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- Title
- Infection Control and Health Care Associated Infection (HCAI) in the Nursing Home: A Study to Determine the Impact of an Educational Video and Pamphlet About Infection Control on Knowledge and Perception of Hand Hygiene in Certified Nurse Assistants.
- Creator
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Hypes, Kathe, Blackwell, Christopher, Covelli, Maureen, Winton, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The impact of an education program on perception, knowledge, and infection rate was evaluated in this study. The educational intervention consisted of a video on infection control and a World Health Organization (WHO) pamphlet for hand hygiene. The study was conducted in one nursing home in the Southeastern United States. The survey sample consisted of 66 certified nurse assistants (CNAs). A pre- and post-intervention design was employed using the WHO's Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire...
Show moreThe impact of an education program on perception, knowledge, and infection rate was evaluated in this study. The educational intervention consisted of a video on infection control and a World Health Organization (WHO) pamphlet for hand hygiene. The study was conducted in one nursing home in the Southeastern United States. The survey sample consisted of 66 certified nurse assistants (CNAs). A pre- and post-intervention design was employed using the WHO's Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire and the WHO Perception Survey. Friedman's test and central tendencies showed no statistical relationship between the educational intervention and the overall knowledge scores of the sample. There also were no statistical differences in perception of hand hygiene in the CNA sample. Infection frequency was reduced with a percent change of -42%. While results of knowledge and perception surveys were not statistically significant, multiple conclusions were derived to suggest that educational opportunities may impact hand hygiene practice in CNAs and lead to a decrease in infection.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004551, ucf:49239
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004551
- Title
- Infectious Disease Risks in Developing Countries: A Non-Market Valuation Exercise.
- Creator
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Samajpati, Shreejata, Gerking, Shelby, Dickie, Mark, Caputo, Michael, Roy, Joyashree, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This dissertation focuses on the non-market valuation of health-risks of malaria, an infectious disease that imposes a substantive public health burden across the globe, hitting particularly hard the tropical developing nations of Africa and Asia. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals include malaria control as a priority and large investments are underway to promote effective prevention and treatment. Despite such concerted supply-side efforts, malaria-related mortality and...
Show moreThis dissertation focuses on the non-market valuation of health-risks of malaria, an infectious disease that imposes a substantive public health burden across the globe, hitting particularly hard the tropical developing nations of Africa and Asia. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals include malaria control as a priority and large investments are underway to promote effective prevention and treatment. Despite such concerted supply-side efforts, malaria-related mortality and morbidity still abound due to a complex interface of factors like climate-change, poverty, inadequate control behavior, infection and prevention externalities, parasite resistance etc. This research project digs into the demand-side of the health problem, considers the "externality" dimension to prevention, and primarily asks the question: how do individuals in developing countries view competing disease-control (prevention) measures, viz. a publicly-administered community-level malaria control measure as against private preventive choices. A theoretical model is developed to help explore the public-private interplay of health risks of malaria. The malaria-endemic regions of Kolkata (India) and its rural fringes comprise the site for an empirical investigation. A field survey (Malaria Risk and Prevention Survey, October-December, 2011) incorporating a mix of stated and revealed preference techniques of health valuation is implemented. Risk-perceptions of respondents are elicited using a measurable visual-aid and individuals' perceived valuations of health-risk reductions, randomly offered with the public and private health treatments, are empirically ascertained. Using a Likelihood Ratio Test on the structural risk parameters, it is seen that individuals' valuations of health risk reductions are the same across the private and public treatments. The comparative valuation exercise, thus, corroborates the externality dimension to malaria control, calling for greater public action to combat malaria. The viability of such a scaled-up public malaria program, in the context of Kolkata, is discussed by comparing the public treatment willingness to pay estimates with the annual estimated costs that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the civic body in the city of Kolkata, maintains on account of vector control. Results from the comparative valuation exercises also support the idea that private prevention is generally responsive to prevention costs, indicating the importance of price incentives to induce greater prevention. The issues of health valuation and price sensitivity are further explored across various split-samples differentiated on the basis of socio-economic attributes, disease exposure, actual prevention efforts and perceived malaria risks of survey respondents. Such auxiliary exercises help analyze the valuation question in greater depth, and generate policy insights into the potential factors that shape private prevention behavior.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004594, ucf:49195
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004594
- Title
- Building a Workable Model for Youth Theatre: An Exploration into a Courageous and Complex Field.
