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2007

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Examining The Cognitive Theory Of Depression Using Descriptive Experience Sampling, Jedidiah D Gunter Jan 2007

Examining The Cognitive Theory Of Depression Using Descriptive Experience Sampling, Jedidiah D Gunter

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this study was to examine the experience of depressed and nondepressed individuals, exploring the extent to which the specific constructs identified in Beck's cognitive theory of depression were differentially reflected in the momentary experiences of depressed individuals. This involved recruiting depressed and nondepressed individuals and then assessing their inner experience using both the traditional questionnaire measures developed in accord with Beck's theory and Descriptive Experience Sampling. Depressed participants showed substantial variability in the nature of their inner experience, had less frequent inner speech and more feelings than nondepressed participants. Salient characteristics found in the depressed participants' sampled …

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Probation Officer Prototypes: Perceptions Of Probationers With And Without Mental Illness, Paula M Emke-Francis Jan 2007

Probation Officer Prototypes: Perceptions Of Probationers With And Without Mental Illness, Paula M Emke-Francis

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In recent years the criminal justice system has managed large numbers of persons with mental illness, many of whom are supervised in the community on probation. Given that probation agencies are stretched to the maximum and have little extra time to take on additional challenges, probation officers (PO) may use typifications or "perceptual shorthand" as a means for efficiently managing their caseloads. Despite the role typifications may play in the processing of probationers, to date no research has attempted to characterize PO typifications; The reason for the dearth of literature in this area appears to be the result of many …

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Drug-Related Mortality: Postmortem Findings In Clark County, Nevada For 2005, Melanie Lee Gulmatico Jan 2007

Drug-Related Mortality: Postmortem Findings In Clark County, Nevada For 2005, Melanie Lee Gulmatico

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Drugs, such as Cannibis, alcohol, cocaine and prescription medications can have deleterious effects on the body. This thesis analyzed toxicology results in relation to modes of death, and discusses who is at risk for deaths related to drug abuse. The modes of death studied were homicides, suicides, accidents, and natural causes. Data (N=2426) from Clark County, Nevada's Coroner's office were statistically analyzed using Chi-square analysis; Major findings included relationships between drugs, ethnicity, age, gender and mode of death. Opioids and morphine derivatives were the most common drugs found in Caucasians, females and those who died of natural and accident-related deaths. …

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Risk-Taking Behavior Of Skateboarders And Traditional Sport Participants In Students Ages 13--16 Years, Charles A. Hackenheimer Jan 2007

Risk-Taking Behavior Of Skateboarders And Traditional Sport Participants In Students Ages 13--16 Years, Charles A. Hackenheimer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The researcher examined sensation-seeking behaviors of middle school and high school physical education students. The purpose of this study was to find the difference in sensation seeking behaviors between traditional sport participants, skateboarders, non-sport participants and among traditional sport participants and skateboarders. Traditional sports participants for this study consist of students who have played team baseball, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, track & field, swimming, or softball. Skateboarder for this study consists of students who ride at least three times a week and favor this activity over others. Non-sports participants consist of students who do not play any type of traditional …

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Bodily Poetics: The Rhetorical Politics Of The Self, Allison Renee Kaminsky Jan 2007

Bodily Poetics: The Rhetorical Politics Of The Self, Allison Renee Kaminsky

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis will examine different ways people consciously manipulate their bodies in order to express selfhood, articulate identities, fulfill desires, and signal social and political commitments. The major premise of this research is that bodies are rhetorically constructed through a series of fundamental assumptions about selfhood, social ideals and acceptability, and political struggle. This paper argues that there are no a priori distinctions between the various practices and meanings of body modification. The way we think about body modification is based on a series of assumptions that define each practice. This project will look at three different groupings of modification …

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Bridging Divides: New Pragmatic Philosophy And Composition Theory, Eric Wallace Leake Jan 2007

Bridging Divides: New Pragmatic Philosophy And Composition Theory, Eric Wallace Leake

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The growth of composition has led to competing rhetorical and pedagogical theories within the discipline. Pragmatic philosophy supplies a conceptual basis for beginning to reconcile seemingly disparate composition theories. I begin this thesis by surveying pragmatism and identifying key traits that characterize new and hopeful developments in the philosophy. Next, I review composition pedagogics, notably expressivism and cultural studies, as I begin to question their division. I then consider current work in composition theory to justify a pragmatic mediation of binary thought among competing theories, bridging the personal and the social in thought and action. I analyze The New Humanities …

