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Effects Of Fixed And Mixed Delays On Responding Under Variable-Interval Schedules, James E. Cook

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Delays to reinforcement are ubiquitous in the natural environment, where those delays often vary. Still, most research examining delayed reinforcement has focused only on fixed delays. Little research has examined the effects of variable delays. Nonresetting fixed and mixed delays to reinforcement were imposed on the responding of 4 pigeons previously maintained on a multiple variable-interval (VI) VI schedule of immediate reinforcement. Mixed delays consisted of two alternating delay values, the mean of which equaled the value of the fixed delay. A progressive delay procedure was used, in which delay durations increased across successive sessions. Conditions included using unsignaled (Mixed-Change) …

The Science Of Team Science: Exploring Principal Investigator Leadership Style And Team Collaboration Satisfaction, Stephenie K. Kennedy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationship between the leadership style of principal investigators (PIs) of interdisciplinary research teams at academic health science centers and the collaboration satisfaction of their team members. Two stage sampling was used. One hundred NIH-funded principal investigators at eight regional health science centers completed a team identification form, identifying their teams as interdisciplinary and providing the names and emails of team members. An online survey instrument that included a basic demographic questionnaire, the Bolman and Deal Leadership (Others) Survey, and the Collaboration and Transdisciplinary Integration Survey was then sent to team members. The sample used for analysis …

A Pilot Study To Develop A Cognitive Intervention To Support Dementia Caregivers: A Focus Group Of Caregivers Caring For Persons With Dementia As Informants, Abir K. Bekhet, Karie R. Kobiske

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Will A Confederate's Initial Decline Of Assistance Influence People's Willingness To Help Others?, Israel Vela

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Observational study testing the effect a confederate has on social influence. The study examined whether overhearing a prior refusal to assist from a confederate had an influence on a subsequent person’s willingness to help in time of need. Similarity characteristics between model and participant were also examined to determine if they contributed to an increased likelihood of helping. Observation was held at the University of Texas-Pan American and consisted of 60 male participants. Participants were approached, and asked for assistance, in two separate conditions: Experimental (confederate) condition (n=30) and Control (non-confederate) condition (n=30). Assistance was determined by a participant’s willingness …

The Effect Of Perceived Parental Style On Hispanic Adults Receiving Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment In South Texas, Elizabeth C. Palacios

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Hirschi's (1969) Social Control Theory proposes that parental relationships serve as a shielding factor and has positive impact in the decreasing delinquency (i.e. substance use/abuse) in young people. This theory provides a framework for understanding substance use/abuse in young adult populations. Other factors including gender, cultural influences, family composition and birth order were also examined in this study. The Drug Abuse Screening Test - 20 (Skinner, 1982), the Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991), and a demographic scale were utilized in a population of 182 adults in outpatient substance abuse treatment centers in South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast and areas in …

Estrategias Utilizadas En Aulas Bilingues En La Ensenanza De La Lectura En Espanol, Maria Marquez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Para este estudio se observaron las diferentes estrategias utilizadas en aulas bilingües en la enseñanza de la lectura en español. Asimismo, este estudio cualitativo observó las diferentes estrategias utilizadas por los maestros en los salones de clase bilingües donde se enfocó la lectura en español. La meta de este estudio es que los maestros bilingües del preescolar rebasen todos las expectativas de la enseñanza en la lectura, que estén capacitados para la enseñanza en español y que faciliten las estrategias de la lectura para promover la fluidez lectora. Las estrategias investigadas son aquellas que promueven la fluidez y la comprensión …

Increasing Student Engagement In The Middle School Classroom, Elisa V. Biancalana

Dissertations

There is a need to improve student engagement in the middle school classroom. This change plan seeks to determine the level of student engagement in the classroom using the Instructional Practices Inventory tool. Classroom walkthroughs will be conducted to determine the level of engagement in the classroom. The data collected during the walkthroughs will drive the professional development needed for teachers in order to be able to implement teaching strategies that increase the level of student engagement in the classroom. The effective implementation of this change plan will ensure that teachers will work collaboratively in order to design engaging instruction …

Tier 3 Intervention: Youth Courts, Ann O'Connor, Emily Moss, Jenna Strawhun, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Youth courts represent a promising approach to developing youth involvement in diminishing juvenile delinquency and substance abuse, and as such, represent a useful approach to crime and violence prevention. As with conflict resolution education and peer mediation programs, the potential benefit of youth courts is two-fold. First, it has the possibility of diminishing youth crime and recidivism directly through the sanctions imposed and restorative practices used. Secondly, it may affect a wider group of teens through the skills, training and experiences of the youth volunteers. Based on the evaluation data to date, the youth court program appears to be …

