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2007

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Turnover Of Appointed County Administrators In Large American Counties, Robert John Tekniepe Jan 2007

Turnover Of Appointed County Administrators In Large American Counties, Robert John Tekniepe

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Researchers have suggested that American counties are emerging as leaders in local governance. This is mainly attributed to the fact that counties are being called upon to provide a whole host of new services to an ever-growing suburban and an incorporated areas population. County administrators are known to play a critical role in the provision of these services, however, researchers know very little about the factors contributing to county administrator turnover. Several empirical analyses have explored tenure and turnover patterns of top-level government executives, yet these analyses have principally focused on local governments, e.g., municipalities; This paper is intended to …

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Senior Student Affairs Officers, Campus Community, And Diversity: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Six Institutions, Jeffery Lamont Wilson Jan 2007

Senior Student Affairs Officers, Campus Community, And Diversity: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Six Institutions, Jeffery Lamont Wilson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Colleges and universities have a social responsibility to help prepare the country's future workforce and leaders. All colleges and universities operate within a campus environment. Student affairs divisions exist on literally every campus in the country. Little is known about how the SSAO impact the development of the campus environment especially in terms of campus climate and culture. This study reports on how, by looking for discernible patterns across several higher education institution types---urban community college, rural community college, rural research university, religious-affiliated college, and metropolitan university, SSAOs impact the development of their campus environments, particularly as they relate to …

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Handheld Computers: Do They Support Or Constrain Nursing Students At The Point -Of -Care?, Deborah I Carr-Warner Jan 2007

Handheld Computers: Do They Support Or Constrain Nursing Students At The Point -Of -Care?, Deborah I Carr-Warner

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Technology has made a significant impact within the healthcare system over recent years. As technology continues to evolve and becomes a major driving force within the healthcare system, so will the need for preparing technologically competent healthcare professionals. Also within the healthcare system, changes such as a decrease in the length of hospital stay, the aging population, and the multi-disease processes of the aging population, presents a challenge to nursing faculty to adequately prepare tomorrows' nurse. One of the most promising technological devices being used by healthcare professionals is the handheld computer or personal digital assistant (PDA). Although the current …

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Inner Experience During Golf Performance, Yani L Dickens Jan 2007

Inner Experience During Golf Performance, Yani L Dickens

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Sport performance is widely believed to depend on internal processes that occur during performance. Studies examining these processes have relied on retrospective self-reports obtained long after performance, a method limited by athletes' abilities to compete and recall. Our study circumvented these problems by obtaining contemporaneous non-retrospective reports of inner experience using Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES). DES uses a device that emits a random beep via an earpiece. Participants record ongoing inner experience immediately after the beep in a notebook. Within 24 hours participants are interviewed about these momentary experiences. Five highly-skilled (handicaps of between 2 and 7) and five moderately-skilled …

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Navigating Through "Our Bumps On The Road To Reading": A Multi-Case Analysis Of How Literature -Based Response Experiences Inform And Influence Pre -Service Teachers' Reading Perceptions, Christine A Draper Jan 2007

Navigating Through "Our Bumps On The Road To Reading": A Multi-Case Analysis Of How Literature -Based Response Experiences Inform And Influence Pre -Service Teachers' Reading Perceptions, Christine A Draper

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to present multiple perspectives (multi-case design) that define pre-service teachers reading perceptions. This study sought to understand prior experiences that defined pre-service teachers' reading perceptions and to understand how response-based explorations in a children's literature course informed and influenced their existing perceptions of reaDing This study employed a qualitative methodology and was framed by reader response, teacher knowledge and preparation literature, and a socio-constructivist perspective. Data sources included pre- and post-course interviews, course assignments, participant's reflection journals, and researcher's log with analytical memos. Open and axial coding as described by Strauss and Corbin (1998) …

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Incorporating Spatial Characteristics In Travel Demand Models, Valerian Kwigizile Jan 2007

Incorporating Spatial Characteristics In Travel Demand Models, Valerian Kwigizile

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this study was to address one of the major weaknesses of the ubiquitous four-step procedure for travel demand modeling: omission of spatial interactions between the variables. While contiguity of the analysis zones is commonly used to define spatial interaction of the variables in spatial analysis, it might not capture the interactions of travel demand variables. In this study, the efficacies of four alternative methods for defining spatial relationships: contiguity, separation, a combination of contiguity and separation, and economic linkages (accessibility), were evaluated. The home-based-work (HBW) spatial models and non-spatial models for trip attraction, and trip production were …

