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The Effects Of A Career Development Course On Career And College Major Decision-Making In College Students, Sidra Tabassum Ashraf Baig

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study explored the effects of a semester-long, 2 credit career development course on the undecided college students. Participants included undergraduate students enrolled in the Career Development (COUN 105) class and comparison group students enrolled in Introductory Psychology (PSYX 100), and Intimate and Family Relationship (COUN 295) classes at The University of Montana. Students were assessed at the beginning and the end of the Spring and Fall semesters, 2010 by using the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (CDSE-SF; Betz & Taylor, 1983), Career Orientation scale, Career Decision Scale (Osipow et al., 1976), and Decisional Process Inventory (Hartung, 1994). The main …

The Effects Of Modeled Writing On Early Literacy Development In Preschool Children, Bethany M. Froehlich Collins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the impacts on early literacy development in preschool children by engaging them in writing activities that were intentionally modeled within their typical classroom setting. Twenty-five typically developing children 3 to 5 years of age participated in the study. The "Picture Story/Word Story,” a preschool writing strategy described by Paulson, et al. (2001), was used to model the developmental levels of writing for the subjects two times a week for 10 weeks. The experimental group engaged in writing activities, which included intentional modeling of the stages of writing development that were just above …

The Influence Of Dad: An Investigation Of Adolescent Females' Perceived Closeness With Fathers And Risky Behaviors, Whitney Rostad

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Substance use and sexual behaviors are prominent college campus activities, often co-occurring. An evolutionary perspective illuminates the unique impact of father-daughter relationships on substance use and sexual risk-taking. Female adolescents who experience early physical separation from their fathers or lack relational closeness with him exhibit higher rates of substance use and accelerated reproductive development. This study examines whether female adolescents’ models of father psychological presence (a component of the attachment working model) also predict risky college behavior. Eighteen to 22 year old college females were administered several scales assessing father psychological presence, sexual risk taking, substance use, impulsivity, and depression. …

The Whale And The World In Melville’S Moby-Dick: Early American Empire And Globalization, Zachary Michael Radford

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Reading Moby-Dick; or, the Whale (1851), this study examines literary arguments regarding Melville’s capacity to appear prophetic through his written works in his predictions of the vast empire that America would one day become and the strategies which the country would employ to do so. In my introduction I assert that Melville is not a “Prophet,” but rather, he is a keenly analytical observer of the world around him as he recognized in America patterns of imperialism: structures he charted in his global voyages as a merchant and then a whaler. In his observations, he saw that America was not …

Subjective Quality Of Life In Dialysis Patients, Cindy Schaumberg

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

With the ever increasing ability of medical technology to prolong life, quality of life is an increasingly legitimate medical outcome. This is an ethnographic study on the perceived quality of life of hemodialysis dependent end stage renal disease patients. The study used participant observations and in-depth patient interviews to elicit the perspective of hemodialysis dependent end stage renal disease patients. Findings addressed the utility of dialysis for patients of, patient values leading to renal replacement therapy, and issues that might make patients perceive treatment as futile.

Wilderness, A Spiritual Antidote To The Everyday: A Phenomenology Of Spiritual Experiences In The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Ian Foster

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore, describe, and explain the phenomena of spiritual experiences in wilderness. The motivations for the research included: growing interest in empirical studies on the relationship between spirituality and human health, increasing concern over human’s loss of spiritual relationships with nature, and personal curiosity about the wild and spiritual nature of wilderness experiences. Research was focused on overnight visitors traveling by canoe in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northeastern Minnesota. Data from thirty-two semi-structured interviews was used to question, update, and improve understanding of the phenomena. Phenomenological interviews (interviews that situate comments …

Heat Acclimatization During Seasonal Wildfire Suppression, Brianna Lui

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine heat acclimatization across a 4-month fire season in the western United States. Methods: Wildland firefighters (WLFF) (n =12) and non-WLFFs (n =14) completed a 60-min heat stress trial (treadmill walking at 50% peak VO2) in a climate controlled chamber (43.3°C, 33% RH) prior to and following the fire season (May through September). Peak VO2, body composition, core (Tc) and skin (Tsk) temperatures, heart rate (HR), physiological strain index (PSI), plasma volume change, sweat rate and perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during the heat stress trials. Results: Average peak VO2 was similar …

Implementing Montana's Indian Education For All: A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences, Beliefs, And Practices Of Outstanding Providers Of Professional Development, Anna E. Baldwin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 1999 the state of Montana included in its educational legal code a requirement that all Montanans learn about Montana's indigenous populations and that such knowledge be transmitted in a culturally sensitive manner. This law, called Indian Education for All (IEFA), has created challenges and rewards for educators. To learn to implement the law, teachers have participated in many types of professional development, especially since the mandate was funded in 2005. In some cases, these opportunities have been exemplary and effective, and more professional development must be offered to teachers. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to describe …

