Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Wilderness Therapy And Spirituality, Lauren Elizabeth Rothwell

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Wilderness therapy is a therapeutic process intended for young people struggling with a variety of mental health concerns. There is limited research about this rapidly growing treatment modality, but what is known is that wilderness therapy seems to be one of the best way to positively effect young people because of the research regarding recidivism rates, symptom reduction and client/parent reports. Specifically within wilderness therapy research, this study looks at the possibility of spirituality as a factor of the wilderness therapy process. Spirituality also seems to be a concept that has crept into therapeutic work at a rate ahead of …

"Bearing The Weight Of A Mother's Mood" : Does A History Of Depression Influence A Woman's Attitudes About Having Children?, Beth Sadavoy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study attempted to answer the question of whether there is a relationship between a woman's history of depression and her feelings and attitudes about having children. No research has been done on this precise topic; therefore this study was also intended to ascertain whether this issue was substantial enough to warrant further research and investigation. A mixed method online 16-item questionnaire was completed by 66 participants, 60 of whom met inclusion criteria and were included in the findings. Two qualitative questions were included in order to illuminate the quantitative data. Participants were asked about their experience with depression, interest …

Born Of Our Fathers : Patrilineal Descent, Jewish Identity, And The Development Of Self, Elizabeth A. Sosland

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explores the ways in which disagreement within the American Jewish community regarding the legitimacy of patrilineal descent impacts the identity development of Jewish children born of Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers. Twelve participants who self-identify as Jewish, were born to Jewish fathers, and cannot trace their Jewish descent through matrilineal bloodlines were interviewed for this qualitative, exploratory study. Data was gathered about the ways in which this population is internally impacted by this community disagreement, specifically in regard to their development, understanding, and maintenance of self. Findings of this study indicate that there is a strong connection between …

Swimming Upstream : Navigating The Complexities Of Erotic Transference, Stacey A. Spilly

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The focus of this study is to examine therapists' subjective experience of erotic transference and determine what clinical skills and techniques are useful for managing such encounters. The purpose of the study is to answer the following questions using qualitative interviews: How do clinicians' reactions to erotic transference impact the therapeutic relationship? Also, how do clinicians formulate and symbolize aspects of the erotic transference? The participants were thirteen clinicians who practiced some form of therapy in the Bay Area of California. The sample included psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, PhD psychologists, and clinical social workers. Given this subject matter is …

How Do Clinical Social Workers Stay Enthusiastic About Their Work?, Kimberly Stasny

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was an inquiry into how clinical social workers remain enthusiastic about their work. A mixed-methods approach was used to survey 63 clinical social workers in the United States; the majority living in eastern Massachusetts. The sample was 75% female and 25% male, 90% Caucasian and 10% minority or undisclosed racial identity. Participants self reported their current enthusiasm level, what in particular fosters and interferes with that level, and what activities were frequent in their life. Additionally, the abridged form of the Job Descriptive Index and the Job In General survey was added to also assess job satisfaction. The …

Adult Support For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer And Questioning (Lgbtqq) Youth In High School, Amanda Louise Starfield

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The present study explored how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth seek and gain support from adults in high school. A convenient snowball sample of forty-four LGBTQQ youth was gathered through email. The email contained a link to a questionnaire designed based on previous research and administered through Survey Monkey. Participants were required to meet three inclusion criteria: be between the ages of 18-27, 'out' as a member of the LGBTQQ community for a minimum of 1 year in high school, sought support from an adult in high school on an issue related to sexual orientation. The …

Self Psychology At Work In Trauma Therapy, Heidi Griffin Street

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical thesis examines self psychology and trauma theory, specifically Judith Herman's Trauma and Recovery. A brief history of the psychodynamic study of the influence of trauma on mental illness will be given to orient the present discussion in the field of psychodynamic theory. Major concepts of self psychology, such as selfobject, mirroring, idealization and twinship will be reviewed. Herman's stages of recovery for the trauma survivor, namely establishing safety, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection will be summarized. I will then present my understanding of trauma as anti-mirroring behavior, trauma's ability to corrupt the idealized, and the twinship qualities of …

Shades Of Gray : Lesbian Therapists Explore The Complexities Of Self-Disclosure To Heterosexual Clients, Molly Caitlin Thomas

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the ways in which lesbian therapists negotiate self-disclosure of their sexual identity—or come out—to heterosexual clients and how such disclosures, or non-disclosures, affect the therapeutic relationship as well as the therapists' personal and professional identities. Twelve lesbian licensed clinical social workers were interviewed for this study. Participants were questioned about their self-disclosure practices of sexual identity with heterosexual clients, how factors such as their work environment and aspects of their social identity shaped their thinking and practice of self-disclosure of sexual identity, and the extent to which issues of heterosexism …