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Attitudes Of Human Trafficking In Nevada, Krystal Jane Letourneau Jan 2007

Attitudes Of Human Trafficking In Nevada, Krystal Jane Letourneau

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A form of modern day slavery is going on in this country that indentures and oppresses many young children, women, and men, forcing them into prostitution or domestic servitude. This modern slavery is called human trafficking and new efforts are beginning to address this social problem in the United States. For example, the US is attempting to increase its prosecution of the traffickers or pimps. The United States has a policy in place that allows the victims of trafficking to stay in the United States as a witness until their traffickers are prosecuted. Once the trial is over, however, the …

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It's Just A Stage I'M Going Through: The Rhetorical Effects Of Musical Theater, Thomas A Moilanen Jan 2007

It's Just A Stage I'M Going Through: The Rhetorical Effects Of Musical Theater, Thomas A Moilanen

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Human communication is often thought of in rather limited terms, such as rhetoric or media effects or interpersonal exchanges. While many sub-groups lurk beneath these broad categorical trench coats, forms of artistic expression such as music, theater and humor find themselves in other intellectual clothing; yet, it is undeniable that most---if not all---human endeavors can be viewed through a communicative lens. Other disciplines are obviously worthy in their own right and contain enough distinct characteristics to keep scholars from exploring additional contexts, but why limit the study of music to the music department? Or the study of Literature to the …

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Preliminary Validation Of An Attitudes Towards Prostitution Scale, Nicole Andrea Pucci Jan 2007

Preliminary Validation Of An Attitudes Towards Prostitution Scale, Nicole Andrea Pucci

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the quality of the Attitudes Towards Prostitution (ATP) Scale while conducting a preliminary validation. A total of 325 participants completed the research for this study. Prior to the study, a portion of the ATP scale had been used in a diversion program for men arrested for soliciting prostitution, the Prostitution Offender Program of British Columbia (POPBC). An exploratory factor analysis identified multiple factors underlying the items included. The vast majority of the ninety items tested loaded significantly in the factor analysis suggesting that they were measuring the same underlying construct. To improve …

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Weblog Effects On Social Capital, Seyed Mohammad Reza Vaezi Jan 2007

Weblog Effects On Social Capital, Seyed Mohammad Reza Vaezi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Weblog is the newest and clearly one of the most influential computer mediated communication (CMC) tools. Growing body of literature about the weblog effects on education, marketing, journalism, and human resource management is a sign of importance and significant effects of weblogs. This rapidly growing communication tool is expected to have significant impact on the work life of the individual and organization. However, there is little research evidence as to the nature and extent of this impact. Using a sample of 326, this research examines the effects of weblogs on social capital and its components: social connections, trust, and reciprocity. …

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The New Middle School: Participatory Design And Outcomes, Tina Wichmann Jan 2007

The New Middle School: Participatory Design And Outcomes, Tina Wichmann

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Effective school design is a multi-faceted endeavor that involves an assessment of academic goals, an evaluation of architectural factors, a survey of current research and trends, and an understanding of past precedent. However, despite these efforts, the specific sociological needs of the occupants that use the school facilities are often overlooked. This thesis explores student and faculty opinions on the predominant trends in educational architecture as they pertain to the "social" spaces of the current CCSD middle school prototype; The primary purpose of this thesis is to explore the attitudes of students and faculty with respect to their current middle …

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Development And Validation Of The Facial Affect Learning And Memory Test (Falmt) And Facial Identification Of Affect Task (Fiat), Christina Marie Armstrong Jan 2007

Development And Validation Of The Facial Affect Learning And Memory Test (Falmt) And Facial Identification Of Affect Task (Fiat), Christina Marie Armstrong

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The neurocognitive assessment of visuospatial memory has begun to receive attention and has been recognized as being important in the understanding of overall memory processing. Additionally, there has been an increased emphasis on emotion processing, particularly affect discrimination and attention bias. However, little information is currently available on learning and memory for emotional information. Because emotion is expressed to a large extent through nonverbal means, a nonverbal test of emotion learning would be valuable, although no such test currently exists. The aim of the current study was to establish normative performance characteristics, convergent and divergent validity for two newly developed …

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Effects Of Music Therapy On Prosocial Behavior Of Students With Autism And Developmental Disabilities, Catherine L De Mers Jan 2007

