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2008

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In An Expression Of The Inexpressible: Even This Title Is Stolen, But I Chose It, Carmen Alis Mcleod Jan 2008

In An Expression Of The Inexpressible: Even This Title Is Stolen, But I Chose It, Carmen Alis Mcleod

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a tour through an imaginary building that contains the work I have completed in the last two years at Virginia Commonwealth University. The body of the text provides a discussion of specific paintings as well as more general themes related to painting and art. The discussion includes thoughts on futility, desire, schism, the leap, collage, photography, materiality, painting, image, and landscape. The second part of the text is an abstract statement about the paintings included in the thesis show, Splinter Paintings.

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Funnel Vision, David Grainger Jan 2008

Funnel Vision, David Grainger

Theses and Dissertations

This paper will talk about the videos and sculptural installation in my thesis exhibition. Shooting videos outside of the studio developed into a project overarching any individual video or its particular signs. Thus, this paper will focus on the video project with examples that follow a timeline of development, rather than the actual 6 videos on display in the exhibit. The two-part sculpture "Deer in the Headlights" is created in the context of these videos, and coexists with them in a specific architectural space. This space, as well as the clichéd meaning of the deer's gaze, have a relation to …

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The Director's Presence, Paul Stephen Wurth Jan 2008

The Director's Presence, Paul Stephen Wurth

Theses and Dissertations

This text is partial record and narrative of the process and productions of Orphans by Lyle Kessler that opened on March 29th 2007 for a four day run ending on April 1st, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh that opened October 28th 2007 for a three day run ending on October 30th, and Terra Nova by Ted Tally that opened on February 21st 2008 for a four day run ending on February 24th. The majority of the text follows the three shows from Spring 2007, Fall 2007, to Spring 2008, focusing on the process of direction of each production. Incorporated in …

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5-Ht3 Receptor Ligands And Their Effect On Psychomotor Stimulants, Jessica Nicole Worsham Jan 2008

5-Ht3 Receptor Ligands And Their Effect On Psychomotor Stimulants, Jessica Nicole Worsham

Theses and Dissertations

Drug abuse and addiction are considered to be a result, at least in part, of the rewarding effects produced by increasing dopamine levels. 5-HT3 serotonin receptors have been shown to indirectly affect dopamine levels. Therefore, the effect of the 5-HT3 receptor partial agonist, MD-354, on the actions of psychomotor stimulants was analyzed in mouse locomotor activity assays to determine whether MD-354 is working through a 5-HT3 receptor agonist or antagonist mode of action. Studies with (+)amphetamine and (+)methamphetamine in combination with MD-354 indicated MD-354 is either devoid of action or is behaving similar to the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, ondansetron. This …

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The Psychosocial Influence Of Dental Esthetics In Adolescents As Judged By Peers, Scott Thomas Henson Jan 2008

The Psychosocial Influence Of Dental Esthetics In Adolescents As Judged By Peers, Scott Thomas Henson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if dental esthetics affects the perception of adolescents regarding their peer's social aptitude in specific areas such as athletics, popularity, leadership, and academics. Ten patient photographs (4 males, 6 females) from a private orthodontic practice in Richmond, VA were selected for inclusion in this study. The frontal smiling photographs were digitally modified with insertion of either an ideal smile (straight) or a non-ideal smile (crooked) to create an image identical to the original except for an altered dental complex. Laypersons rated the straight and crooked patient photographs for athletic performance, socialization skills …

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In Pursuit Of Paternal Significance: Fathers' Influence On Their Daughters' And Sons' Sexual Behaviors And Beliefs, Rachel S. Everley Jan 2008

In Pursuit Of Paternal Significance: Fathers' Influence On Their Daughters' And Sons' Sexual Behaviors And Beliefs, Rachel S. Everley

Theses and Dissertations

The United States has the highest teen pregnancy and adolescent STD rates of any industrialized nation. Numerous factors are involved in adolescent sexual decision-making and the social-ecological framework suggests that there are multiple levels of influence on adolescent development, including familial. Utilizing survey data from the Virginia Abstinence Education Initiative (VAEI), this project specifically explores paternal influences on adolescent sexual behavior and beliefs by examining paternal residence in the home, perceived paternal figure sexual beliefs, and father-child relationship factors. Results indicate that paternal figures influence their daughters' and sons' sexual behaviors as well as beliefs. Differences in paternal figure influence …