Perspectives On Severe, Adult Child Molesters : A Look At Their Adult Attachment Styles, Use Of Pornograhjy, And Chaoes In Families-Of-Origin, Jennifer Lynne Trebby

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Abstract 1: Many researchers have commented on the insecure attachment styles common to sexual offenders. Models have been created to account for the role attachment plays in an individual's movement towards sex offending behaviors, and all suggest a complex relationship that may not be stable throughout the lifespan. A few researchers have explored the current, adult attachment styles of sex offenders in order to answer questions about differences both within the group, within the larger group of criminals, and in comparison to the general population. Both the fearful-avoidant style and the preoccupied style have previously been shown to be prevalent …

Effect Of Religiosity On The Selection Of Life Long Mate In Pentecostal Adult Church Attendees, Sanya Kalle Unis

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to examine whether a relationship existed between biblical teachings, religiosity, professional status, age and faith and mate selection among adult Pentecostal church attendees. A secondary finding of the study was the exploration of whether Pentecostals belief in their relationship with God and the Holy Spirit affected the kind of mate they chose as measured by the 5-point desirability scale. A modified version of the Gough's Marital Preference Questionnaire was made available through the World Wide Web, including a link that solicited participation in the study. The researcher also made the survey available on a social interest …

The Healthy Solitary Person, Laurel Lynn Shortell

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This thesis explored the concept of the healthy solitary person who prefers to spend time alone and pursue activities independently and whose independent way of life serves as a source of strength and pleasure. Despite the American ideal of the rugged individualist, the solitary person is often pathologized, seen as being in a transitional state, or not considered at all by much of the psychological literature and by American society at large. This paper examined the societal role played by solitude and drew from self psychology and object relations theory to answer the following question: how can a solitary lifestyle …

The Effect Of Gay Visual Exemplars On Issue Perceptions In Newspaper Reports, Anita Atwell

Communication Theses

Visual implicit propositioning suggests that exemplars can activate stereotypes regarding social group members, affecting how individuals may perceive issues presented in a news format. This experiment sought to test the main tenet of visual implicit propositioning by examining how gay exemplars affect social estimate perceptions associated with the mortgage crisis and support for programs that would help homeowners refinance their mortgages. One hundred and ninety heterosexual college students read a news story featuring recent the mortgage crisis with a gay male couple, a heterosexual couple or a house and reported their perceptions related to various social groups. Gay exemplars did …

Guide To Cataloging Playaway Devices Based On Aacr2 Chapters 6 And 9, Heidi Frank, Bill Anderson, Joe Bartl, Robert B. Freeborn, Jay Weitz

OLAC Publications and Training Materials

Playaway devices were developed in 2005 by Findaway World LLC. (http://store.playawaydigital.com/). A Playaway is described as a “self-playing digital audio book” and is a device that contains a pre-loaded audio file in a proprietary format called ACELP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algebraic_Code_Excited_Linear_Prediction). The device requires one AAA battery and a set of earphones for playback and listening. Playaways contain almost exclusively spoken word recordings, but some musical content is available as well. According to the distributor, the focus of Playaways will remain audiobooks. Given the nature of a Playaway device, these materials include aspects of both sound recordings and electronic resources. They should be …

Sex Differences In Morphine Analgesia And The Descending Modulation Of Pain, Dayna Ruth Loyd

Psychology Dissertations

Morphine is the most widely prescribed opiate for alleviation of persistent pain; however, it is becoming increasingly clear that morphine is less potent in women compared to men. Morphine primarily binds mu opioid receptors, which are densely localized in the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG). Anatomical and physiological studies conducted in the 1960s identified the PAG, and its projections to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) and spinal cord dorsal horn, as an essential neural circuit mediating opioid-based analgesia. Remarkably, the majority of studies since then were conducted in males with the implicit assumption that this circuit was the same in females; …

Making Sense Of Village Politics In China: Institutions, Participation, And Governance, Xinsong Wang

Political Science Dissertations

How do democratic institutions function in authoritarian states? This study answers this question by examining the political institutions in rural China ¨C democratic elections of villagers committees and village oversight agencies. Using a nationwide survey on China¡¯s villager self-governance conducted in 2005 and in-depth case data collected in 2007 and 2008, this study finds that rural political institutions have significantly changed the political processes in China¡¯s countryside. The quality of village elections and the functioning of oversight agencies such as villager representative assemblies and financial supervision teams all have been crucial to affect the level of electoral participation and the …

