their Transitional Experiences?, Glen Ewen Jan 2010

From Junior To Senior Sport: Do Athletes Differ In Their Transitional Experiences?, Glen Ewen

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether athletes at the beginning (BTG) of their transition from junior to senior sport, had different transitional experiences to those in the middle (MTG). One hundred and forty eight male and female elite athletes aged between 14 and 18 years, from a variety of sports in both city and country locations of Western Australia, were surveyed. Two test instruments were used; the newly developed Swedish, Transitional Monitoring Survey (TMS), and the Athletic Identity Measurement Scales (AIMS). Univariate descriptive statistics, One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and reliability measures were used to analyse …


The Effect Of Motivation, Social Support, Stress And Resilience On The Development Of Burnout Symptoms In Elite Athletes, Blythe Gooden Jan 2010

The Effect Of Motivation, Social Support, Stress And Resilience On The Development Of Burnout Symptoms In Elite Athletes, Blythe Gooden

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this review was to provide an overall view of some of the identified determinants of burnout when it occurs in elite athletes. A total of 66 published articles were used to develop an understanding of burnout, its contributors and the combined effects of the contributors. An explanation of the psychological concept of burnout is discussed, followed by a discussion of the implications of burnout in athletes. Current literature in the area is reviewed followed by an overview of three of the identified determinants of athletic burnout: 1. Stress based on theoretic concepts developed by Lazarus and Folkman …


Repressive Bodies, Transgressive Bodies : Dracula And The Feminine, Sharon Kostopoulos Jan 2010

Repressive Bodies, Transgressive Bodies : Dracula And The Feminine, Sharon Kostopoulos

Theses : Honours

Dracula has long been associated with the repressive qualities of Victorian society and the oppression of the emerging New Woman. However, taking into account that the novel is part of the gothic genre, a genre which endeavours to infringe the social boundaries in any given era, this thesis will demonstrate an equally visible and potent transgressive feminine element playing out in Dracula. Using Michel Foucault's idea of discourse to show how subjects are generated, the novel can be seen as facilitating both productive and repressive ideas of femininity. Power, as it operates through discourse, tends to produce its own resistance, …


Automaticity As A Predictor Of Skill Transfer, Jana Melis Jan 2010

Automaticity As A Predictor Of Skill Transfer, Jana Melis

Theses : Honours

Research into the effect of automaticity on skill transfer has resulted in conflicting conclusions about how automatic processes act on the transferability of skill. The research in this study was designed to investigate the existence and nature of the relationship between automaticity in skill acquisition and the ability to transfer that skill to a different task. Using a quantitative research design, a simple counting exercise was used to train participants in a skill, with the amount of training manipulated between groups. Accuracy rates and reaction times were recorded and analysed to determine the variance within and between the groups between …


Fear Of Terrorism: Legislation And Perceived Loss Of Civil Liberties, Finola Richardson Jan 2010

Fear Of Terrorism: Legislation And Perceived Loss Of Civil Liberties, Finola Richardson

Theses : Honours

Terrorism is a fear-inducing element of the current Australian political agenda. There are concerns about counter-terrorism legislation employed in Australian since the September 11th attacks on the United States, (9/11) and the effects these laws have on the civil liberties of Australian citizens. The literature presents two views one identifies the low risk of terrorism in Australia as no justification for strict new legislation. An alternative claim is increased security following 9/11 is essential in ensuring Australia is not viewed as a 'soft target'. The psychological experience of fear following terrorist attacks can influence the public's response to Government initiatives …


The Role Of Perceived Threat In Anglo-Australian Attitudes To International Students, Katarzyna Koska Jan 2010

The Role Of Perceived Threat In Anglo-Australian Attitudes To International Students, Katarzyna Koska

Theses : Honours

This study examined the relationship between intergroup threat and negative attitudes among Anglo-Australians (N = 11 0) toward international students. The Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) was reviewed and four types of threat were discussed that have been shown to be influential determinants of negative attitudes, namely: realistic threat, symbolic threat, intergroup anxiety and negative stereotypes. In addition, the importance of intergroup contact as a separate predictor of attitudes was investigated. Results provided partial support for the ITT, identifying only two threats as significant and unique predictors of attitudes toward international students. Consistent with the hypothesis, realistic threat was significantly and …