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Blending Doctrine, Practice, And Purpose In Legal Education: The Case For An Integrated Pedagogy, Debra M. Schneider Jan 2008

Blending Doctrine, Practice, And Purpose In Legal Education: The Case For An Integrated Pedagogy, Debra M. Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional legal education is sorely imbalanced. A law student receives rigorous training in legal doctrine and analytical skills—he learns to "think like a lawyer"—but is left with little training in practical skills or his ethical role in society. Moreover, law schools rely almost exclusively on the ineffectual pedagogy of the case-dialogue, or "Socratic," method. Several factors explain this entrenched imbalance, most notably the academy's top-down power structure and its budget constraints. Increasingly, however, the marketplace is demanding practice-ready lawyers who have strong training not only in doctrine but in practical skills and ethics. Law schools, responding to this market pressure, …

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Organizing Around A Center: A Design Incubator And Business Center, Mindy Carter Jan 2008

Organizing Around A Center: A Design Incubator And Business Center, Mindy Carter

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the development of an interdisciplinary design incubator and community business center in Richmond, Virginia through the adaptive reuse of a retired, historic school building. In contrast to the deteriorating conditions of Patrick Henry School, renewed growth abounds in its extraordinary site surroundings—the 105 acres of Forest Hill Park, which serves as the virtual backyard of the school building. This dualism provided a prime opportunity for discovering the design possibilities in connecting a built space to its physical surroundings and for giving meaningful new life to an abandoned space.

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Greenlife: A Sustainable Retail Space, Veronica J. Ledford Jan 2008

Greenlife: A Sustainable Retail Space, Veronica J. Ledford

Theses and Dissertations

GreenLife is the name of the retail interior design project that embodies this thesis. Using interior design as a medium to influence customers,I sought to create an environment that promotes a connection to nature and an awareness of creative possiblities within the context of a store. It addresses the problem of personal social responsiblity by using shopping, a dominant activity in the western world, as a tool for change. As a project, GreenLife attempts to answer three questions: How does design inform cultural experience? How can a connection with nature inform consumerism? Can a store transcend its purpose from filling …

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Beyond The Early Adopters: Examining The Potential For Car-Sharing In Richmond, Virginia, Steven P. Spears Jan 2008

Beyond The Early Adopters: Examining The Potential For Car-Sharing In Richmond, Virginia, Steven P. Spears

Theses and Dissertations

Car-sharing is a membership-based mobility service that offers short-term vehicle rentals. Studies have shown that car-sharing can increase transportation sustainability by encouraging the use of public transit and reducing vehicle miles traveled. This thesis examines the potential for car-sharing in Richmond, Virginia through an attitude-based qualitative pilot study. Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, urban and suburban residents were asked questions that measured car-sharing intention strength, mode choice habit, and life change effects. The study found that even among those with positive attitudes toward car-sharing, existing habits, lack of adequate commuting alternatives and the needs of non-driving …

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Entertainment News: Agitprop To Colbertisms, Chanelle Renee Vigue Jan 2008

Entertainment News: Agitprop To Colbertisms, Chanelle Renee Vigue

Theses and Dissertations

At the beginning of the twentieth century, newspaper theatre was born from the need to inform those who could not read the news for themselves. There have been many contributors and influential factors to the multi-faceted evolution of newspaper theatre. Contributors include Meyerhold, Piscator, Brecht, Hallie Flanagan and Arthur Arent, and Augusto Boal. Influential factors include technology, politics, and the influence of theatrical movements. The most popular and most frequent contributors to contemporary newspaper theatre are the legitimate news media and comedy news shows.

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If Your Love Were A Grain Of Sand Mine Would Be A Universe Of Beaches, Valerie Anne Molnar Jan 2008

If Your Love Were A Grain Of Sand Mine Would Be A Universe Of Beaches, Valerie Anne Molnar

Theses and Dissertations

Each stitch is a piece of me that I give, a moment of my life and a unit of my love, meticulously culminated into a universal visual language. The optimist in me knits for the cause, while my formalist counterpart works to make the images that sell my thoughts. I knit for the lovers.I make these objects as a practice and a confirmation of my optimism. I make these images to communicate and persuade as a serious contender while at the same time retaining my own optimism and sanity by promising to never take myself too seriously.