- Creator
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Engstrom, Megan, Brotherton, Mark, Ingram, Katherine, Listengarten, Julia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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As an active director of productions featuring youth actors, I find myself debating the same questions continuously: Are there clear and demonstrated differences between working with young people and adults when directing a youth theatre production? Are there approaches and methods of working with young people that differs greatly from working with adults? Are these methods supported and utilized by those working professionally in the field? Is there an ideal format for a theatre producing...
Show moreAs an active director of productions featuring youth actors, I find myself debating the same questions continuously: Are there clear and demonstrated differences between working with young people and adults when directing a youth theatre production? Are there approaches and methods of working with young people that differs greatly from working with adults? Are these methods supported and utilized by those working professionally in the field? Is there an ideal format for a theatre producing only productions with youth? I believe that directing young actors tends to require a shift in focus due to the pliability, sensitivity, and inexperience of the actors. I feel the director must take into account the emotional, developmental, and educational needs of the young people and at the same time remain focused on the creation of a product with artistic integrity and clear storytelling. Due to the didactic nature of Youth Theatre, directing young people often requires an awareness of process over product despite the similar end goal of directing adults.Since little research or literature exists about the differences between working with adults versus young people, I will pursue information by interviewing several recognized professionals in the field of Theatre by and for Youth. I will examine their multiple methods, techniques, and practices of working with young people. In addition, I will use my personal experience working with youth at the Orlando Repertory Theatre in Florida and Coterie Theatre in Missouri. Through an investigation into the emerging field of Youth Theatre coupled with my education, I plan to develop a workable and effective youth theatre company based upon these findings with the hope it might inspire others working in this field.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004107, ucf:49101
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004107
- Title
- Ray Collection Bounding Volume Hierarchy.
- Creator
-
Rivera, Kris, Pattanaik, Sumanta, Heinrich, Mark, Hughes, Charles, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis presents Ray Collection BVH, an improvement over a current dayRay Tracing acceleration structure to both build and perform the steps necessary toefficiently render dynamic scenes. Bounding Volume Hierarchy (BVH) is a commonlyused acceleration structure, which aides in rendering complex scenes in 3D spaceusing Ray Tracing by breaking the scene of triangles into a simple hierarchicalstructure. The algorithm this thesis explores was developed in an attempt ataccelerating the process...
Show moreThis thesis presents Ray Collection BVH, an improvement over a current dayRay Tracing acceleration structure to both build and perform the steps necessary toefficiently render dynamic scenes. Bounding Volume Hierarchy (BVH) is a commonlyused acceleration structure, which aides in rendering complex scenes in 3D spaceusing Ray Tracing by breaking the scene of triangles into a simple hierarchicalstructure. The algorithm this thesis explores was developed in an attempt ataccelerating the process of both constructing this structure, and also using it to renderthese complex scenes more efficiently.The idea of using "ray collection" as a data structure was accidentally stumbledupon by the author in testing a theory he had for a class project. The overall scheme ofthe algorithm essentially collects a set of localized rays together and intersects themwith subsequent levels of the BVH at each build step. In addition, only part of theacceleration structure is built on a per-Ray need basis. During this partial build, theRays responsible for creating the scene are partially processed, also saving time on theoverall procedure.Ray tracing is a widely used technique for simple rendering from realistic imagesto making movies. Particularly, in the movie industry, the level of realism brought in tothe animated movies through ray tracing is incredible. So any improvement brought tothese algorithms to improve the speed of rendering would be considered useful and welcome. This thesis makes contributions towards improving the overall speed of scenerendering, and hence may be considered as an important and useful contribution.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004160, ucf:49063
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004160
- Title
- Three essays on applications of intrahousehold resource allocation models.
