Digital Commons Network^™

Social Work As A Healing Vocation : The Exploration Of Clinicians' Trauma Histories And Implications For Practice, Mira L. Elwell

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative exploratory study examines the experiences of social workers who believe they came to the vocation in some part due to a personal history with trauma. Thirteen licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) with histories of trauma were interviewed about their clinical practice focusing on career choice, countertransference, and disclosure. Clinicians discussed how personal experiences with trauma influenced and impacted their decisions to enter social work as a profession. Clinicians also discussed working with clients who were survivors of trauma, decisions surrounding self-disclosure, and the impact and importance of therapy and supervision of one's own. Study results indicated that positive …

The Impact Of Sibling Mental Illness On The Well Sibling, Lisa N. Frierson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the emotional and psychological effects well siblings encounter when a brother or sister is diagnosed with a major mental illness. Qualitative, exploratory interviews were conducted in person and audio-taped with 10 volunteers who were recruited from the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI). Questions were aimed at developing a broader understanding of the feelings and experiences that may be unique to this vulnerable population. Major findings were consistent with previous research demonstrating reactions which are associated with the sudden rupture in a sibling relationship due to mental illness. In particular survivor guilt …

Women In Combat : Narratives Of Nurses In World War Ii, Korea And The Vietnam War, Kathryn J. Hall

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored what could be learned from the narratives of female military nurses in World War II, Korea and the Vietnam War. There is very little literature regarding the experiences of female military nurses and scarcer data about women military nurses performing their roles in combat arenas. The sample was comprised of twelve female military nurses who volunteered for their military service during World War II, Korea and/or the Vietnam War. The sample was a well-educated group of nurses who achieved officer rankings while serving and, though the vast majority of the nurses were unspecified as to race, …

The Effects Of Therapist Self-Disclosure On The Therapeutic Alliance : A Relational Perspective, Brittany A. Hollingsworth

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory/descriptive quantitative/qualitative study surveyed clinicians to ask their views about the effects of voluntary self-disclosure by therapists when the issue to be disclosed is one the therapist shares with the client. Clinicians surveyed were 51 licensed clinical social workers, or those with at least a year of postgraduate experience and working towards licensure. Opinions about this topic were often mixed. A majority of the clinicians who participated in the study said they rarely disclosed, but 72% had disclosed an issue shared by a client at least once; when they did so, 94% said their disclosures concerned issues that had …

The Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Of Female Veterans Who Engage In Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Heather W. Gladstone

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Prior research has demonstrated that specific types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are beneficial in decreasing mental health symptoms. Despite this, rates of CAM use are relatively low among veterans, and data about CAM use among female veterans is non-existent. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the demographic and clinical characteristics of female veterans that engage in CAM. Female Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans (n=365) in Veterans Affairs (VA) care participated in a web-based survey that was one component of a larger VA study. Results indicated that slightly more than one third of …

Women's Social And Emotional Experiences With Abortion, Alicia M. Flanagan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed methods exploratory study piloted a non-validated online qualitative survey instrument to assess women's social and emotional experiences with abortion stigma from women recruited on college campuses in New England. Abortion stigma is defined as prejudices and discrimination directed at women who have abortions, and people and institutions that support women who have abortions. Thirty-nine women took an online survey instrument that asked respondents to: provide their reproductive health histories; report when they first learned of abortion; give information regarding their community's attitudes about abortion; state their feelings about abortion. Eight women, sampled from the qualitative survey pool, participated …

Reclaiming The Borderlands : A Relational And Transnational Feminist Approach To The History And Treatment Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Rebecca G. Hawes-Sivitz

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This paper utilizes transnational feminist theory to both deconstruct the history of borderline personality disorder and to contextualize treatment within a relational psychodynamic frame. Using transnational feminist understandings of the borderland and splintering self-states, the concept of borderline personality disorder is reframed and explored through a historical perspective. Relational psychodynamic theory is considered as a response to this deconstruction, offering a contemporary perspective, which acknowledges the structural oppressions intrinsic in mental illness. Additionally this paper argues that this perspective highlights a path to engage authentically with intersections of self-states rather than at the poles of binary constructions of identity and …