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Looking For Ways To Ruin A Perfectly Good Day: Masculinity In Bash: The Latter-Day Plays By Neil Labute, Daniel F. Devlin Jan 2008

Looking For Ways To Ruin A Perfectly Good Day: Masculinity In Bash: The Latter-Day Plays By Neil Labute, Daniel F. Devlin

Theses and Dissertations

Neil LaBute is one of the most prolific and challenging playwrights in America today. My thesis will explore his work bash: the latter-day plays through the frame of the performance and use of masculinity by his characters, and will create a vocabulary through which the remainder of LaBute's works can be studied, both in terms of academic scholarship and the practical application of that scholarship to the process of theatrical creation.

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Examining Student Engagement And Its Influence In A Social Contextual Model Of Adolescent Health Behavior Change, Ian Joseph Wallace Jan 2008

Examining Student Engagement And Its Influence In A Social Contextual Model Of Adolescent Health Behavior Change, Ian Joseph Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Current theoretical models of health behavior change frequently serve as the theoretical backdrop to adolescent health promotion programs. Yet, despite that each main theory was developed with adults and for adults, appropriate and necessary changes for adolescents are often neglected. The unique values, priorities, and abilities of adolescents are important and therefore necessary to consider during health promotion efforts. The present study explored student engagement, a unique adolescent need that has been shown to facilitate achievement in academic environments. Evidence from the psychological and educational literatures suggests that engagement may uniquely influence the process of health behavior change for adolescents. …

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Sing Together! Choral Singing As A Supplementary Training Method For Actors, Daniel C. Dennis Jan 2008

Sing Together! Choral Singing As A Supplementary Training Method For Actors, Daniel C. Dennis

Theses and Dissertations

Voice and speech training for the actor has traditionally defined itself as distinct from the vocal training of the musical theatre or opera singer. The separation in philosophy and practice by trainers of actors and singers reflects the resultant capabilities and proclivities of our performers. Those performers generally sing or act, and if asked, will sometimes do both, but may damage their voices in the process. This study aims to explore and reveal how actors may develop a greater sense of courage and trust, have easy access to breath, find freedom in their bodies and voices, become better listeners and …

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Informal Caregivers Of Advanced Cancer Patients: The Impact Of Geographic Proximity On Social Support And Bereavement Adjustment, John Garland Cagle Jan 2008

Informal Caregivers Of Advanced Cancer Patients: The Impact Of Geographic Proximity On Social Support And Bereavement Adjustment, John Garland Cagle

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored the social and psychological needs of caregivers of advanced cancer patients, and their subsequent bereavement adjustment. The study focuses exclusively on informal caregivers who provide assistance to patients receiving hospice care for end-stage cancer. Those individuals living furthest from the dying care recipient, the long distance caregivers, were of particular interest. This study used a prospective design to explore how a caregiver's geographic proximity impacted their social support and bereavement adjustment. A 2 x 3 repeated measures design was used to gather data from caregivers before a patient's death (using a pre-death questionnaire) as well as after …

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Self-Appraisals, Perfectionism, And Academics In College Undergraduates, David Edward Canter Jan 2008

Self-Appraisals, Perfectionism, And Academics In College Undergraduates, David Edward Canter

Theses and Dissertations

The influences on perfectionism and procrastination of race, gender, cognitive-affective and academic self-appraisals, and academic performance expectations were studied. The sample consisted of 155 Introductory Psychology students (57 African Americans, 41 Asian Americans, and 57 European Americans; 51.6% women) with a mean age of 19.4 years (SD = 3.6). Data were collected during the final week of the Fall 2007 semester. Consistent with previous research indicating that men are more likely to procrastinate than women, men were over-represented in this sample. Self-esteem, measured with the Rosenberg (1965) Self-Esteem Scale, was conceptualized as having two components: self-liking and self-competence (Tafarodi & …

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The Pedagogy Of Shakespeare & Company, Catherine Bryne Jan 2008

The Pedagogy Of Shakespeare & Company, Catherine Bryne

Theses and Dissertations

The Pedagogy of Shakespeare & Company examines in several ways the principles and practices of actor training at Shakespeare & Company of Lenox, Massachusetts. Chapter 1 is a narrative of my personal experience at the Month-long Intensive in Lenox, elaborating its multiple components. Chapter 2 recounts the genesis of the company and looks at the influences that shaped its identity. Chapter 3 is a more specific attempt to define the pedagogy developed by Tina Packer, Kristin Linklater and the other founders of Shakespeare & Company and to provide some contextual analysis. The remainder of this document explores my own pedagogical …