- Creator
-
Pamornpathomkul, Santikorn, Dickie, Mark, Gerking, Shelby, Scrogin, David, Rutstrom, Elisabet, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This dissertation consists of three chapters on the topic of intrahousehold resource allocation models. The first chapter tests the unitary and general collective models of intrahousehold resource allocation for various household compositions. I find that, for the quasi-quadratic Engel curve specification, the overall results support the previous findings in the literature that the unitary model fails to explain how resources are allocated for all household types. However, when using the...
Show moreThis dissertation consists of three chapters on the topic of intrahousehold resource allocation models. The first chapter tests the unitary and general collective models of intrahousehold resource allocation for various household compositions. I find that, for the quasi-quadratic Engel curve specification, the overall results support the previous findings in the literature that the unitary model fails to explain how resources are allocated for all household types. However, when using the QUAIDS specification, the results can reject the unitary model only for smaller-sized households. The general collective model, on the other hand, cannot be rejected in either quasi-quadratic or QUAIDS and not in any of the household compositions. Overall, the results support the general collective model of household behavior rather than the unitary model.The second chapter derives and tests restrictions imposed by the collective model for households with more than two decision-makers in the absence of price variation. It extends the two-decision-maker model in chapter one to derive the testable restrictions for households with multiple decision makers using unconditional demand systems. Moreover, for comparison, a particular type of demand system that is conditional on distribution factors is also estimated as an alternative way to test the collective model. The results show that neither unconditional nor conditional demand systems can reject Pareto efficiency. Therefore, both approaches provide consistent outcomes supporting the hypothesis that the multiple-decision-maker households in Thailand behave in the Pareto efficient manner predicted by the collective model.Finally, my third chapter attempts to examine how one can exploit household-level consumption data to recover information about individual household members for situations with no price variation. By combining consumption data from single and couple households, I am able to estimate the resource shares and indifference scales (a variation of the standard equivalence scales in the collective settings) for each household member via a system of Engel curves. The results show that, in Thailand, wives are likely to have higher resource shares than husbands in the married-couple households, while wives with higher education have the ability to extract more household resources. However, resource shares for wives are smaller for older-married compared to younger-married couples. Moreover, if a female were to live alone, she would need approximately three-quarters of the couple's income to reach the same indifference curve, and hence the same standard of living, that she would attain as a wife in the married-couple household.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004150, ucf:49057
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004150
- Title
- XML: Beyond the Tags.
- Creator
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Meloy, Christopher, Applen, John, Kamrath, Mark, McDaniel, Thomas, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
XML is quickly being utilized in the field of technical communication to transfer information from database to person and company to company. Often communicators will structure information without a second thought of how or why certain tags are used to mark up the information. Because the company or a manual says to use those tags, the communicator does so. However, if professionals want to unlock the true potential of XML for better sharing of information across platforms, they need to...
Show moreXML is quickly being utilized in the field of technical communication to transfer information from database to person and company to company. Often communicators will structure information without a second thought of how or why certain tags are used to mark up the information. Because the company or a manual says to use those tags, the communicator does so. However, if professionals want to unlock the true potential of XML for better sharing of information across platforms, they need to understand the effects the technology using XML as well as political and cultural factors have on the tags being used. This thesis reviewed literature from multiple fields utilizing XML to find how tag choices can be influenced. XML allows for the sharing of information across multiple platforms and databases. Because of this efficiency, XML is utilized by many technologies. Often communicators must tag information so that the technologies can find the marked up information; therefore, technologies like single sourcing, data mining, and knowledge management influence the types of tags created. Additionally, cultural and political influences are analyzed to see how they play a role in determining what tags are used and created for specific documents. The thesis concludes with predictions on the future of XML and the technological, political, and cultural influences associated with XML tag sets based on information found within the thesis.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004138, ucf:49067
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004138
- Title
- Impulsivity and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Testing competing predictions from the working memory and behavioral inhibition models of ADHD.