Improving Patient-Provider Communication In The Health Care Context, Charlotte M. Glidden

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The following study focuses on ways in which health care providers seem to competently breaking bad news to patients that are college age (18-25yrs old). Breaking bad news is an inevitable and daunting part of working in the health care profession. Delivering this type of news to college age students could occur more frequently than with other cohorts. Buckman (1992) presents methodology for teaching breaking bad news to health care providers in the form of the SPIKES model, which are similar to the identified “essential elements” of communication in medical encounters described by communication scholars (Makoul, 2001). Several interviews were …

Implementation & Evaluation Of A Peer Mentor Walking Program For Transitionally Housed Women In Missoula, Mt, Emily Jane Williams

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Single women and families with children are rapidly growing segments of the homeless population (NCH, 2009b). Homeless women generally report a lower quality of life, and are at a greater risk for various physical and mental health issues than their housed counterparts (NCH, 2009a). Mental illness, including depression and anxiety, impacts 20 to 25% of the homeless population in the United States, compared to 6% of the general population (NCH, 2009b). Social support can serve as a mediating factor between undesirable life events and depression (La Gory, Ritchey, Mullis, 1990). Unfortunately, the social support system among homeless individuals is sometimes …

Aufarbeitung Der Vergangenheit Through The Medium Of Myth In Heinrich Böll's Short Stories Der Mann Mit Den Messern And Nicht Nur Zur Weihnachtszeit, Marcus James Cardarelli

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

German history of the 20th century was marked with unimaginable horrors and hardship. Both the First and Second World Wars left an indelible mark on the German psyche. Most specifically, the consequences of the Second World War were a turning point in German notions of cultural identity. The objective of this thesis is to analyze the various manners by which Heinrich Böll deals with the emerging cultural crisis in the post-war period of the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. I have chosen two of his short stories, Der Mann mit den Messern (1948) and Nicht nur zur Weihnachtszeit (1951), for …

Explanatory Style As A Protective Factor For Victimized Lgbt Adolescents, Lauri Mae Lindquist

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Comprised of the attributions one makes about negative life events, explanatory style (ES) can be conceptualized as either negative (attributing adverse events as due to internal, global, and stable causes) or positive (attributing events to external, specific, and transient causes). A negative ES has been associated with higher levels of depression, whereas a positive ES may provide resilience from depression, as shown in previous research on the general population. However, research on ES has yet to extend to a sexual minority population. Sexual minority adolescents report higher levels of depressive symptoms than do their heterosexual peers, likely due to the …

Exploring Visitor Experiences Along The Going-To-The-Sun Corridor Of Glacier National Park, Elena Nikolaeva

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Visitor use on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) corridor is one of the most critical issues that Glacier National Park faces. According to the park’s General Management Plan, it should be addressed to safeguard the quality of park resources and the visitor experiences. 80% of park visitors travel along at least some part of the road, which is the primary park experience and one of the most spectacular highlights of the park. The road was built in early 1930, and now brings almost 2 million visitors annually into the heart of Glacier NP. Increased number of cars on this narrow historic …

Forgotten Sepulchers: The Uninscribed Tombs In The Valley Of The Kings In Luxor, Egypt, Roselyn Campbell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The elaborately decorated tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, have captured the imagination of scholars and tourists alike for thousands of years. Yet despite the attention lavished on these tombs, they are outnumbered in the Valley of the Kings uninscribed tombs that have been largely ignored. Excavations in several of the uninscribed tombs have demonstrated that although their walls may be bare, the tombs are certainly not empty, and a variety of finds ranging from scattered funerary objects and human remains to several nearly intact burials of high officials have been uncovered. This thesis will assemble …

Classifying Emotion Using Streaming Of Physiological Correlates Of Emotion, Nathan J. Elmore

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The ability for a computer to recognize emotions would have many uses. In the field of human-computer interaction, it would be useful if computers could sense if a user is frustrated and offer help (Lisetti & Nasoz, 2002), or it could be used in cars to predict stress or road rage (Nasoz, Lisetti, & Vasilakos, 2010). Also, it has uses in the medical field with emotional therapy or monitoring patients (Rebenitsch, Owen, Brohil, Biocca, & Ferydiansyah, 2010). Emotion recognition is a complex subject that combines psychology and computer science, but it is not a new problem. When the question was …

Coping As A Mediator Between Childhood Trauma And Current Trauma Symptoms In Female Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Aryn Violet Ziehnert