Rational Analysis Of The Adaptive And Predictive Nature Of Memory, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Thorsten Pachur, Lael J. Schooler

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In his target article, Klein (2013) makes the important point that many approaches to studying memory neglect the function of memory, in particular its capacity to help predict the future. Here, we complement Klein’s argument in two ways. First, we point to an existing and well-developed research program that formalizes a functional approach to memory, exploring its adaptive nature. Second, we illustrate how this approach can be applied to analyze regularities in social interactions, which memory might exploit to predict future interactions.

John R. Anderson and colleagues (Anderson and Milson, 1989, Anderson and Schooler, 1991, Anderson and Schooler, 2000 and …

Segregation, Inequality, Demographic Change, And School Consolidation, William England, Edmund T. Hamann

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

We describe a rural/micropolitan example of the intertwining of school consolidation and demographic change with exacerbated segregation and inequality. To do this we consider Dawson County, Nebraska, which hosts the state's most Latino/a school district (Lexington) and which saw its number of schools decline from 37 to 19 during this century's first decade, and the number of local school districts lessened from 18 to 5. In particular, we call attention to the irony that consolidation was pursued with an explicit call for more equality in schooling in Dawson County (Swidler 2013) and yet population concentrations and variation in expenditures seemed …

Dehumanization: As It Is Present Within Bullying Behaviors In An Anti-Bullying Program, Katelyn Amos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bullying is an aggressive act performed repeatedly on another enacting a power differential. This thesis utilized data collected from The Anti-Bullying Prevention Pilot Program (ABPPP), which studied bullying within eleven schools in a large metropolitan area in southwestern United States. The program was aimed to increase positive school climate through the use of Operation Respect and Welcoming Schools programs.

Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) and mixed methods approaches were used in order to analyze interviews and questionnaires. Grounded Theory analysis procedures were used to code the information, and thick descriptions were utilized to illustrate the occurrence of dehumanization among across four …

Developing Ethical Competence: The Perspective Of Nurse Educators From Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Programs Accredited By The Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education, Jennifer Lee Bartlett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nurses face ethically-charged situations every day, yet ethics education is not universally integrated into pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs. Like other forms of competence, ethical competence requires development. Nurse educators are poised to impact on the competence of their students, both defining the ethics content and designing students' exposure. The purpose of this study is to describe the concept of ethical competence from the perspective of baccalaureate nursing faculty and describe current methods of integration and evaluation of ethics education in pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs. This research will be conducted using a sequential (quantitative-qualitative) mixed method approach. The first phase of …

Examining The Relationships Between Internalizing And Externalizing Problems And Academic Achievement, Lara Elizabeth Conrad

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The relationship between internalizing and externalizing problems and academic achievement for children and adolescents has been inconclusive. Particularly the relationship between the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) reports of internalizing and externalizing problems and academic performance on the Woodcock-Johnson, Tests of Achievement, Third Edition (WJ-III:ACH). The current study examined the self and parent reports of internalizing and externalizing problems as measured by the BASC-2 and the relationship with academic skills as measured by the WJ-III:ACH. The referral source (private practice or school setting) was evaluated for severity of presenting internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Secondary data analysis was …

Investigating Potential Factors That Influence Recruitment For Parenting Skills Classes, Rachel Elizabeth Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Juvenile delinquency and child maltreatment are prevalent in the U.S., particularly among ethnic minority children. Although parent skills training is effective in preventing these problems, recruitment and retention rates of parents from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic minority groups are less than satisfactory. In a qualitative study of 13 high-risk African American mothers, Davis (2009) investigated the deterrents to recruitment and participation for parent skills training programs. The resulting theory, the Mothers Shouldn't Need Help Script, explicates the relationship between the beliefs reported by these mothers and participation in parenting skills classes. To build on these findings, the overarching purpose of …

Examining Household Identity Through Lithic Technology At The Harris Site, Justin Albert Demaio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Utilitarian technology is often studied by archaeologists to understand what specific functions and activities these items represent in a past population's daily life. However, it is important not to forget that technology manufacture, use, and discard is embedded in a social context. Flintknapping is a skill that requires close instruction and training so that the desired outcome can be achieved. This training requires daily mentoring from other individuals in the community, many times within one's own family. These daily interactions create learning frameworks through which craft knowledge is transmitted. Technological style and domestic processing activities can be used as an …