An Expression Of Deep Concern : Championing The Needs Of Never Married Couples And Their Children Coping With Family Related Litigation And Separation : A Project In Collaboration With The Hampshire Bar Association, Northampton, Massachusetts, Deborah J. Druar

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The National Center for Health Statistics has estimated that in 2010, 40.8 percent of births will be to never-married parents (Child Trends Data Bank, 2012). A never married parent who files a complaint at the Probate and Family Court in Hampshire County, Massachusetts seeking to establish paternity, custody, visitation or financial support is mandated to attend the For The Children© (FTC©) parent education program. This qualitative, exploratory, retrospective study, done in collaboration with the Hampshire County Bar Association, explored whether the unique needs of never-married couples with children engaged in family related litigation are met in the curriculum of the …

The Management Of Transference And Countertransference In The Wilderness Therapy Milieu, Jon E. Dukes

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study set out to explore the ways in which clinicians in Wilderness Therapy (WT) manage and address the clinical phenomena of transference and counter transference as it arises in the field. Additionally, the topics of personal and professional boundaries were explored in order to help assess ways clinicians maintain appropriate boundaries and educate their para professional staff about this topic. Seven clinicians from various WT programs across the country participated in a thirty to forty minute long interview via telephone. Throughout the interview process, valuable information was gained pertaining to the process of transference and counter transference within …

Civil Engineering Graduate Stays On As Assistant Professor, Edwin Smith

University of Mississippi News

No abstract provided.

Managing Autonomous Transportation Demand, Bryant Walker Smith

Santa Clara Law Review

No abstract provided.

Successful Identification Of Pathogens By Polymerase Chain Reaction (Pcr)-Based Electron Spray Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (Esi-Tof-Ms) In Culture-Negative Periprosthetic Joint Infection., Christina L Jacovides, Rachael Kreft, Bahar Adeli, Bryan Hozack, Garth D Ehrlich, Javad Parvizi

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection poses many challenges, one of which is the difficulty of isolating the infecting organism. Recently, a sophisticated modality (the Ibis Biosciences T5000 biosensor system) has been introduced that uses pan-domain primers in a series of polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) to identify and speciate essentially all bacteria and fungi as well as to identify key antibiotic resistance genes. We investigated the role of the Ibis in identifying infecting organisms in cases of known and suspected periprosthetic joint infection.

METHODS: Synovial fluid specimens were collected prospectively from eighty-two patients undergoing eighty-seven arthroplasty procedures (sixty-five knee …

Addressing Client Mental Health Within The Personal Training Relationship, Alana R. Honigman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

I undertook this study to expand the literature regarding connections between mental and physical health to include ways in which client mental health arises and is addressed within the personal training relationship. My research was guided by an ethical framework with the purpose of improving best care practices for clients. The four research questions I posed concerned the frequency with which mental health issues are addressed, typical interventions personal trainers utilize in response to these issues, the reasons personal trainers choose specific interventions, and the training personal trainers receive regarding client mental health. Participants (N = 58) were recruited through …

The Role Of Internal Communication And The Effect On Employee Engagement, Cherie Gaither

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The purpose of this project was to build and evaluate internal communication interventions that would enhance employee engagement. The desired outcome of the communication team’s efforts was to show a significant increase in employee engagement, as compared to peer institutions.

Opinions Of Male Adolescent Sexual Offenders On Treatment Groups, MóNica BeróN

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Group treatment is widely used for the treatment of juveniles who sexually offend (Letourneau and Borduin, 2008; Veneziano and Veneziano, 2002), yet research into the participant's perceptions and experience of this treatment is almost non-existent (Sribney and Reddon, 2008). This study investigates the perceptions and concerns of a sample (N=198) of incarcerated male juvenile sex offenders in regards to their experience of group treatment and reported iatrogenic effects. Measures of hopelessness and anxiety were also tested in relationship to feelings of group experience, after controlling for age. Overall, the participants reported satisfaction with their group treatment and low levels of …