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Presidential Transitions During Capital Campaigns: Perspectives Of Chief Development Officers, Kimberly Kay Nehls Jan 2007

Presidential Transitions During Capital Campaigns: Perspectives Of Chief Development Officers, Kimberly Kay Nehls

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In the past few decades, capital campaigns at institutions of higher education have increased in duration, while collegiate presidential tenures have been doing just the opposite. Turnover in the top post was frequent, even during major fundraising campaigns. Prior to this study, presidential transitions during campaigns had not been previously analyzed. Therefore, the objective of this exploratory study was to better understand presidential transitions during capital campaigns from the perspective of the chief development officer (CDO) who maintained continuity. Nine CDOs who experienced presidential transitions during campaigns were interviewed to better understand their experience. The institutions represented were Florida State …

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Schizophrenia And Alcohol Dependence: The Combined Effects On Emotion Processing, Sylvia An Ross Jan 2007

Schizophrenia And Alcohol Dependence: The Combined Effects On Emotion Processing, Sylvia An Ross

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Substance abuse co-occurs at high rates with schizophrenia, with alcohol as the most commonly abused substance. Dual diagnoses have been associated with lower levels of quality of life; greater rates of medication noncompliance, homelessness, hostility, violence, legal problems, interpersonal conflict; and increased costs for services; The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of alcohol dependence on emotion processing in schizophrenia. There are currently no studies that investigate this. Research has identified deficits in facial affect processing and cognitive functioning in schizophrenia and chronic alcoholism. However, the level of impairment is less severe in alcoholism; The current study …

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Why Does Passion Wane? A Qualitative Study Of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder In Married Women, Karen E Sims Jan 2007

Why Does Passion Wane? A Qualitative Study Of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder In Married Women, Karen E Sims

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is a prevalent and disabling condition for women and their partners. With one in three women experiencing a significant lack of interest in sexual activity, it is the most common female sexual dysfunction. It is also the most treatment resistant. Despite increased awareness of the problem, we have seen an increase in cases of low sexual desire over the past two decades. There is currently no standard treatment modality recommended for HSDD because of difficulties (1) defining the vague concept and (2) establishing what is "normal." Recently, clinicians have favored a treatment relational approach because …

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The Lived Experiences Of Four Overweight Hispanic Adolescent Females, Wanda Lee Rhodes Jan 2007

The Lived Experiences Of Four Overweight Hispanic Adolescent Females, Wanda Lee Rhodes

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of four overweight/obese Hispanic adolescents as individuals by utilizing Social Cognitive Theory's (SCT) (Bandura, 1977, 1986, & 1989) reciprocal interaction of the environment, personal factors and behaviors of the participants in order to investigate the health risk behaviors of the participants as they related to overweight and obesity. Additionally, the commonalities and differences across participants were examined; Four female Hispanic adolescents whose BMI measured at the 99th percentiles for age and gender were randomly chosen from students enrolled in a junior high school physical education intervention class. Experiences of …

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A Model Of The Interplay Of Culture And Immigration Stress In The Development And Maintenance Of Alcohol-Related Disorders In Hispanic/Latino Immigrants, Marilyn J Strada Jan 2007

A Model Of The Interplay Of Culture And Immigration Stress In The Development And Maintenance Of Alcohol-Related Disorders In Hispanic/Latino Immigrants, Marilyn J Strada

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The Hispanic/Latino population represents the largest ethnic minority group in the United States, with immigrants comprising a substantial portion of this population. For both U.S.-born and immigrant Hispanic/Latinos, alcohol abuse and dependence is of particular concern given their reported high prevalence rates, the severe alcohol-related consequences that they experience, and the various barriers to obtain treatment that they encounter. In comparison to members of other ethnic groups, Hispanics/Latinos have the lowest rates of perceived need for treatment, the lowest past and current rates of participation in treatment and the highest dropout rates after attending just one counseling session. Although there …

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Finding The Other In Mother: Queering Social Scripts For Mothers And Teachers, Laura A Bower Jan 2007

Finding The Other In Mother: Queering Social Scripts For Mothers And Teachers, Laura A Bower