Effects Of Music Therapy On Prosocial Behavior Of Students With Autism And Developmental Disabilities, Catherine L De Mers

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This research study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to investigate the effects of music therapy intervention on hitting, screaming, and asking of three children with autism and/or developmental disabilities. Behaviors were observed and recorded during 10-minute free-play sessions both during baseline and immediately after music therapy sessions during intervention. Interobserver agreement and procedural fidelity data were collected. Music therapy sessions were modeled on literature pertaining to music therapy with children with autism. In addition, social validity surveys were collected to answer research questions pertaining to the social validity of music therapy as an intervention; Findings indicate that music …

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Mountain View Nurses And Job Satisfaction, Ursula Sofia Moser Jan 2007

Mountain View Nurses And Job Satisfaction, Ursula Sofia Moser

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the level of nurses' job satisfaction in one hospital in Las Vegas, NV. Guided by Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory, the study used the Mueller/McCloskey Satisfaction Scale to measure overall job satisfaction and its components. Results indicated that the nurses ( N = 52) were less than satisfied. The mean total job satisfaction score was 3.6 +/- .64 (possible range 1-5). Satisfaction with co-workers reflected the highest subscale mean (4.1 +/- .60) of factors contributing to job satisfaction (possible range 1-5). Nurses educated outside of the United States were significantly more satisfied …

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The Effect Of Competition On Testosterone Responses, Eric T Steiner Jan 2007

The Effect Of Competition On Testosterone Responses, Eric T Steiner

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have looked at the effect of competition on testosterone (T) responses in humans. Winners' and losers' T responses varied considerably across experiments. Researchers suggest that moderating variables may account for the inconsistencies found in previous studies. One aim of this study was to determine if winning/losing a poker competition influenced T responses. All participants as a group produced a significant increase in T during the competition, but no difference between winners and losers was discovered. Another aim of this study was to determine if individual and personality differences act as moderating variables in the relationship between poker competition …

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Access To Dental Care For Victims Of Domestic Violence, Carolynn J Taylor Jan 2007

Access To Dental Care For Victims Of Domestic Violence, Carolynn J Taylor

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents an ethnographic description of women living in Safe Nest, a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Las Vegas, Nevada. The purpose of this research is to investigate why dental care is rarely utilized by women residing in the Las Vegas shelters, even when dental conditions may be impeding an individual's level of self-confidence and opportunities for employment. This study presents evidence that access to dental care is hindered by social and economic factors and a lack of communication between residents in the shelter and the service providers in the community; Since utilization of health care services …

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Effective Or Elective: A Character Analysis Of Nip/Tuck, Sabrina Monet Alipate Jan 2007

Effective Or Elective: A Character Analysis Of Nip/Tuck, Sabrina Monet Alipate

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Why are the lives of plastic surgeons so interesting to watch? What is it about this show that draws viewers? Using the typology of character signs by Butler (2002) and the moral standpoints outlined by Krijnen and Meijer (2005) I argue that it is the character development and moral struggles of each character that draw viewers to this show every week. The Miami-based plastic surgeons believe cutting people into someone "beautiful" equates to happiness. It is the search for perfection and beauty and the belief that it will bring happiness that makes the show popular. This paper examines the characters …

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Acculturation Effects On Culture And Conflict Style, Mae-Li Amick Allison Jan 2007

Acculturation Effects On Culture And Conflict Style, Mae-Li Amick Allison

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In light of globalization, it is ever more valuable to understand how culture influences the way people manage conflict. Opportunities for individuals from varied cultural backgrounds to interact, and therefore conflict, are inherently greater because the technologies, economies, and livelihoods of people of many countries are increasingly interdependent. The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing people's individualistic-collectivistic culture tendencies and conflict styles, and investigate acculturation as a moderating factor between individualism-collectivism and conflict style among foreign nationals living within the United States. In addition to acculturation, variables that could affect acculturation were also measured, including media use, …

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Identifying Common Traits Of Successful Casino Executives: Toward Succession Planning, Finley Bolton-Cotrone Jan 2007

Identifying Common Traits Of Successful Casino Executives: Toward Succession Planning, Finley Bolton-Cotrone