Wuthering Heights And The Influence Of Literary Value, Michelle Fusco Jan 2010

Wuthering Heights And The Influence Of Literary Value, Michelle Fusco

Theses : Honours

This thesis will explore the way in which responses to Wutheting Heights have changed over time due to the influence of changing standards of literary value. Although Emily Bronte's Wutheting Heights is considered a work of classic literature, it has received a range of both positive and negative responses since it was published in 184 7, influenced by the literary standards of realist, gothic and modernist literature. When Wuthering Heights was written and published, the popular genre of the time was realist fiction, while the gothic genre had experienced both a rise and decline by the 1920s. Wutheting Heights was …


The Ephemerality Of Dance, Abby Frances Johnson Jan 2010

The Ephemerality Of Dance, Abby Frances Johnson

Theses : Honours

"A dancer is bound to the given form of the human body" (Hamalainen, 2009, p. 107). As an art form, dance relies on the movement of these bodies. Dance is not fixed but can leave a lasting impression on the viewer. As a performance art, dance is truly ephemeral- a term that has been defined as "lasting for only a short period of time and leaving no permanent trace" (Encarta®, 2009). As a dance performer and spectator, I am affected by this ephemerality on a daily basis. Within this thesis, I initially outline what constitutes dance as ephemeral. I then …


The Predictive Ability Of Corporate Narrative Disclosures: Australian Evidence, Yinan Dong Jan 2010

The Predictive Ability Of Corporate Narrative Disclosures: Australian Evidence, Yinan Dong

Theses : Honours

The mam objective of this study is to contribute to the academic literature by investigating the relationship between narrative disclosures and corporate performance based on Australian evidence. The research design takes as its starting from the content analysis of discretionary narrative disclosures conducted by Smith and Taffler (2000), and extends their research by combining thematic content analysis and syntactic content analysis. This study focuses on the discretionary disclosures (the Chairman's Statement) of· · Australian manufacturing companies. Based on the Earnings per Share (EPS) movement between 2008 and 2009, 64 sample companies are classified into two groups: good performer and poor …


The Outcome Star: A Tool For Recovery Orientated Services; And, Exploring The Use Of The Outcome Star In A Recovery Orientated Mental Health Service, Emma-Louise Keen Jan 2010

The Outcome Star: A Tool For Recovery Orientated Services; And, Exploring The Use Of The Outcome Star In A Recovery Orientated Mental Health Service, Emma-Louise Keen

Theses : Honours

Objective: The primary objective of this review was to examine the Outcome Star and its utility as a tool for use in recovery oriented mental health services. The secondary objective was to examine similar instruments and their use within mental health services. Methods: Electronic databases Psycinfo, CINAHL, Medline and Proquest were searched. Manual searches of reference lists of retrieved articles and specific journals were undertaken to identify research relevant to describing the structure and properties of the Outcome Star, and its use in mental health settings. Results: A review of the literature revealed that there is a paucity of research …


The Experience Of Retirement For Individuals With An Intellectual Disability, Megan Flowers Jan 2010

The Experience Of Retirement For Individuals With An Intellectual Disability, Megan Flowers

Theses : Honours

Retirement is a significant life transition that affects all workers; it is therefore important that individuals in the workforce are aware of the issues that can occur during the retirement years. The retirement experience has been researched in depth, however studies into the experience of retirement for individuals with an intellectual disability is severely lacking. Robert Atchley researched the factors that facilitate successful retirement adjustment for individuals in the normative population; this narrative review discusses these factors in relation to the barriers that individuals with an intellectual disability face in achieving a smooth retirement adjustment. The results found that: individuals …


Spirituality And Organised Religion In Supporting Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome And Intellectual Disability, Divia Pillay Jan 2010

Spirituality And Organised Religion In Supporting Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome And Intellectual Disability, Divia Pillay

Theses : Honours

Background: Raising a child with an intellectual disability can present parents with many challenges. Factors that have been demonstrated to positively impact on the mental and physical health of parents of children with an intellectual disability include greater clinical, family and social supports. One avenue of support that has been rarely explored is the role of spirituality and organised religion in supporting parents of children with an intellectual disability. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to investigate the role of spirituality and organised religion in the lives of parents of children with intellectual disability, specifically Down syndrome. Methods: …