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined social scripts for mothers and teachers through the lens of queer theory. It employed the constructs of normal and deviant as a method for destabilizing these scripts as part of a larger project of promoting social justice around sexual difference. Participants consisted of eight lesbian mothers with school aged children; five women whose roles included mother, educator, and lesbian; and ten public school teachers. Data sources included one focus group interview with lesbian mothers and two focus group interviews with teachers, follow-up interviews with seven teachers and seven mothers, and two individual interviews with each mother/educator/lesbian. …

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The Pluto Debate: Influence Of Emotions On Belief, Attitude, And Knowledge Change, Suzanne H Broughton Jan 2007

The Pluto Debate: Influence Of Emotions On Belief, Attitude, And Knowledge Change, Suzanne H Broughton

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In line with the "warming trend" (Sinatra, 2005), this study examined the influence of emotions during controversial conceptual change. Issues in science may trigger highly emotional responses (e.g., evolutionary theory). However, it is unclear whether these emotions facilitate or inhibit change; I investigated the nature of emotions engendered when learning about a controversial science topic, Pluto's reclassification, including the valence (positive/negative) and activation (activating/deactivating) of emotions (Pekrun et al., 2002). I also investigated whether belief, attitude, and/or conceptual change could be facilitated through rereading a refutation text and/or rereading during small group discussions. Refutation texts directly state a common misconception, …

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Organizational Commitment And Generational Differences In Nursing Faculty, Lara Lynn Carver Jan 2007

Organizational Commitment And Generational Differences In Nursing Faculty, Lara Lynn Carver

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

We are in the midst of a well documented worldwide shortage of nurses due, in part to a shortage of nursing faculty to educate them. The causes of the faculty shortage are complex including more attractive career opportunities for women, low compensation, and increasing faculty retirements. The shortage is expected to worsen in coming years; Aggressive efforts to recruit faculty at a younger age while retaining older faculty have resulted in four generations in the workforce. As recruiting and retention efforts continue, the concept of organizational commitment across generations is important to consider. Research has demonstrated that organizational commitment leads …

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The Effect Of Concomitant Ecstasy-Marijuana Use On Auditory Verbal Learning And Memory Performance, Kimberly M Cramer Jan 2007

The Effect Of Concomitant Ecstasy-Marijuana Use On Auditory Verbal Learning And Memory Performance, Kimberly M Cramer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Previous research indicates that ecstasy users exhibit deficits of verbal learning and memory. This research has not considered polydrug use in ecstasy users, especially marijuana. Marijuana is an important confound because 90 percent of ecstasy users also use marijuana. Several studies have suggested that marijuana use alters verbal memory functioning; consequently, it is difficult to ascertain whether the observed memory deficits in ecstasy users are attributable to ecstasy, marijuana, or other drug use. The present study examined the effects of marijuana and ecstasy on verbal memory function. Marijuana use was accounted for by recruiting concurrent ecstasy-marijuana users' and ecstasy-naive marijuana-only …

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Seven Cs Of Reading Comprehension Strategy/Graphic Organizer, Michele Frances Farmer Jan 2007

Seven Cs Of Reading Comprehension Strategy/Graphic Organizer, Michele Frances Farmer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The intervention was Seven Cs/graphic organizer, comprised of seven steps (connect, clarify, consider, collect, converse, conclude and cite) in a graphic organizer format. It is completed as the reader works through the reading process (pre, during, and after-reading) in a nonfiction reading selection. The purposes of this study were as follows: (a) to determine if the use of the Seven Cs strategy/graphic organizer increased nonfiction reading comprehension scores for middle school students with learning disabilities, (b) to determine if the use of the Seven Cs strategy/graphic organizer in other content areas increased reading comprehension for the participants when measured through …

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An Examination Of Inner Experience: Anxiety, Lessel Lyle Hutchins Jan 2007

An Examination Of Inner Experience: Anxiety, Lessel Lyle Hutchins

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) is used to examine the inner experience of seven individuals who have been diagnosed with at least one anxiety disorder and four control individuals. Idiographic results for each of the 11 participants are provided, including a description of frequent and rare/unique experiences of each participant. These results are followed by between participant nomothetic comparisons. Among the results, it was found that anxious participants experienced more indefinite figure-ground and concrete experiences when compared to controls. Anxious participants are also more likely than controls to engage in negative valence self-evaluations and rate moments as being anxious. There is …

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Transformation Of Identity Of Four Female Japanese International Students, Chizu Matsubara-Jaret Jan 2007

Transformation Of Identity Of Four Female Japanese International Students, Chizu Matsubara-Jaret