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The current study is an attempt to identify traits and skills that determine success in casino executives. Upon identification, a succession plan can be put into place to develop future leaders. In order to determine success factors, three instruments were administered; a measure of personality, the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire, and two leadership/managerial styles questionnaires, the Competing Values Framework and the Leadership Orientation Survey. This study involved two participant samples. Forty-one executives from three Las Vegas hotel/casino properties completed the three questionnaires and 275 peers and/or subordinates completed the two leadership/managerial styles questionnaires on their behalf. Results of the 16 …

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An Exploration Of The Velten Mood Induction Procedure On Psychological Symptomology, Carla Nanette Perlotto Jan 2007

An Exploration Of The Velten Mood Induction Procedure On Psychological Symptomology, Carla Nanette Perlotto

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Velten (1968) Mood Induction Procedure (VMIP) on psychological symptomology. Velten created a series of 60 statements designed to produce a particular mood: elated, depressed, or neutral. The VMIP came out of the cognitive movement, has undergone permutations over time, and other MIPs have been developed. Criticisms of the MIPs are discussed. The VMIP is feasible as a therapeutic tool due to flexibility and ease of use; In this study, the VMIP was utilized to induce an elated, depressed, or neutral mood. Hypotheses included: for elated condition (EC), report …

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Preservice Teachers' Understanding Of *Evolution, The Nature Of Science, And Situations Of Chance, Louis Scott Nadelson Jan 2007

Preservice Teachers' Understanding Of *Evolution, The Nature Of Science, And Situations Of Chance, Louis Scott Nadelson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The learning and teaching of biological evolution, the nature of science and situations of chance is conceptually challenging. Attempts to increase understanding in these domains has resulted in limited occurrences of success, and the identification of many related misconceptions. The alternative conceptions have been detected in teachers as well as students, which reflects the complexity of learning the content. Teachers' understanding of these concepts is critical to assuring they do not perpetuate misconceptions by teaching them to their students. The consistent detection of misconceptions in teachers suggests that new approaches to increasing understanding of these concepts need to be explored. …

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Creating And Testing The Higher Education Leadership Competencies (Helc) Model: A Study Of Athletics Directors, Senior Student Affairs Officers, And Chief Academic Officers, Zachary A Smith Jan 2007

Creating And Testing The Higher Education Leadership Competencies (Helc) Model: A Study Of Athletics Directors, Senior Student Affairs Officers, And Chief Academic Officers, Zachary A Smith

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was threefold: to extend existing knowledge of McDaniel's (2002) qualitative inquiry of higher education leadership competencies by testing her theory using quantitative methods; to either affirm or create a new, more refined model of higher education leadership competencies based on the results of the data analysis; and finally, to compare the similarities and differences of important competencies necessary for effective leadership between and within three groups of leaders in higher education: athletics directors (ADs), senior student affairs officers (SSAOs), and chief academic officers (CAOs); Goodness of fit results indicated McDaniel's 4-category model of higher education …

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Perceptions Of The Training Needs Of Law Enforcement Officers, Nicholas Allen Walling Jan 2007

Perceptions Of The Training Needs Of Law Enforcement Officers, Nicholas Allen Walling

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The rules of law enforcement are constantly evolving and the criminal community persists in developing new and innovative ways to circumvent the efforts of the police. Revolutionary advances in police equipment design and a sociological awakening has created an intense scrutiny of the way police officers conduct their affairs. Law enforcement officers require continuing training to meet these social demands and to keep up with technological advances, the ever-changing laws, and critical developments in the criminal world; Because high profile civil rights cases have involved devastating monetary judgments against the agencies involved, police administrators across the country have established training …

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Violating The Feminine Land, Body, And Spirit In Western American Literature, Gregory Alan Wright Jan 2007

Violating The Feminine Land, Body, And Spirit In Western American Literature, Gregory Alan Wright

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The literature of the American West, much like the history of this region, is replete with images and stories of violence. Although pop culture (i.e. popular Westerns, film, television, etc.) has inculcated the idea that the West is synonymous with violence, the origins of this supposition begins with the arrival of Europeans to the New World, which, at the point of discovery, signified the West. European conquerors and colonists brought with them, along with their hopes and dreams for a fresh start on the new continent, the Judeo-Christian cultural values and traditions of the old continent. This ideological position condoned …

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Date Rape Prevention In Women: A Controlled Outcome Study, Shera Deanne Bradley Jan 2007