The Emotional Impact Of Casino Servicescape, Hei-Lim (Michael) Lio, Raymond Rody

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

This study investigates the emotional impact of casino servicescape among Chinese table games gambling participants, and its impact on their approach/avoidance behavior. Data on casino servicescape, pleasure, arousal and dominance emotion (PAD) and approach/avoidance responses were obtained from 158 Chinese gamblers in Macau and analyzed using path analysis. The results of this study suggest that aesthetic factors within servicescape significantly influence the customers' perception of the overall servicescape quality. While gambling facilitating factors within servicescape have significant impact on PAD emotions, they are not significant components of the perceived overall servicescape quality. Both overall servicescape quality and PAD emotions have …

Gambling Windfall Decisions: Lottery Winners And Employment Behavior, Bengt Furaker, Anna Hedenus

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Based on a 2005 survey among Swedish lottery winners, the article throws new light on what those receiving a sudden windfall do with their existing jobs. Many may continue to work as before the winning, but others may alter their work situation in one way or another. We focus on three possible changes: (i) quitting the job; (ii) going on unpaid full-time leave; and (iii) shortening one's working hours. In our study less than 12% quit working, approximately 24% took unpaid full-time leave, 16% reduced their working hours, but 62% did not make any of these changes. In other words, …

High Rollers From Mainland China: A Profile Based On 99 Cases, Zhonglu Zeng, David Forrest

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Macao's casinos win a high proportion of their revenue from high rollers from Mainland China but some of these generate social problems back home. We analyze 99 cases of high rollers whose activities came to media attention, building a profile of them based on information in the reports. They were mainly from areas near Macao or from particularly rich regions of China. Most were male, aged 30- 49. They tended to be government officials, managers of state-owned businesses or owners of private enterprises. They lost as much as US$12.08 million on a single trip. Their average accumulated loss amounted to …

An Analysis Of Gambling Expenditure Across Countries, Chan Boon Patrick Lee

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

This study hypothesized that gambling expenditure across countries was positively related to income and negatively related to uncertainty avoidance. Statistical analyses using secondary data were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results of a multivariate linear regression using income and uncertainty avoidance as the independent variables and gambling expenditure as the dependent variable showed that the two independent variables were significantly related to gambling expenditure. The two independent variables explained 56 percent of the variance in the dependent variable. An exponential model with only income as the independent variable, however, accounted for 72 percent of the variance in gambling expenditure. …

Toward Legalization Of Poker: The Skill Vs. Chance Debate, Robert C. Hannum, Anthony N. Cabot

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

This paper sheds light on the age-old argument as to whether poker is a game in which skill predominates over chance or vice versa. Recent work addressing the issue of skill vs. chance is reviewed. This current study considers two different scenarios to address the issue: 1) a mathematical analysis supported by computer simulations of one random player and one skilled player in Texas Hold'Em, and 2) full-table simulation games of Texas Hold'Em and Seven Card Stud. Findings for scenario 1 showed the skilled player winning 97 percent of the hands. Findings for scenario 2 further reinforced that highly skilled …

Gambling Behaviors Of Former Athletes: The Delayed Competitive Effect, Stephen M. Weiss, Sherri L. Loubier

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Gambling behaviors in current athletes, former athletes and non-athletes were examined. Gambling tendencies were determined from participants' responses on the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). A delayed competitive effect among athletes that might surface in the form of pathological gambling was investigated. To test this novel theory, participants were divided into three groups: athletes who are currently playing sports, former athletes who used to play competitive sports and non-athletes who have never participated in competitive sporting events. A 2 x 3 independent groups AN OVA was utilized comparing SOGS scores across gender and athletic status. The mean score for former …

Industry Labor Force Quality: An Investigation From The Customer Service Perspective, Zheng Gu, Ricardo Chi Sen Siu

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

To investigate the labor force quality deficiency in the Macao casino industry, this study conducted a survey among Macao casino guests on their assessment of customer service. The mean scores of different service features were calculated and compared across casinos operated by different casino companies. Furthermore, different service features were examined for their importance to the overall customer satisfaction based on an estimated regression model. The study found that most of the service features were below satisfactory rating, but Wynn Resorts stood out as the top performer among the four gaming companies. The regression model identified "respect", "smile" and "skill" …