Community-Based Psychosocial Interventions Improve Psychosocial Outcomes For Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Their Families: A Systematic Review; And, Community Mental Health Nursing For Children/Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Their Families, Caris Bailey Jan 2010

Community-Based Psychosocial Interventions Improve Psychosocial Outcomes For Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Their Families: A Systematic Review; And, Community Mental Health Nursing For Children/Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Their Families, Caris Bailey

Theses : Honours

Background: Research indicates an increased prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus in comparison to their peers. As a result, psychosocial community-based services are sometimes available to those who are experiencing psychosocial problems. Several reviews have examined the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children/ adolescents living with type 1 diabetes mellitus, however the psychosocial outcomes of psychosocial interventions being conducted in the community specifically, have yet to be systematically reviewed. Objective: To systematically review the psychosocial outcomes of community-based psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their families. Subjects …


The Experience Of Single Mothers: Resilience In Their Multiple Roles, Sharon Cheeseman Jan 2010

The Experience Of Single Mothers: Resilience In Their Multiple Roles, Sharon Cheeseman

Theses : Honours

Single motherhood has been identified as a challenging role, with disadvantages including financial hardship and poor mental health. Resilience is a multidimensional construct, where two conditions need to occur: some form of adversity and positive adaptation. Resilience may empower single mothers to face the challenges whilst leading psychologically healthy and productive lives. Participants in this qualitative research study were ten West Australian single mothers, aged 35 to 45 years. A phenomenological methodology was used to understand their experiences with information collected through in-depth interviews and the Resilience Scale for Adults, used to complement the qualitative findings as descriptive support. Qualitative …


Historically And In The Context Of Globalisation, How Do Western European Perceptions Of Folk/ Traditional Dance Pervade And Shape The Field Of Dance?, Emma Fishwick Jan 2010

Historically And In The Context Of Globalisation, How Do Western European Perceptions Of Folk/ Traditional Dance Pervade And Shape The Field Of Dance?, Emma Fishwick

Theses : Honours

With the international dance community becoming increasingly globalised, how do Western European perceptions of folk/ traditional dance pervade and shape the field of dance? This paper will discuss Western European perspectives towards traditional and folk dance and investigate the origins of such perspectives, if they do indeed exist. In doing so the reasoning of Western European perspectives will be examined, considered and questioned alongside that of non-Western European perspectives. The thesis is compiled from a wide range of textual sources that explore Western European world views in relation to non-Western European perspectives to argue that such perspectives do, to a …


Where New Meanings Spring: The Relationship Between Indigenous Cultural Meanings For Freshwater Springs And Management Practices: Analysis Of Stories From Kalbarri, Western Australia, Tamara Lee Murdock Jan 2010

Where New Meanings Spring: The Relationship Between Indigenous Cultural Meanings For Freshwater Springs And Management Practices: Analysis Of Stories From Kalbarri, Western Australia, Tamara Lee Murdock

Theses : Honours

While Indigenous peoples' practices have been acknowledged to change and evolve, whether Indigenous cultural meanings invested in a specific place also change and/or evolve over time, and the affect these changes may have on land and water practices has generally been ignored. This study explores the relationship between Indigenous cultural meanings and land and water stewardship practices, and whether these change over time. A qualitative research design was employed in this study to emphasise the complex and dynamic nature of language and the relationship between people, culture and nature. This study utilised interviews collected from traditional Indigenous people concerning stories …


The Work Practices And Employment Patterns Of Parents Of A Child With Rett Syndrome, Jessica Coles Jan 2010

The Work Practices And Employment Patterns Of Parents Of A Child With Rett Syndrome, Jessica Coles

Theses : Honours

Objective: To review the literature examining the work practices and employment patterns of parents of a child with an intellectual disability, with a specific focus on Rett syndrome. Method: Electronic database searches of Medline, Cinahl and ISI Web of Knowledge and manual searches of reference lists were conducted. Government Reports obtained from Australian Bureau of Statistics were also examined. Quality of articles was assessed using Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment Checklists from Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers used to assess quality of literature. Results: The work practices and employment patterns of parents of children …


Facebook Usage Predicted By Sense Of Community And 'Loneliness', Alison Bagworth Jan 2010