Linking Social Support And Sexual Interest Among Older Adults In Intimate Romantic Relationships, Jennifer Leigh Griffith

Gerontology Theses

This study examines social support and sexual interest among coupled persons aged 57 to 85 in North America. Using quantitative data from the 2006 National, Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (n = 3,005), the dependent variable is sexual interest and the independent variable is social support received from an intimate partner. Using survey and quantitative interview data, I analyze social support older couples receive from their partner, sexual interest, health status, marital status, and gender. In my analysis, I predict that higher levels of social support will positively affect levels of sexual interest, with health, relationship status, and gender …

How Home-Based Clinicians Assess And Assist Parent(S) Who Experience Changes In Family Dynamics Post Discharge Of Their Pre-Latency/Latency Age Child's First Psychiatric Hospitalization, Ashley Shannon Logee

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examined clinicians' perceptions of changes in family dynamics post discharge of a psychiatrically hospitalized child. The ways in which clinicians assessed and assisted parents was also explored. Interviews were conducted with twelve home-based clinicians who presented one case involving a hospitalized child, the changes in family dynamics they observed, and what treatment interventions were used. The findings showed that eleven out of the twelve children were hospitalized due to aggressive behavior (yelling, throwing objects, pushing) and that they remained hospitalized for one week to three months. Clinicians found that the majority of parents experienced relief during the hospitalization, …

Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of The Foster Care System And The Children In Its Care, Irja Carol. Peck

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Elementary school teachers' perception of children in the foster care system and the foster care system was investigated. The perceptions were gathered by conducting a single individual 45 to 90 minute interview on 12 different teachers, who taught grades ranging from pre-kindergarten to the fifth grade. All teachers were identified as having a student that was currently in the foster care system during the previous or current academic year. Teachers studied reported an in-depth understanding of the challenges emotionally, socially, and academically that children in the foster care face. Teachers interviewed were found to have a greater understanding of the …

What Is Culture? What Is Compentency? What Is Latino? : An Exploratory Study Of Clinicians' Perceptions And Practice Of Cultural Competency With Latino Clients, Saralyn Marie Masselink

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The objective of this study was to explore how clinicians conceptualize and practice cultural competency with Latino clients. This study is qualitative and exploratory in design, and based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 licensed clinicians in the Los Angeles area; experience in the field while licensed ranged from 1.5 years to 27 years. The study also investigated how clinicians perceived their own cultural identities influencing clinical work, and the relationship between culturally-specific knowledge and cultural competency. The literature review outlines a social constructionist concept of culture as appropriate for culturally competent practice, and investigates the usefulness of traditional concepts …

An Exploration Of Factors Associated With Reentry Adjustment Of U.S. Foreign Service Spouses, Sharon M. Maybarduk

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to provide information about U.S. Foreign Service spouse reentry adjustment in the published social work literature. The purpose is to inform social workers and others working with spouses and repatriates regarding the reentry phenomenon and to inform the development of intervention strategies in working with repatriates and their families in other occupations requiring extended overseas stays. One hundred fifty-eight Foreign Service spouses who are members of the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW), a Foreign Service spouse organization, responded to a mixed method questionnaire covering a range of reentry issues. These issues included demographic …

A Survey Of Clinicians' Use Of Touch And Body Awareness In Psychotherapy, Anastasia D. Mcrae

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

A national purposive expert convenience sample of approximately 164 licensed, practicing mental health professionals responded to an anonymous online survey regarding the use of touch and body awareness in their treatment with clients. This study sought to answer the question of the effects of training, whether during the course of study to become a mental health professional or in a specific formalized body-oriented modality, on the attitudes and behavior of clinicians towards their use of touch and body awareness in psychotherapy treatment. The findings showed that training in the use of touch or body awareness does influence positive attitudes toward …

Deconstructing White Privilege : Social Variables That May Affect White Males' Race Identity Development, Karen Christine Nelson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed method study explored aspects of White privilege that may affect White males' White racial identity development (WRID). Janet Helm's White Racial Identity Attitudes Scale was used along with nominal demographic information and five open-ended questions. WRID has been identified as an aspect of identity that determines one's ability to dismantle racism and internalize a positive White identity. This researcher did not hypothesize that specific demographic data would yield specific results; however, the literature implies that those with the multi agent status are less likely to develop a sophisticated White racial identity. Fifty-four White adult males were surveyed to …

Embodied Practice : Do Social Work Therapists Explore Client Strengths As Expressed In The Lived Experience Of The Body?, Duncan Nichols