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Exploring The Experience Of Benefit Finding In Parents Of Children With Cancer: A Grounded Theory Study, Carol E. Zogran Jan 2008

Exploring The Experience Of Benefit Finding In Parents Of Children With Cancer: A Grounded Theory Study, Carol E. Zogran

Theses and Dissertations

The diagnosis of cancer in a child is one of the most significant stressors a parent can experience, and research in the area of stress-related effects of illness on parents has emerged in many areas. The majority of studies have focused on the potential or actual negative impact on parents during and after treatment of their child's illness. However, studies that initially set out to explore the difficulties associated with coping with childhood cancer found that parents often reported positive aspects about the experience. There is now increasing interest and support for the study of "positive-health" factors that contribute to …

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A Science & Mathematics Magnet School At Maymont, Sarah Shamus Nakfoor Jan 2008

A Science & Mathematics Magnet School At Maymont, Sarah Shamus Nakfoor

Theses and Dissertations

I am interested in the idea that schools should be designed to offer individualized learning."A Science & Mathematics Magnet School at Maymont" explores a type of school that is becoming more familiar and accessible. By allowing students who have an interest in excelling in school and preparing for their future careers to come together and meet one another and experience aneducation that might not otherwise be available can be beneficial in many ways. In most cases, because of the funding required for such specialized schools, class sizes are reduced to meet budgets and the schools are opened to the community …

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The Effects Of Atomoxetine On Cognitive Performace And Neuroplasticity After Traumatic Brain Injury, Wendy Reid Jan 2008

The Effects Of Atomoxetine On Cognitive Performace And Neuroplasticity After Traumatic Brain Injury, Wendy Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Catecholaminergic neurotransmission is regionally altered following injury, and drugs aimed at these systems offer promising avenues for post-TBI pharmacotherapies. Atomoxetine is a selective norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor currently indicated for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The studies in this dissertation were designed to test the efficacy of atomoxetine for treating cognitive deficits following experimental TBI and the potential mechanism for any beneficial effect. The first part of the study focused on behavioral recovery following atomoxetine treatment. Several important questions of dose, therapeutic window, and duration of treatment were addressed in these studies. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to lateral fluid-percussion …

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Clients, Empathy, And Compassion: Introducing First-Year Students To The "Heart" Of Lawyering, Kristin B. Gerdy Jan 2008

Clients, Empathy, And Compassion: Introducing First-Year Students To The "Heart" Of Lawyering, Kristin B. Gerdy

Nebraska Law Review

In this piece I explore the need for instruction and experience with the "heart" of law practice within the first year of law school. According to the report on legal education prepared by the Carnegie Foundation, the two major limitations in American legal education are 1) a lack of attention to practical education, including a marked lack of understanding client problems, and 2) failure to support development of ethical and social skills. With the release of this report it is likely that law school faculties throughout the United States will be looking at their curricula to see how to better …

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Review Of Jonathan Baron, Against Bioethics, Chad Flanders Jan 2008

Review Of Jonathan Baron, Against Bioethics, Chad Flanders

All Faculty Scholarship

This is a short review of a recent book by Jonathan Baron, entitled "Against Bioethics."

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High Performance Image Processing Techniques In Automated Identification Systems, Ayman Abaza Jan 2008

High Performance Image Processing Techniques In Automated Identification Systems, Ayman Abaza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation addresses different image processing problems faced during the development of two different identification systems (i) an automated system for postmortem identification using dental records (dental radiographs), (ii) an automated ear identification system. Automating the postmortem identification of deceased individuals based on dental characteristics is receiving increased attention especially with the large number of victims encountered in mass disasters, as 9/11 attack, and Tsunami. The Automated Dental Identification System (ADIS) can be used by law enforcement agencies to locate missing persons using databases of dental x-rays of human remains and dental scans of missing or unidentified persons. ADIS provides …

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Slow-To-Warm-Up Temperament In Infancy As A Predictor Of Concurrent And Later Child And Maternal Behaviors, Jessica B. Stoltzfus Jan 2008