An Observation Study Of Chinese Baccarat Players, Desmond Lam

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

The Chinese gaming market, Macau in particular, is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. Many industry observers have reported a clear interest among Chinese in playing baccarat. Together, VIP and non-VIP baccarat accounted for as much as 85% of Macau's 2005 gross casino gaming revenue. This paper documented and examined the psychology of Chinese baccarat players through a 'non-participatory' observation study. The study discovered some peculiar behaviors about these Chinese gamblers that included a display of high illusion of control. Chinese baccarat players appeared to derive monetary, excitement, entertainment and social values from baccarat gaming. The results …

Assessing Sports Advisory Services: Do They Provide Value For Football Bettors?, Jerry Fox, Karl J. Mayer

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

This study examined the effectiveness of sports advisory services in football betting. Using three different cases with recent data, it compared the actual outcomes of the football games to sports advisory services' predictions in order to test their prediction accuracy for those games. The results showed none of the three data sets exceeded the threshold for profitable wagering. Thus, in football wagering, sports advisory services often fail to achieve their claims of accurate game prediction capabilities. The study suggests that these services may not provide any real advisory value to the sports betting community.

Gambling Alone? A Study Of Solitary And Social Gambling In America, Bo J. Bernhard, David R. Dickens, Paul D. Shapiro

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

In his acclaimed 2000 book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam documents a disturbing social trend of the broadest kind. Putnam cites a wide variety of data that indicate that over the past fifty years, Americans have become increasingly socially disengaged. In developing this theme, Putnam specifically cites the increase in casino gambling (and especially machine gambling) as evidence in support of his argument. Building on the empirical and theoretical work of Putnam, this exploratory article examines the subphenomenon of "gambling alone" by exploring sample survey data on solitary and social gambling behavior among adults who reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. Specifically, …

Perceived Impacts Of Gambling: Integration Of Two Theories, Deepak Chhabra, Dogan Gursoy

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

This study explores the race and educational attainment variations on resident perceptions and support for a proposed casino development. In addition, it investigates the influence of perceived benefits and costs on casino gambling support. The findings indicate that residents who are likely to receive personal benefits from gambling development tend to believe that its socioeconomic benefits outweigh the associated costs. Respondents' race is found to exercise a significant influence on their perceptions of benefits and costs, and casino development support. This study integrates two separate research streams of social exchange theory and social representation theory, and in doing so makes …

Internal Marketing: An Antidote For Macau's Labor Shortage, Sudhir H. Kale

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Gaming scholars the world over are in consensus about Macau's bright future as a gaming Mecca. The phenomenal growth in gaming facilities over the last three years has created an acute labor shortage in this Special Administrative Region of China. Moreover, around twenty additional gaming and hotel projects have been committed so far, all slated for completion in the next five years. Expansion on such massive scale will further intensify competition among employers to recruit and retain employees, particularly if the provincial government maintains its current restrictions on importing labor into the region. One, and arguably the only way to …

The Leader As Moral Agent: Praise, Blame, And The Artificial Person, Joseph Hester, Don Killian

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

The leader as the moral agent can be both a singular and a collective entity. Regardless, that individual or group of individuals must establish and live by a moral paradigm where self-respect and respect for co-workers is paramount. In essence, the moral agent must "lead by example." And it is not simply sufficient to choose the correct pathway but to care about choosing the correct pathway, stripping the decision-making process of disingenuous or superficial motives and injecting heart, concern, and passion for doing what is right.

Holistic Leadership: A Model For Leader-Member Engagement And Development, K. Candis Best

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Dr. Candis Best explores the theory of "holistic leadership" and further provides the model and framework for it to be empirically tested. At present, Best opines that holistic leadership produces leadership which supports the development of self-leadership capacity while preparing participating members for the exercise of increasing levels of self-determination and participatory decision-making.

Physician's Liability For Prescription Drugs, Albert Averbach

St. John's Law Review

No abstract provided.