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Every year, thousands of students worldwide leave home for the purpose of participating in an educational experience in a country other than their own. Drawing on a multiple case study design with an ethnographic approach, this study examined the connection between learning a second language (L2) in naturalistic contexts and possible transformations of identity for four female Japanese international students in the United States. The investigation centered around three basic research questions: (1) what are some of the effects of adaptation to the U.S. culture on the identity transformation of female Japanese international students; (2) what elements of communicative competence …

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Second-Home Owner Attachment To A Destination: A Driver Of Tourism Promotion, John Brumby Mcleod Jan 2007

Second-Home Owner Attachment To A Destination: A Driver Of Tourism Promotion, John Brumby Mcleod

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Second-homes have become common place in many destinations. The visitation to these homes has become known as second-home tourism. Previous literature suggests that these homeowners might possess traits that would be attractive to tourism planners such as repeat visitation, word-of-mouth promotion, and the hosting of other visitors; The purpose of this study was to explore the presence of these traits in the context of international second-home owners and test a theoretical model that proposes place attachment as a driver of these behaviors. Attachment has been shown as a predictor of visitation and positive word-of-mouth in previous research. Borrowing from the …

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Assessing “Discover Mojave”, Year Two: Final Report, Lori Olafson, Gregory Schraw, Michelle L. Weibel Jan 2007

Assessing “Discover Mojave”, Year Two: Final Report, Lori Olafson, Gregory Schraw, Michelle L. Weibel

Reports (DM)

Discover Mojave Outdoor World is a hands-on outdoor recreation program for urban, economically disadvantaged youth. In Year One of the program, knowledge, attitude, and performance assessments were developed to document the effectiveness of program events over the duration of the program. Year One findings revealed that knowledge, attitudes, and performance increased substantially as a result of participating in the outdoor recreation events. The assessment plan was modified in Year Two by creating assessments for teachers and parents, as well as a developing a structured interview protocol. Changes were made to existing assessments and two new assessment tools were implemented. Findings …

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School Refusal Behavior: The Relationship Between Family Environment And Parenting Style, Gillian Victoria Chapman Jan 2007

School Refusal Behavior: The Relationship Between Family Environment And Parenting Style, Gillian Victoria Chapman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

School refusal behavior has been researched and discussed within psychological and educational communities for over a century, and family environment has been found to influence such behavior. Specifically, differences have been found with respect to the function of youth school refusal behavior and levels of familial independence, cohesion, and conflict. Parenting styles have also been found to influence the behavior of youth. Authoritative parenting is associated with children who perform well scholastically and exhibit few internalizing or externalizing behaviors. Family environment and parenting styles have not been researched as joint influences on school refusal behavior. This study investigated possible effects …

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Living With Dyspareunia: A Qualitative Study, Robyn L Donaldson Jan 2007

Living With Dyspareunia: A Qualitative Study, Robyn L Donaldson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Attempts to fill the gap in knowledge of the psychosocial implications in the lives of women with dyspareunia have (1) been limited to less than a handful of studies, and (2) lack an accurate account from the women themselves as to how they have been impacted. Using a semi-structured interview, women were asked in an open-ended fashion about how having dyspareunia has affected their lives. Grounded theory methodology was utilized to identify emergent themes, their interrelations, and build a meaningful theory of experience of early dyspareunia. Cognitive and behavioral representation in women with dyspareunia from onset of pain to the …

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Cervical Cancer: Knowledge And Behaviors Of African American Women, Clark County, Nevada, Cecilia Fleming Jan 2007

Cervical Cancer: Knowledge And Behaviors Of African American Women, Clark County, Nevada, Cecilia Fleming

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have revealed that African American women are at an increased risk for the development of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the cervical cancer knowledge and disease prevention behaviors of African American women. This descriptive study utilized the Health Relief Model, which proposes that knowledge serves as a predictor of disease prevention behaviors. Fifty-two African American women were surveyed. Results revealed that 25.5% of respondents were cognizant of the fact that Pap smears screen for cervical cancer specifically. But, only 25.0% of study participants were able to identify HPV as the major cause of …

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Parent Psychopathology And Child Perfectionism, Lisa Caitlin Cook Jan 2007

Parent Psychopathology And Child Perfectionism, Lisa Caitlin Cook

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Though perfectionism has been defined and measured in various ways, researchers generally agree that holding excessively high standards for oneself and/or others is central to the construct. Perfectionists are those individuals for whom merely doing well is never good enough. Perfectionism has been associated with many psychological disorders and signs of maladjustment. Though perfectionism is theorized as existing from childhood and onward, much of the research on this construct has used adult samples. Evidence suggests that parents are closely involved in the development of perfectionism in their children. For these reasons, research about perfectionism in children and relevant associations with …

