Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gray Zones Of Modern Genocide, Megan Dale Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Italian-Jewish chemist and Holocaust survivor Primo Levi wrote in his work The Drowned and the Saved about the "Gray Zone," or holding place for all things difficult to categorize about his experiences in the Nazi camp Auschwitz. Because human tendency is to divide things in a rigid dichotomy, he argued, anything without a set role is brushed aside. I have extended this Gray Zone to include mutually shared situations from modern genocide including: the relationship of race/land to genocide, the "Forced Victim-Perpetrator" (victim forced to commit atrocities against his or her own people), and the complex international reaction to genocidal …

Structural Attributes Associated With The Prevalence Of Hate Groups: A State-Level Analysis, Paula Jean Kutneski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the number of hate groups increasing 54 percent since 2000, it is important to understand what is triggering these groups to form in geographical areas. The current study examined whether structural characteristics predicted the number of hate groups within a state. Using hate group listings from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report and U. S. Census data from 2000, this study explored a state's racial and ethnic heterogeneity, economic disadvantage, and regional location to explain hate group existence within that state. Employing correlations, Chi-Square analyses, multiple and logistic regressions, and a conjunctive analysis, this study found that a …

Quest For Quotidian: A National Survey Of Non-Heterosexual Attitudes Toward Marriage, Troy A. Mcginnis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Marriage equality remains a legal impossibility for same-sex couples in most states, and opponents are concerned that expansion of marriage to include gays and lesbians would radically redefine the institution. Findings from an online survey of lesbians, gays and bisexuals— a non-random sample of 466 adult men and women age 18 to 74 in 37 states— strongly suggest that many non-heterosexuals' attitudes reflect neither a radical departure from core definitions of marriage, nor a rejection of traditional "family values," but instead signal an assimilationist position favorable to traditional marriage norms rather than a liberationist position critical of the institution.

An Examination Of The Non-Gaming Nightlife Entertainment Sector Of Las Vegas Resort-Casinos, Jennifer Miyakubo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper provides an overview of the non-gaming nightlife entertainment sector of Las Vegas resort-casinos. Three qualitative interviews with executives of The Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, The Monte Carlo Las Vegas Resort and Casino, and The Mirage Las Vegas were conducted to examine their perceptions and needs in the industry. This paper examines the impact the current economic recession is having on the Las Vegas nightlife and also reveals what types of questions resort-casino operators want to know about their customer. This exploratory research is a useful preliminary step that helps ensure that a more rigorous, more conclusive future …

Targeting Youth—Hit Or Miss? Juvenile Certification In Clark County, Nevada Examined, Brittnie Turquoise Watkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Juvenile certification is the method by which a juvenile may be removed from juvenile court jurisdiction and placed in the adult criminal court jurisdiction. In many cases, juvenile courts exercise judicial certifications, in which a judge determines if the case will be heard in juvenile or adult court. Many factors influence a judge's determination of certification outcomes. Legal factors include dangerousness, amenability, and maturity of the youth. Extra-legal factors include race and sex. Although judges are believed to be impartial, prior research has found that these bias factors may influence outcomes. This study assesses what factors are influential in one …

Advance Practice Nurses Readiness To Change Assessment Methods In Parents Of Obese Children, Carolyn Leach

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The worldwide epidemic of child and adolescent overweight and obesity continues to increase at disturbing rates. Unhealthy dietary practice is one of multiple causative behaviors leading to child and adolescent overweight and obesity. This behavior can contribute to short and long-term health consequences. Parents are modulators in the development of children's dietary behavior practices. It is recommended clinical practice that pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) assess readiness to change behavior in parents of overweight or obese children. The components of the Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in correlation with the counseling style of Rollnick, Miller and Butler's methods of Motivational …

An Evaluation Of Group Differences In Mentoring Programs' Perceived Outcomes, Jennifer Sue Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Mentoring programs, like Big Brothers/Big Sisters (BBBS), focus on targeting at-risk youth in a preventative effort to increase pro-social behaviors as well as improving one's confidence, competence, and caring. These factors are important as they are indicative of the types of attachment bonds that insulate juveniles from delinquent behavior. Using data from a BBBS located in the Southeast part of the United States, the current study examined whether different groups of juveniles in mentoring programs are considered to be equally successful in promoting feelings of confidence, competence, and caring. Employing a series of one-way ANOVAs, no significant relationships were found …

Analyzing Policy Issues In Presidential Speeches And The Media: An Agenda-Setting Study, Jessica L. Hughes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For decades, researchers have maintained that the president has a significant role in setting the policy-making agenda. In this study, a grounded theory approach was applied to determine President George W. Bush's success in focusing the media's attention toward policies mentioned in his State of the Union Addresses (2002-2008). Bush's issue priorities were determined by coding individual paragraphs as themes. To identify the frequency of these same themes in the media, the front pages of The L.A. Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post were analyzed one week before and after each address. Coding was limited to every …