Second Language Gesture And Acculturation In Study Abroad Contexts, Christie Marie Gardner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Motivationis an integral part of learning; Gestures are an important aspect of human communication, and culture plays a significant role in shaping all of these human elements. This study explores the relationship betweensocial, cultural-historical activityand second language(L2) gesture acquisitionas student motivations both drive, and emanate from, the L2 learning process. Six American students participating in a study-abroad program in Chile were evaluated at three different levels of L2 proficiency (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) for L2 gesture articulations and motivational developments. During the semester-long investigation, three audio-video recorded interviews were conducted to observe L2 gestural behaviors, and two e-mail logs were …

"What's In A Name?": Heteroglossia And History In Native Alaskan Names, Shannon Hannahs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines Native Alaskan personal names and naming practices and how these names are being used to index cultural identity in Anchorage, Alaska. In order to do this, I follow Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of heteroglossia (1981), which states all words are populated with meaning from all of the contexts in which they have been used in the past. Native Alaskan personal names should be considered heteroglossic based on the Yup'ik/Cup'ik and Inupiaq beliefs that personal names are a type of soul that carries with it the characteristics of a person who uses it. When that person dies, the name-soul …

Managerial Behavioral Complexity And The Collegiate Registrar, Katherine Jeanette Humphreys

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Colleges often put an emphasis on the student experience and the student as a "customer" that should be courted, tracked, and understood. Yet, there are few academic studies that address the administrative roles that oversee the offices with direct student contact. All colleges have a registrar's office, or an office responsible for much of the institution's infrastructure from enrollment to graduation. Gunn & Backes (1992) point out, "In a climate where schools are competing for the best students, something as simple as making the registration system run smoothly and efficiently for the student can have major impacts, providing services that …

What Works In Suicide Bereavement: What Helps And What Hurts?, Quintin Hunt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Suicide is one of the most painful grief experiences that any family may experience. The suicide bereavement literature, though small, is replete with research that shows family and systemic impacts of suicide. The literature also includes constant calls for family- and systemic-based intervention as every part of society is impacted. Research in the field of marriage and family therapy, however, has ignored suicide and suicide bereavement almost entirely. The purpose of this qualitative study is to develop a more thorough understand of the grief that survivors of suicide experience and to systemically understand what helps and hurts the grieving process. …

Examining The Inner Experience Of Four Individuals With Bipolar Disorder Using Descriptive Experience Sampling, Johanah Kang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder with diagnostic criteria that provide a description of expected experiences of individuals diagnosed with BD (e.g., elevated mood, sadness, difficulty concentrating). Despite these criteria, the inner experience of these individuals is largely unknown. Understanding the inner experience of individuals diagnosed with BD may prove essential in understanding and treating BD. The present study examined the inner experience of four individuals diagnosed with BD using the Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) method (Hurlburt 1990, 1993, 2011). Results revealed all our participants had clear and prevalent experiences of sensory awareness. They also had difficulties apprehending and …

Vitamin D Status And Bone Mineral Density In Triathletes, Michelle Konstantarakis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purposes of this study were first to assess the vitamin D status and bone mineral density (BMD) in male and triathletes (N=15), female triathletes (N=13), and non-athletes (N=14), and to determine if circulating vitamin D was correlated with body composition, BMD, dietary calcium and vitamin D intake in triathletes. The second purpose was to determine if triathletes have a different level of serum vitamin D, body composition, BMD, dietary calcium and vitamin D intake then non-athletes. The third purpose was to determine if BMD was correlated with body composition (body mass, percent body fat, BMI) in triathletes.

Methods: …

Effects Of A Social Story Intervention With A Modified Perspective Sentence On Preschool-Age Children With Autism, Delilah Krasch

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Young children with autism often experience delays in social skills and social competence. These delays result in poor relationships and decreased social interactions and engagement, and eventually, social isolation and withdrawal. Social skills deficits are also correlated to behavioral and emotional difficulties. Addressing these delays is critical to minimize not only delayed social development, but also detrimental effects on academic learning and performance. Ensuring young children are proficient in a variety of prosocial skills is critical for favorable long-term outcomes and school success.