Slow-To-Warm-Up Temperament In Infancy As A Predictor Of Concurrent And Later Child And Maternal Behaviors, Jessica B. Stoltzfus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Little is known about the slow-to-warm-up infant temperament. The present study evaluated the usefulness of this temperament as conceptualized by Thomas and Chess in predicting child and maternal parenting behaviors, with a particular focus on its conceptual link to child inhibition. Participants were 1,072 mothers and their children in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care. Slow-to-warm-up temperament in infancy did predict later inhibition, p = .000, but not as well as the difficult temperament or the individual temperament subscales of mood and approach. Including maternal sensitivity and stimulation and support increased the prediction of inhibition from the slow-to-warm-up temperament …

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Where Does Conflict Management Fit In The System's Leadership Puzzle?, Vickie S. Cook, Linda Johnston Jan 2008

Where Does Conflict Management Fit In The System's Leadership Puzzle?, Vickie S. Cook, Linda Johnston

Faculty Articles

Superintendents are faced with conflicts every day. The conflicts arise around issues of personnel, community roles, funding, politics, and work/life balance. Good leadership involves an understanding of how to deal with conflict, whom to involve in the conflict resolution, how to set up structures and processes that ensure conflict doesn't reoccur, and the ability to use conflict in a positive manner. Superintendents look to current literature to assist with the development of positive conflict resolution skills. These skills are not only preferable for current superintendents, but necessary for positive career development of future superintendents. Several authors have examined the various …

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A Study Of Job Satisfaction And School Board Relationships Of Public School Superintendents In Nassau And Suffolk Counties (Long Island) In New York, Kishore Kuncham Jan 2008

A Study Of Job Satisfaction And School Board Relationships Of Public School Superintendents In Nassau And Suffolk Counties (Long Island) In New York, Kishore Kuncham

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to determine the overall job satisfaction, the level of intrinsic job satisfaction, and the level of extrinsic job satisfaction of public school superintendents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties (Long Island) in New York. Also, the study investigated the school board relationships of public school superintendents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties (Long Island) in New York. The population of this study included all 125 public school superintendents of both Nassau and Suffolk Counties for the year 2007/2008. Despite many daunting challenges, the superintendents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties (Long Island) in New York were greatly …

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Learning How To Conduct Educational Research In Teacher Education : A Turkish Perspective, Ismail H. Demircioglu Jan 2008

Learning How To Conduct Educational Research In Teacher Education : A Turkish Perspective, Ismail H. Demircioglu

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper examines the attitudes of student teachers in social studies towards an educational research assignment, undertaken in an educational research methods course given at the Fatih Faculty of Education at Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey. A questionnaire containing open-ended questions and an interview were used in the data-collection process of this research. 74 student teachers answered the questionnaire; 20 of these teachers were selected for interview through a random sampling method, and they then participated in a semi-structured interview. In the light of the data, it can be said that the majority of student teachers gained basic educational research skills …

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Competence Development Of Synchronously Coached Trainee Teachers In Collaborative Learning., Ralph W. Hooreman, Piet A. Kommers, Wim M. Jochems Jan 2008

Competence Development Of Synchronously Coached Trainee Teachers In Collaborative Learning., Ralph W. Hooreman, Piet A. Kommers, Wim M. Jochems

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The need to make trainee teachers more prepared to coach collaborative learning effectively is increasing, as collaborative learning is becoming more important. One complication in this training process is that it is hard for the teacher trainer to hear and understand the students’ utterances and those of the coaching trainee teacher. Besides, it is essential that the teacher trainer does not intervene with the students directly. This constraint is a strong plea for facilitating the direct whispered suggestions by an earpiece to the trainee teacher. In this study, first of all an instrument for measuring the quality of the teacher …

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Exploring The Sources Of Turkish Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers’ Chemistry Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Esen Uzuntiryaki Jan 2008

Exploring The Sources Of Turkish Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers’ Chemistry Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Esen Uzuntiryaki

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study aimed to examine the underlying sources in developing chemistry self-efficacy beliefs of Turkish pre-service chemistry teachers. For this purpose, the College Chemistry Self-efficacy Scale (CCSS) was administered to 20 pre-service chemistry teachers. Then, phenomenological approach was employed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five pre-service teachers selected based on their scores on the CCSS to identify the underlying sources. The emerging meanings and self-reported sources of participants’ chemistry self-efficacy beliefs were analysed according to Bandura’s sources of self-efficacy. Results indicated that mastery experiences were the major source of self-efficacy beliefs, supporting the tenets of social cognitive theory. Physiological …

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