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to explore how seven social work therapists attend to client strengths, with an emphasis on embodied experience and embodied strengths where competency and resourcefulness are experienced. Besides asking questions about the obvious markers of a person's physical experience (hobbies, work, etc.), questions about the psychoanalytic concept of body-self and attributes of certain popularized mind/body approaches or techniques social work therapists may use were also posed. Workers, whose practices are in community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, medical and private practice settings, provided experience-near narrative data. Major findings were workers' belief in the clinical value of using a …

In Whose Mirror : A Comparative Analysis Of The Conceptualization And Treatment Of Pathological Narcissism, Using Modern Analysis And Self Psychology, Heather Novack

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Pathological narcissism is an emotional disorder clinical social workers are likely to encounter. Psychodynamically oriented social workers have access to a variety of models to structure the treatment of narcissistic individuals. Self-Psychology and Modern Analysis are two analytic treatment models which serve to explain and treat this exact clinical population. The two models define narcissism extremely differently which ultimately impacts each theory's understanding of the developmental trajectory, treatment implications, and the definition of a successful treatment experience. Ultimately, the two models serve to treat two different clinical populations. The two theories are also not equally applicable in social work settings.

Strengthening The Capacity Of Helping Professionals To Provide Psychosocial Support To Communities Affected By Armed Conflict : The Evaluation Of One Program, Arden Elise O'Donnell

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored the transferring of skills, knowledge, and awareness of trainees in a Training-of-Trainers program in Northern Uganda, which was aimed at strengthening the capacity of helping professionals to provide psychosocial support to communities affected by armed conflict. Through the examination of a series of questionnaires administered to the trainees, this paper assesses how the direct transfer of knowledge and skills changed to awareness for trainees over time. This study also addresses how these findings contribute to a greater understanding of the model as well as suggestions surrounding the implications of the transfer of the model across the fields …

Forget Me Not : A Retrospective, Exploratory Study Of Daughters Caring For A Mother With Alzheimer's Disease, Pamela Sloane Rich

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of daughters who were a caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer's disease. In particular, women were surveyed about their experiences surrounding relationships, grief and loss, difficulties and role reversal. Additionally, participants were asked about possible family conflict and positive experiences that occurred as a result of caring for one's mother. 11 women were interviewed for this qualitative study. Open-ended questions were used in order for participants to provide narrative, descriptive accounts of their caregiving experiences. Additionally, participants were given the opportunity to provide thoughts on experiences not addressed in the …

Buddhist Philosophy And Practices As Applied To Unlearning Racism, Chara Joy Riegel

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to explore the applicability of Buddhist philosophy and practices to unlearning racism and to anti-racism work. The research was a fixed method, descriptive, qualitative study with a sample of 21 individuals who professed a connection to Buddhism and interest or experience in anti-racism work. Through an e-mailed survey, participants were asked several questions exploring the relevance of Buddhist teachings and practices to anti-racism work and to their own personal journeys of unlearning racism, as well as the relevance of body-based, Buddhist practices that could be applied to unlearning the effects of racism in the body. The …

What If They Think I'M Crazy : Clinical Interventions To Help Adolescents Manage Stigma Following A Psychiatric Hospitalization, Megan L. Mckenna

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative empirical study explores how mental health professionals intervene to help adolescents manage stigma following a psychiatric hospitalization. Twelve clinicians from Northeast public school, state department of mental health, and psychiatric hospital settings were interviewed and asked a series of questions about how they support teens in combating social stigma as they return to their communities. Interview questions addressed a variety of issues pertaining to stigma, including exploring how mental health professionals support adolescents in managing the disclosure process, assessing what resources are particularly helpful for teens in this position, and addressing differences in marginalization based on the visibility …

Differences In Impact Factor Across Fields And Over Time, Benjamin M. Althouse, Jevin D. West, Ted C. Bergstrom, Carl T. Bergstrom

Ted C Bergstrom

The impact factor of an academic journal for any year is the number of times the average article published in that journal in the previous two years are cited in that year. From 1994-2005, the average impact factor of journals listed by the ISI has been increasing by an average of 2.6 percent per year. This paper documents this growth and explores its causes.

Energizing Renewable Technology: Policy, Permitting & Politics, Kathleen Drakulich

UNLV Renewable Energy Symposium

The 2008 UNLV Renewable Energy Symposium was presented by the Office of Strategic Energy Programs and co-sponsored by the Division of Research and Graduate Studies on August 20, 2008 on the UNLV campus.

The event focused on renewable energy production in Nevada, the US Southwest, and renewable research projects nationwide. It was a great opportunity for anyone working on renewable projects to collaborate with others in this field and exchange information. Over 230 individuals attended the event this year.