City Of Las Vegas Detention And Enforcement Commission On Accreditation Of Law Enforcement Accreditation Program Evaluation Report, Karen Kelly, Cecelia Mcneely, Sandy Seda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas Detention and Enforcement (CLVDE) is a highly efficient, professionally managed, unique law enforcement agency. The CLVDE has a multifaceted mission and is responsible for providing diverse law enforcement, patrol, code enforcement and support services for the City of Las Vegas. The agency is comprised of several operational divisions: A city Jail, an Animal Control division, Parking Enforcement and the Marshals (police). For many years, the CLVDE, has enjoyed the unique distinction of being a "Triple Crown" accredited agency1. The agency currently has attained accreditation status from several nationally recognized professional organizations such as: The American …

Program Evaluation Of Help Las Vegas Genesis Apartments, Shauna Davis, Bristol Ellington, Alexis Mussi, Jason Lamarr Wasden

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Our group conducted a program evaluation of HELP Las Vegas Genesis Apartments (HELP Genesis). We began the evaluation on November of 2008 and concluded May 2009. HELP Genesis is a permanent supportive housing facility for veterans and homeless with disabilities. It was a concern that they may be a transitional housing facility because of their turnover rate. We concluded that this was not the case.

We have identified the following limitations in our analysis. There was a lack of accessibility to the budget and accounting documents, limited access to key contacts for necessary information, and time constraints which prohibited us …

Adult Estimation, Eye Movements And Math Anxiety, Robert T. Durette

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this experiment the estimation ability of college undergraduates was examined using a number line task, with lines numbered 0-to-100, 0-to1,000 and 0-to-723 presented on a computer monitor. Previous research on kindergarteners' through 6^th graders' ability to estimate showed a progression from a logarithmic mental representation of numbers to a linear mental number line. Children's ability to estimate was found to correlate strongly with math achievement. We used this task to examine the hypothesis that remnants of the underlying logarithmic number line representation persist into adulthood despite formal educational experience with the number system (e.g. Dehaene, 1997). 0 to …

An Assessment Of Proposed Sex Offender Mobility And Residency Restrictions In Nevada, Samantha Dawn Beecher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research explores the impact of sex offender exclusion zones and residency restrictions proposed by Nevada Senate Bill 471. This law would prohibit sex offenders from being within 500 feet of places where children congregate and living within 1,000 feet of these places. Analyses conducted using Geographic Information Systems demonstrate the degree to which offender mobility, housing, employment, and access to social services may be restricted should the law be adopted and enforced. Data are also used to assess the potential impact of the law on victimization patterns. Policy implications, data limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

African American Parental Beliefs About Resiliency: A Delphi Study, Vita L. Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Resiliency is a concept that has been discussed in the fields of anthropology, psychology, sociology, and education for over 30 years. Most authors define resiliency as the ability to triumph over adversity. The term associated with children/youth who rise above negative situations is resilient. A subgroup of students who are disproportionately affected by negative perceptions from society and who often find themselves in negative situations are African American children/youth. It appears that these students encounter less social fit in school, have a higher propensity for at-risk behavior, and experience less favorable academic and social outcomes.

This study involved a Delphi …

Parasocial Relationships With Celebrities: An Illusion Of Intimacy With Mediated Friends, Amanda R. Laken

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research looked at parasocial interactions among college students. The study looked at the differences in gender and parasocial interaction, ethnicity/race and parasocial interaction, and the type of entertainment the celebrity was in and parasocial interaction. The research looked at celebrities as themselves and not as the characters they play as previous studies have. The research consisted of a revised parasocial interaction scale along with basic demographic questions. Although there have been studies examining levels of worship among different celebrities, they have been no correlations or differences stated concerning parasocial interactions. In addition, there has been no previous research stating …

City Of Las Vegas Detention And Enforcement Accreditation Evaluation Program, Daniel Bennett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas, Detention and Enforcement is a law enforcement organization that is significantly unique in its mission and organization. On March 15, 1982, the City of Las Vegas determined that, due to extreme overcrowding at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departments holding facility, it was time to create the Las Vegas Department of Detention and Correctional Services. As the population of Las Vegas continued to grow, the Las Vegas Department of Detention and Correctional Services also increased in both size and degree of responsibilities. In 1986, the Las Vegas Park Rangers were absorbed and became the law …

Getting On Track: Consolidating And Streamlining Positions At Clark County, Elaina Bhattacharyya, Kevin Cerny, Craig Christiansen, Elizabeth Muto