The purpose of this study was to use a multiple baseline design to determine whether a Social …

The Effects Of Self-Explanation And Reading Questions And Answers On Learning Computer Programming Language, Nancy Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current study explored the differential effects of two learning strategies, self-explanation and reading questions and answers, on students' test performance in the computer programming language JavaScript. Students' perceptions toward the two strategies as to their effectiveness in learning JavaScript was also explored by examining students' preferred strategy and the reasons for their choice. An online interactive tutorial instruction that implemented worked-examples and multimedia learning principles was developed for this study. A total of 147 high school students (ages ranging from 14 to 17) who were taking a Computer Introduction course participated in this study. The course was offered in …

Effects Of Pecs Phase Iii Application Training On Independent Mands In Young Children With Autism, Jessica June Love

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of PECS phase III application training on independent mands in young children with autism. Participants were five children with autism ranging from ages 2 to 4 years old. A multiple baseline across participants was used to evaluate acquisition of independent correct mands across baseline and treatment conditions during training with the PECS Phase III iPadTMapplication.

Data for Participant Four did not demonstrate experimental control directly, as he showed high levels of mands during baseline. The functional relationship for Participant One was questionable as she too likely learned to mand by …

Comparative Direct Democracy: A Study Of Institutions And Individuals, Donald D. Mirjanian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Do institutions matter? This dissertation examines the role of institutions in the context of comparative direct democracy. Through an institutionalist framework, this study considers how the context in which the mechanism of direct democracy is first introduced has an impact on later usage, and how individuals operate when constrained by those very institutions. In particular, I examine the cases of Italy, France, Uruguay, and Venezuela and find that the inclusion of direct democracy mechanisms (most commonly, the referendum device) is more likely to occur when previously excluded "out-groups" participate in constitutional formation. In addition, I find that institutional design is …

The Effects Of The Jccs Curriculum On Juveniles' Legal Knowledge, Competency, And Anxiety, Leslie Strasser Murdock

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current law requires that juveniles be competent to stand trial prior to their involvement as defendants in court. According to Dusky v. US, a defendant must have a rational and factual understanding of the court proceedings to be deemed competent to stand trial. Past studies call into question whether juveniles at any age could meet the understanding element of the standard articulated in Dusky v. US (1960). Additionally, youth with disabilities have less knowledge than their typical peers. Besides a lack of legal knowledge, court related anxiety has also been found to have a significant effect on youths going to …

Exploring The Changing Effects Of Individual Differences On Social Status Of Influence, Wonho Jeung

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social status and hierarchies of social status are ubiquitous. Because of this, they have been addressed in a great number of philosophical, theoretical, and empirical discussions across a variety of fields of studies. A primary focus of attention has been on the role of human agency, most notably trait theory (i.e., personality theory). Despite a number of studies in this topic, there have been two notable limitations in extant studies. First, previous studies have largely been based on a singular perspective in explaining social status, most representatively ability (e.g., intelligence) and personality traits (e.g., Big-Five personality traits). Second, extant studies …

Orchestral Tuba Audition Preparation: The Perspective Of Three Successful Teachers, Golden A. Lund

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Daniel Perantoni, Warren Deck, and Mike Roylance have played significant roles in developing students that have won orchestral tuba positions in recent decades. These three instructors are representative of the past 30 years in that the success of their students are tiered chronologically over that time period; Perantoni has had students winning orchestral positions since the 1980s, Warren Deck’s studio began flourishing in the 1990’s, and Mike Roylance’s students have been emerging since he began teaching in Boston in 2003.

The purpose of this study was to determine commonalities and differences between the three of these teachers. Their effectiveness was …

Assessments Of Student-Teacher Relationships In Residential Treatment Center Schools, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Amy B. Gonshak, Patrick Pössel, Andrew Nichols, Natalie Stipanovic

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Students in residential treatment center (RTC) schools are likely to have histories of extreme or ongoing relational trauma (e.g., abuse and neglect by primary caregivers), have substantial interpersonal and relationship problems, and exhibit many high-risk behaviors. Accordingly, these students may have particular difficulty forming positive relationships with teachers, yet student-teacher relationship quality in RTC schools has not been empirically studied. This study examines links between RTC school students’ assessments of their relationships with teachers and their perceptions of self and others. Participants were 113 students in 2 RTC schools from 5th to 12th grade. Results indicate that male and female …

Little Rituals, Bruce Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The following stories represent what I have accomplished in my three-and-a-half years in the Master of Fine Arts-Fiction program at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. They are all realist stories, most of them with a minimalist leaning. Together for the first time, they are more than a mere sum of the writing I've done in my time in the MFA program. They are the stories that, when I read them now, still occasionally delight me. Most of the stories that I wrote as an MFA candidate do not pass this test, and thus are not included here. If there is …