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been estimated to affect one in four women in her lifetime (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000), and research has found that women with previous childhood abuse experiences are more likely to enter into relationships with IPV. The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences between female IPV survivors who have and who have not experienced childhood abuse. Three hundred and ninety four women, recruited through flyers across Western Montana, participated in the original study (Fiore & Kennedy, 2000). They were interviewed on different aspects of their most recent violent relationship, their past experiences with …

A Needs Assessment Of People Living With Hiv In Montana, Emily Olive Epperson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this study was to assess the HIV testing, prevention, and treatment needs of people living in Montana who are infected with HIV. This study identified the demographic characteristics, the unmet needs, and the barriers to accessing assistance, prevention, and treatment services for people living with HIV in Montana. Qualitative data was collected in the form of focus group and key informant interviews and quantitative data was collected in the form of a questionnaire. The results of this assessment identified successful services that contribute to the improved mental, emotional, and physical health of people living with HIV including …

Psychometric Evaluations Of An Acculturation Scale And An Acculturation Stress Scale With American Indian University Students, Michael Brian Trahan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Acculturation and acculturation stress are constructs studied with various minority groups. This study tests the factor loadings for both the Native American Acculturation Scale (N.A.A.S.) and the Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturation Stress Scale (S.A.F.E.), as well as the reliability of these measures with American Indian undergraduate and graduate students in a university setting. The first hypothesis was that the factor loadings of the N.A.A.S. with this sample would not resemble the original factor structure found by Garrett and Pichette (2000). It was also believed that the N.A.A.S. would exhibit robust reliability with this sample, based upon a previous, …

Empowerment Through Voice: A Case Study In The Leadership Of Restorative Justice, Kim Dalene Harding

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This qualitative case study identified shared leadership as a necessary component in the sustenance of restorative justice, a reform justice model used at Ada County Juvenile Court Services located in Boise, Idaho. Within each of its divisions, ACJCS utilizes this shared leadership model. At this court, leadership capacity was built though encouraging team members to take initiative and show innovation. Community capacity was built by the creation of networks with other private and county agencies, providing both leadership opportunities and community service hours for offending youth. Shared leadership sustains this reform justice model by allowing leaders to become followers and …

The Tribal College Movement: Ensuring That Native American Students Successfully Complete An Associate Degree And Persist To Earn A Four-Year Degree, Cheri Lynn Kicking Woman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This mixed method study examined the utilization of educational resources available to 44 Native American students. One-half initially attended a tribal college, and one-half Native American students who initially attended a non-tribal college. The qualitative process involved face-to-face interviews with the participants at the seven Montana tribal colleges. The resources included: mentoring programs, library services, financial aid assistance, distance learning programs, disability services, scholarships' applications process assistance, assistance in use of computers and the skills needed, tutors, student organizations, and academic counselors.

The data from the first phase of the study were illustrated by the use of tables and descriptive …

An Examination Of Elementary Physical Education Teachers’ Perceived Self-Efficacy Toward Teaching Children With Orthopedic Impairments In Montana: Do Teachers Feel Competent?, Patricia A. Holman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An Examination of elementary physical education teachers' perceived self-efficacy toward teaching children with orthopedic impairments in Montana: Do teachers feel competent? Chairperson: Dr. Arthur Miller The purpose of this study was to explore elementary physical educators' self-efficacy beliefs toward teaching children with orthopedic impairments in general physical education class and identify adapted physical education teacher training needs in Montana. The method for this study is based on the Physical Educators' Self-Efficacy Toward Including Students with Disabilities - Autism (PESEISD-A) (Talliaferro et al, 2010) electronic survey instrument and Bandura's (2006) guidelines. A modification of the PESEISD-A instrument was utilized to examine …

Comparison Of Distance Education Leadership Styles And Future Investment In Two-Year Colleges, Ryan R. Schrenk

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This foundational descriptive quantitative study examined leadership styles, traits of distance education leaders (e.g. VPs, Deans, Directors and Coordinators) and distance education program characteristics as well as funding priorities at the post-secondary level. Participants were subjected to Bass and Avolio's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X), which identified leadership characteristics as transformational, transactional or passive-avoidant as manifest by nine scales as follows: Individualized Influence Attributes, Individualized Influence Behavior, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, Individualized Consideration, Contingent Reward, Active Management-by-Exception, Passive Management-by-Exception and Laissez-Faire. In addition, the questionnaire further assessed leadership outcomes scaled as Extra Effort, Effectiveness and Satisfaction.