Date Rape Prevention In Women: A Controlled Outcome Study, Shera Deanne Bradley

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Date rape is a widespread problem, especially among college-aged women. Date rape prevention programs have appeared on college campuses nationwide. However, the effectiveness of these programs to prevent date rape remains questionable. Studies addressing this issue have usually focused on changing students' thoughts about rape. A minority of studies have investigated the success of programs designed to change behaviors associated with rape. Even fewer studies have used the actual incidence of date rape as an outcome variable; The present study examined a date rape prevention program designed to improve women's sexual assertiveness skills and decrease their involvement in behaviors associated …

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Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Manualized Treatment For Inmates With Dual Diagnoses, Jennee Evans Dickens Jan 2007

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Manualized Treatment For Inmates With Dual Diagnoses, Jennee Evans Dickens

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Individuals with both a mental illness and substance use disorder (i.e., dual diagnoses) are over represented and underserved in state prisons. Without treatment, inmates with dual diagnoses (DD) are at an increased risk for a variety of negative outcomes including re-incarceration. Unfortunately, few empirically supported prison-based treatment programs are designed to meet the special needs of these inmates. Existing prison-based programs are generally limited to one treatment approach despite the heterogeneity among offenders with DD. Thus, it has been recommended that a range of services should be developed and offered in prisons to meet the varying needs of inmates with …

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Effects Of Word-Of-Mouth Communication On Purchasing Decisions In Restaurants: A Path Analytic Study, Dongsuk Jang Jan 2007

Effects Of Word-Of-Mouth Communication On Purchasing Decisions In Restaurants: A Path Analytic Study, Dongsuk Jang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the restaurant word-of-mouth communication structure. Main constructs of the word-of-mouth process on purchasing decisions were identified and their relationships were examined in a restaurant setting. Consequently, a restaurant word-of-mouth model was proposed; The main interests of study are as follows: first, to identify the main factors of restaurant word-of-mouth communication; second, to discover which word-of-mouth factors directly affect the consumer's restaurant product/service purchase decision; and third, to find out the degree to which word-of-mouth factors determine the consumer's word-of-mouth search efforts for a restaurant. The study also looked at the mediating effect of word-of-mouth search efforts on …

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Effects Of Traumatic Brain Injury On The Attention System Of Children, Brandon Steven Park Jan 2007

Effects Of Traumatic Brain Injury On The Attention System Of Children, Brandon Steven Park

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Mirsky et al. (1991) proposed a four factor structure of attention (Shift, Focus, Encode, and Sustain) that found strong support across various clinical and non-clinical samples (see Mirsky & Duncan, 2004). Using a differing theoretical model Spikman et al. (1999) found that traumatic brain injury (TBI) changed the measured structure of attention. The purpose of the study was to assess if the structure of attention maintained in children who had sustained a TBI using the Mirsky model of attention. For the study 151 children between the ages of 8.9 and 18.4 years (mean 12.9, sd 2.6) suffering from traumatic brain …

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Human And Pet Interaction: Companion Animals And The Formation Of Identity, Lisa Louise Sarmicanic Jan 2007

Human And Pet Interaction: Companion Animals And The Formation Of Identity, Lisa Louise Sarmicanic

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Keeping companion animals is commonplace. Each year Americans spend over 34.3 billion dollars on pet food, pet toys, and veterinary care, and within households, the person with primary responsibility for the care of a pet is usually female (American Pet Product Manufacturers Association 24(34). Although literature on the human/animal bond is becoming more extensive, relatively little has been written about the dynamics of the daily social interaction between humans---specifically women---and pets. In response to this lack of literature, this study asks: What is the nature of the social interplay between women and their companion animals? And how do women integrate …

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Effects Of Possible Selves Instruction On Self -Determination Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Jennifer L Stringfellow Jan 2007

Effects Of Possible Selves Instruction On Self -Determination Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Jennifer L Stringfellow

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Students with disabilities face a difficult transition from high school to adult life. In the areas of employment and post secondary education students with disabilities have difficulty being successful (National Council on Disability, 2004; U.S. Census Bureau, 2004). The need for students with disabilities to be adequately prepared for the transition from school to adult life has been stated in government reports and research (Raskind, Goldberg, Higgins, & Herman, 1999; Wehmeyer, 1999; Field, Sarver, & Shaw, 2003, National Council on Disability, 2004; Reiff, 2004); The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Possible Selves program (Hock, …

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