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For more than a decade, Clark County, Nevada was the fastest growing county in the nation and its government (and government services) rapidly expanded in an attempt to keep pace with the ever-increasing needs of County residents. In 1996, Clark County Human Resources (CCHR) endeavored to improve its managerial efficiency by reducing its number of position classifications and succeeded in collapsing some 1100 job classes down to 500. As the population boom continued well into the new millennium, the County was operating largely from a reactive position and experienced yet another spike in classifications; this time reaching 765 job classes …

Examining Compressed Speech Listening Measure With College Students Who Are Visually Impaired Or Blind, William J. Marks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Psychological assessments are a way of gaining some understanding of an individual in order to help make informed decisions (Sattler, 2001). These assessments offer potentially important and valuable information that can assist individuals with impaired vision in learning additional skills, improving deficient abilities, and in providing diagnostic information for future research. In addition, psychological assessments are frequently used to diagnosis a variety of psychological and learning disorders. Assessing individuals with impaired vision presents a variety of challenges from those encountered with the general population.

The current study provided an investigation into the relationship of the results of the compressed speech …

Functions And Correlates Of Deliberate Self-Harm Among Adjudicated Male Adolescents, Jenna Silverman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is self-inflicted physical injury without suicidal intent. Recent studies indicated that more adolescent males engage in DSH than previously identified. Research demonstrated that DSH is common in forensic settings and highly correlated with several mental health disorders. This study included 103 adjudicated male adolescents assessed for DSH and mental health concerns. Twenty-two participants with DSH history and 21 controls were interviewed about coping skills, mental health problems, and DSH functions. Results indicated that 66%, especially African American and Hispanic participants, reported DSH history. Participants with DSH history reported more aggression, emotional lability, alienation/boredom, and internalizing disorders but …

Health Motivation In Health Behavior: Its Theory And Application, Xiaoyan Xu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present research proposed a definition and a theoretical model of health motivation that consists of four stages: development of health motivation tendency, formation of health intention, initiation of health related action, and persistence in actions to achieve goals developed at the first stage. Based upon this model, two health motivation scales - the Health Motivation Scale in Physical Activities (HMS-PA) and Health Motivation Scale in Healthy Eating (HMS-HE) were developed. Two studies were conducted to validate the validity of the scores obtained by these two scales. Study 1 proposed a definition and a theoretical model of health motivation, as …

Notions Of Distance: Communication Constraints In Long-Distance Dating Relationships, Jenny Marie Farrell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study addressed communication constraints perceived by individuals in long-distance dating relationships (LDDRs) and how these constraints are managed. Internal constraints are identified within the boundaries of the individual or relationship and external constraints are those that originate from outside the boundaries of the individual or relationship. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 27 participants; ages ranged from 18-35. Participants reported perceiving 11 internal constraints (mediated communication, avoidance, talk habits, physical absence, emotions, view of outsiders, uncertainty and expectations, effort, notions of distance, visits, and miscellaneous) and five external constraints (schedules, social network, finances, and technology, miscellaneous). Participants reported managing …

The Curious Case Of Jim Mcgreevey, Justin Eckstein

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project examines the apologetic discourse surrounding James Edward "Jim" McGreevey's August 12, 2004 resignation as governor of New Jersey. A cursory reading of the allegations McGreevey faced reveals a curious incongruity between the initial accusations of corruption and his apologizing for being homosexual. In short, McGreevey stood accused of corruption for a number of terrible cabinet appointments. Yet, he apologized for being gay and having a "consensual" affair with his former director of Homeland Security, Golan Cipel. Through a close reading of the texts, I decipher how McGreevey's apology modified the public's understanding of the events that lead to …

The Effects Of Gaming On Residential Real Estate Prices And Sales: A Case Study Of Las Vegas: 1990--2008, Christopher Alan Miller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation empirically investigates the effects of the gaming industry on a local economy, specifically housing prices and sales in the city and surrounding areas of Las Vegas. This study explores many of the economic effects that Las Vegas' relatively unrestricted gaming industry has on surrounding home prices and sales and analyzes the specific forces and the issues they involve. As of this writing, little to no research has used seminal economic theories to analyze the effects of the performance of a locale's gaming industry on the surrounding residential real estate market. This study addresses this gap by examining the …

Parental Substance Abuse And Child Neglect: A Controlled Trial Of A Developed Treatment Manual, Valeria Romero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The maltreatment of children is a devastating social problem in the United States. Many researchers and child welfare workers believe the recent increase in child neglect is directly correlated to an increase in parental substance abuse. There is a strong relationship between child neglect and parental substance abuse; however there are limited treatments that address both issues simultaneously. The present case studies evaluated the efficacy of a newly developed Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) program for child neglect and parental substance abuse utilizing controlled single case methodology. The Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) program is an integration of two published FBT interventions; …