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Defining Reality: The Poverty And Welfare Rhetoric Of Lyndon Johnson And Ronald Reagan, Andrea Lyn Finan Jan 2007

Defining Reality: The Poverty And Welfare Rhetoric Of Lyndon Johnson And Ronald Reagan, Andrea Lyn Finan

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This project examines the centrality of rhetorical definition in case studies of public argument over U.S. policy on poverty and welfare in the tvventieth century. The starting point is research on presidential rhetoric, wherein one line of inquiry entails the exploration of the "bully pulpit" as an advantage to chief executives seeking to construct perceptions of social reality. Such construction frequently establishes the foundation of an incumbent's persuasive strategies. Utilizing the poverty and welfare rhetoric of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan, this thesis argues that rhetorical definition was central to presidential rhetoric on these critical social controversies in the 1960s …

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Building The Ark, Jessica Kruse Jan 2007

Building The Ark, Jessica Kruse

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Building the Ark is a reference to the Biblical story of Noah's and the Ark. I became fascinated with this story a few years ago after realizing that, like many females mentioned in the Bible, the wife of Noah has no name and is simply a peripheral figure. This title poem, which attempts to uncover the story of a modern-day nameless wife of Noah, soon became central to the focus of the entire manuscript. Like the title poem, the manuscript as a whole focuses on physical and emotional displacement, with an emphasis on the search for a geographical and psychological …

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Parsing Neurocognitive Heterogeneity In Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian D Leany Jan 2007

Parsing Neurocognitive Heterogeneity In Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian D Leany

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occur quite frequently in children and adolescents. One difficulty in understanding and treating TBI lies in the heterogeneous nature of its acquisition and mechanism of injury, and the resulting neurocognitive impairment. While there are instruments that exist to identify such impairment, they typically are divided into very broad domains of academic performance. Tests such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the Woodcock Johnson are helpful in identifying impairment within the realm of academic aptitude, but have thus far not provided specific enough information as to the impairment of the underlying neurocognitive process that …

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Printing China's Gold: The American Bank Note Company And The Customs Gold Units Of 1930, Mark David Miller Jan 2007

Printing China's Gold: The American Bank Note Company And The Customs Gold Units Of 1930, Mark David Miller

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

In 1928, T.V. Soong headed the new Central Bank of China to pursue monetary reform, redeem bad debts, negotiate with Foreign powers in monetary matters, and increase customs revenue. The new Nanjing government, headed by Jiang Jishi (Chiang Kai-shek), his brother-in-law, realized the importance of close ties between government and banking through the 1930s and 1940s and involved the United States in their banking affairs; This thesis investigates the activities of the Central Bank of China in the early twentieth century. Within the broad spectrum of banking, this work focuses on the issuance of certain bank notes by the Chinese …

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Psychological Correlates Of Adherence To Femininity Ideology In Hispanic And European-American College Women, Carolina Villar-Mendez Jan 2007

Psychological Correlates Of Adherence To Femininity Ideology In Hispanic And European-American College Women, Carolina Villar-Mendez

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Submission to the desires of others and an objectified relationship to one's body have been identified as two major components of femininity ideology. Research suggests that over-adherence to feminine ideals may result in reduced well-being, the extremes of which can be depression, anxiety, eating disordered behavior, low self-esteem and academic performance deficits. This study examined the (1) extent to which adherence to femininity ideology, as defined by the aforementioned two components, was related to well-being and academic performance and, (2) ethnic differences in adherence to femininity ideology and its correlates in 162 college women, 80 of which self-identified as Hispanic …

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Exploring Adolescent Inner Experience, Sarah A Akhter Jan 2007

Exploring Adolescent Inner Experience, Sarah A Akhter

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Adolescence famously is known as a time of storm and stress, hormones, and crises of identity, yet psychology knows remarkably little about adolescents' actual inner experience. This study aimed to describe the actual phenomenology of adolescent inner experience by using Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) with a sample of six adolescents aged 11--14 years. Each wore a random beeper in his/her natural everyday environments for five days. They observed the phenomenology of their inner experience each time the beeper sounded and described that inner experience to the investigators in expositional interviews. We found substantial differences in the complexity of inner experience …

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