Facebook Usage Predicted By Sense Of Community And 'Loneliness', Alison Bagworth

Theses : Honours

Facebook Usage Predicted by Sense of Community and 'loneliness' Face book is one of a growing number of social networking sites (SNSs) that are currently being used by young adults to compliment face-to-face interactions. The use of these sites raises questions in relation to how their function may be compared to measurements of more traditional communication. This research measured Sense of Community (SoC) and 'loneliness' in young adults in order to predict usage of Facebook. Participants were 154 Facebook users (82% female, mean age 23.66) who completed an online survey with four components (demographics, Facebook usage, SoC Index, and …


The Experiences Of Incarceration On Indigenous Parents And Primary Care-Givers Of Juvenile Detainees, Simone Reid Jan 2010

The Experiences Of Incarceration On Indigenous Parents And Primary Care-Givers Of Juvenile Detainees, Simone Reid

Theses : Honours

Incarceration impacts on a number of people, not just the person sentenced. It has been suggested that the family of the prisoner can experience the prison sentence just as much, albeit differently, as the prisoner themself. Families remain important, as those prisoners who return to strong family networks are at less risk of recidivism. National research has been used to inform policy-makers, but every State has unique characteristics. The overrepresentation of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal juveniles in juvenile detention, especially in Western Australia, has been well-documented. However, research examining the experiences of incarceration on family members is limited. This …


The Dancing Imagination: How Does Imaginative Imagery Facilitate Movement Qualities In Dance Training And Performance?, Rachel Perica Jan 2010

The Dancing Imagination: How Does Imaginative Imagery Facilitate Movement Qualities In Dance Training And Performance?, Rachel Perica

Theses : Honours

The purpose· of this case study was to explore how imagery facilitates movement quality in dance training and performance. A literature review on classifications of direct and indirect imagery and imagery in relation to neuroscience, was investigated to firstly define imagery. The confusion over defining movement quality led to a literature review on Kinesiology and Gaga methods and how these dance-training methods utilise imagery in different ways to enhance the movement quality of dance in training and performance. Qualitative research methodology was used in this case study. The case study used a purposeful sample of eight subjects who were undergraduate …


Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behaviour To Career Choice: The Role Of An Improved Measure Of Emotion, Saveta Tegova Jan 2010

Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behaviour To Career Choice: The Role Of An Improved Measure Of Emotion, Saveta Tegova

Theses : Honours

Adherents of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) propose that intention to perform behaviour can be predicted by attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Recent studies, however, have indicated that the standard TPB predictor variables account for 28% to 40% of the variance in intention, leaving a considerable percentage of the variance in intentions to be explained. Attitude is traditionally measured by the valence associated with the intention. The present study employed an improved measure of attitude, including both emotional dimensions of valence and arousal (Bradley & Lang, 1999), rather than using valence alone, and tested whether this enhanced …


To What Extent Is The Spirit Of Motivational Interviewing Present In The Experience Of Alcoholics Anonymous Members?, Mark Williams Jan 2010

To What Extent Is The Spirit Of Motivational Interviewing Present In The Experience Of Alcoholics Anonymous Members?, Mark Williams

Theses : Honours

More people tum to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in an attempt to recover from alcohol dependence than any other intervention. AA has historical links with confrontational approaches to alcohol treatment, and motivational interviewing (MI) was conceived by Miller in the 1980's as an alternative to these confrontational approaches. There are divided opinions on whether AA is confrontational; therefore, the primary aim of this qualitative study was to gain an insight into how the spirit of AA is experienced by its members. Ten members of AA were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic analysis from a constructionist perspective was utilised in …


The (Un)Written Heart In Brecht’S Baal And Journeys Of The God Of Happiness : Heart Matters In The Development Of A Playwright And His Ideas On Acting, Ralf G. Rauker Jan 2010

The (Un)Written Heart In Brecht’S Baal And Journeys Of The God Of Happiness : Heart Matters In The Development Of A Playwright And His Ideas On Acting, Ralf G. Rauker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the 1918 and 1919 versions of his play Baal, Brecht had used
autobiographical material about a heart problem that he suffered from and
had recorded in his diaries since 1913. When he revised the 1919 version
and the play was first published in 1922, it seemed that this very personal
connection had disappeared. An observable shift in his work began to take
place, which led to his adopting an apparently unambiguous rationalist take
on theatre. However, his extremely critical, sometimes polemical position on
the intertwined subject of heart and emotions raises questions about the
motivations for the move towards …