There were 55 respondents from …

The Story Of Things, Lucy Elizabeth Capehart

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Capehart, Lucy, M.F.A., Spring 2011 Fine Art The Story of Things Chairperson: Professor Matthew Hamon The Story of Things examines the power of objects to hold narrative and inspire the emotional responses of longing, loss and desire. There is a tendency among humans to gather and save objects that hold personal significance. The most banal object is cherished perhaps kept in a box to be admired on occasion. An earring can symbolize the lost love of a boyfriend, a ticket to a basketball game can mark the day after a father’s funeral or a fingernail brush is a stand in …

The Impact Of Nclb Reforms In The Elementary Schools Comparing Perceptions/Practices From 2002 To 2011, Judith L. Gosnell-Lamb

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

With the advent of No Child Left behind in 2002, public education in the United States entered into a reform movement with mounting consequences and ramifications. This unprecedented federal in-road into public education became the umbrella regulator over programs, staff, budgets and students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine to what extent NCLB had impacted educational leadership and classroom practices as educators have strived to serve their students and the federal mandates at the same time.

A request for participants went out over the internet to over 1000 elementary principals. Asking if they had been in the …

Undercurrent, Stephanie Rasmussen Johnsen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

My thesis work references dynamic river processes as a metaphor for relationships and the processes by which these relationships form us as individuals. The images stem from my experience as a professional and recreational whitewater river guide (memories that were powerful in shaping my life) and observations of others candidly interacting. I use river-like references (such as holes, deep pools, eddies, currents) with figurative images to explore the idea of surface and subsurface: the apparent and the obscure. Rivers, like people, have such a depth of current and dynamic change that gives them shape and form. Even with the most …

Effects Of Stereotype Activation On Self-Concepts: Differences Between Native American & Caucasian College Students, Laura R. John

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Prior research has shown that when individuals are exposed to stereotype activation (SA) mechanisms, such as priming, their subsequent behavior often conforms to stereotypical expectations. Previous studies have focused on measuring stereotype activation primarily with manipulations of task completion after subjects are exposed to a prime. This study intended to expand the current research by exploring the effect of SA on an individual’s self-concept. Research was conducted with Native American and Caucasian college students using an ethnicity salient questionnaire as a means of SA. Participants then completed self-report measurements associated with Native American stereotypes. It was hypothesized that priming Native …

Environmental Documentary Film: A Contemporary Tool For Social Movement, Rachel Gregg

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Building a 21st century movement capable of inspiring social and structural change requires creative education, resourceful collaboration, and civic engagement. The U.S. environmental movement is in need of strategies that bring a wide spectrum of people together, facilitate appropriate interpretation of problems, and prompt innovative, forward-thinking solutions. Environmental documentary film has the ability to dramatize the reality of environmental issues and empower audiences to become an active part of the change necessary to address environmental crises. Utilizing a specific genre of environmental documentary film in novel and inventive ways, people can be gathered, educated, and inspired to become active participants …

Exploring Public Participation Decision-Making At Superfund Sites: A Mental Models Approach, Walter Steven Ackerlund

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

While public policies and programs in the United States encourage public participation in agency decisions on environmental issues, how best to engage the public remains controversial. Public participation is more challenging when complex and uncertain scientific or technical issues are involved. This research applies a mental model methodology to explore what people engaged in Superfund site cleanup decisions think about when making public participation decisions. The intent is to find better ways of engaging people in constructive processes that achieve mutual understanding and lead to better decisions.

An initial expert-informed mental model of public participation decision-making is developed based on …

Feeling The Burn: A Discursive Analysis Of Organizational Burnout In Seasonal Wildland Firefighters, Whitney Eleanor Marie Maphis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This qualitative study of seasonal wildland firefighters examined stress and burnout in firefighters, the discourse that helps to systematically form firefighters’ conceptualizations of burnout, and what factors enable firefighters to manage or mitigate burnout. Traditionally, burnout is studied in long-term, year-round positions, and this study took a unique angle in considering a temporary/seasonal workforce. A discursive lens was used to investigate the enduring systems of meanings that firefighters draw upon in their everyday talk to more comprehensively understand burnout. Three main Discursive resources emerged from the data: teamwork, a "can-do" attitude, and bureaucracy. Teamwork and a can-do attitude serve as …

Running Economy: Improvements In Physiological Efficiency Attained Through Changes In Muscle Structural Morphology, Joseph Kenneth Pellegrino

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Running Economy (RE) is a crucial determinant for running performance. While strategies for improving RE have been determined, the mechanisms governing this phenomenon have eluded the scientific community. My objective was to determine what adaptations, physiological, morphological, or otherwise, occur to bring about the altered RE associated with plyometric training. Specifically this project was designed to examine whether measureable transformations in muscle protein isoform makeup brought on through specific training will result in better RE in moderately trained runners. Participants (n=25) were placed into either a plyometrics-training or control group. All participants underwent similar testing before and after the 6-week …