Zoroastrians On The Internet, A Quiet Social Movement: Ethnography Of A Virtual Community, Helen Gerth

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Zoroastrians today are a small but vibrant ethno-religious diaspora estimated at 130,000-258,000. They are members of the oldest monotheistic world religion originating in the Inner Asian steppes in approximately 1500 B.C. living as a religious minority in widely dispersed communities across the world. Increasingly they have turned to the Internet to discuss challenges of declining population, maintaining an ethno-religious identity, conversion, and intermarriage. The question grounding this research is how does this small ethno-religious minority maintain its boundaries and cohesion in the modern world? This study found that Zoroastrians maintain group boundaries and cohesion in the modern world, in part, …

Mental Illness, Co-Occurring Factors And Aggression As Examined In An American Prison, Stephanie Leigh Sullivan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the relationship between several factors which have been identified in previous research as co-occurring and risk relevant to aggressive behavior. Although many factors have been addressed independently for various reasons in other studies, this study looks at the unique combination of a select few of these variables and their relationship for propensity towards aggression. The results of this study show propensity towards aggression is significant for two specific mental health issues; anxiety, and history of severe head injury. Results also indicate that co-occurring factors are prevalent in this sample and those inmates with prior mental illness are …

Evaluating The Response Styles Theory Of Depression Using Descriptive Experience Sampling, Theresa A. Scott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Response Styles Theory of Depression states that there are two main responses to depression: distraction and rumination. Though it is believed distraction helps to alleviate feelings of dysphoria, the theory suggests rumination actually prolongs and intensifies episodes of depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1990, 1991). Rumination is also believed to play a role in the higher rates of depression seen in women (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1990, 1991). In 1987, Nolen-Hoeksema created the Response Styles Questionnaire (RSQ) as a measure to identify those who tend to use distraction or rumination as a psychological response to feelings of sadness or depression. The goal of this study …

Puebloan Plain-Weave Pointed/Rounded-Toe Sandals, David Toy Yoder

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An assemblage of 226 Puebloan pointed/rounded-toe sandals from sites throughout the northern Southwest was examined to answer the following questions: how were these sandals constructed, when where they used, and where were they distributed. The answers to these questions were then used to investigate cultural boundaries, communities of practice, and interaction among the Anasazi. Methods of analysis included a technical analysis, soft X-ray radiography, microscopic fiber identification, spatial analysis, AMS radiocarbon dating, and experimental reconstruction.

Based on these analyses it appears that pointed/rounded-toe sandals were used as early as A.D. 631 to as late as A.D. 1178. Spatially, this sandal …

Processes Of Disposition Development In K--5 Teachers, Deborah A. Obara

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Educators concur that teacher competency requires more than teaching knowledge and skills; competency requires appropriate professional dispositions. The development of professional dispositions is an expected outcome of teacher education programs. Since 2002, program accreditation has been contingent on documentation that prospective teachers have met national standards for dispositions. The body of educational research on disposition assessment has been growing. Research on disposition learning and development, however, has been impeded by the prevailing conceptualization of dispositions as fixed traits resistant to change. The present study conceptualized dispositions as malleable constructs within a theoretical framework that synthesized a cognitive model of thinking …

Diversity Issues In Recruitment And Retention Of Clients For Parenting Classes, Rachel Elizabeth Davis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Parenting skills classes are an effective means of preventing and remediating juvenile delinquency, youth violence, and child maltreatment. In particular, juvenile delinquency and child maltreatment disproportionately affect low-income African American families. Unfortunately, data from most parenting classes suggest dismal attendance and participation rates for racial- and ethnic-minorities from low-income backgrounds. The lack of effective recruitment may be due, in part, to the level of cultural competency inherent in the design, content, and implementation of existing parenting classes. Using semi-structured interviews and the qualitative methodology of grounded theory, this study explored the self-reported parenting beliefs, values, and struggles of a sample …

Patient-Focused Research: Examining The Psychotherapist As A Feedback Receiver, Michael Haderlie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The provision of feedback to psychotherapists regarding patient progress has been shown to produce improved therapy outcomes. However, little is known regarding therapists' responses to feedback. The current research examined novice therapists' perceptions of feedback based on the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45). It was hypothesized that feedback would be considered more valuable when it was negatively-valenced (i.e., indicated that patient response to therapy was worse than expected). Patients (N = 19) of 5 trainee psychotherapists completed the OQ-45 before each session. Therapists then received feedback and rated it based on several characteristics. As hypothesized, negatively-valenced feedback was rated as more valuable …