- Creator
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Raiker, Joseph, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Impulsivity is a hallmark of two of the three DSM-IV ADHD subtypes and is associated with myriad adverse outcomes. Limited research, however, is available concerning the mechanisms and processes that contribute to impulsive responding by children with ADHD. The current study tested predictions from two competing models of ADHD (-) working memory (WM) and behavioral inhibition (BI) (-) to examine the extent to which ADHD-related impulsive responding was attributable to model-specific...
Show moreImpulsivity is a hallmark of two of the three DSM-IV ADHD subtypes and is associated with myriad adverse outcomes. Limited research, however, is available concerning the mechanisms and processes that contribute to impulsive responding by children with ADHD. The current study tested predictions from two competing models of ADHD (-) working memory (WM) and behavioral inhibition (BI) (-) to examine the extent to which ADHD-related impulsive responding was attributable to model-specific mechanisms and processes. Children with ADHD (n = 21) and typically developing children (n = 20) completed laboratory tasks that provided WM (domain-general central executive [CE], phonological/visuospatial storage/rehearsal) and BI indices (stop-signal reaction time [SSRT], stop-signal delay, mean reaction time). These indices were examined as potential mediators of ADHD-related impulsive responding on two diverse laboratory tasks used commonly to assess impulsive responding (CPT: continuous performance test; VMTS: visual match-to-sample). Bias-corrected, bootstrapped mediation analyses revealed that CE processes significantly attenuated between-group impulsivity differences, such that the initial large-magnitude impulsivity differences were no longer significant on either task after accounting for ADHD-related CE deficits. In contrast, SSRT partially mediated ADHD-related impulsive responding on the CPT but not VMTS. This partial attenuation was no longer significant after accounting for shared variance between CE and SSRT; CE continued to attenuate the ADHD-impulsivity relationship after accounting for SSRT. These findings add to the growing literature implicating CE deficits in core ADHD behavioral and functional impairments, and suggest that cognitive interventions targeting CE rather than storage/rehearsal or BI processes may hold greater promise for alleviating ADHD-related impairments.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004155, ucf:49070
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004155
- Title
- "A Laudable Ambition Fired Her Soul": Conduct Fiction Helps Define Republican Womanhood, Community, and Education in the Works of Judith Sargent Murray, Hannah Webster Foster, and Susanna Rowson.
- Creator
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Workman, Jessica, Logan, Lisa, Kamrath, Mark, Oliver, Kathleen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study examines the major works of Judith Sargent Murray, Hannah Webster Foster, and Susanna Haswell Rowson, three major writers of the 1790s whose writing responds to the ideologies of the early American Republic. I suggest that Murray, Foster, and Rowson write conduct fiction which responds to the changing attitudes toward women and education after the American Revolution. Using fiction, these authors comment on the republican woman, the need for women's education, and the necessity for...
Show moreThis study examines the major works of Judith Sargent Murray, Hannah Webster Foster, and Susanna Haswell Rowson, three major writers of the 1790s whose writing responds to the ideologies of the early American Republic. I suggest that Murray, Foster, and Rowson write conduct fiction which responds to the changing attitudes toward women and education after the American Revolution. Using fiction, these authors comment on the republican woman, the need for women's education, and the necessity for women to gather in communities for support. Despite the prevailing notion that reading too many novels would corrupt young women, Judith Sargent Murray's novella, The Story of Margaretta (1786), Hannah Webster Foster's novels, The Coquette (1797) and The Boarding School (1798), and Susanna Rowson's novels, Charlotte Temple (1794) and Reuben and Rachel; or, Tales of Old Times (1798), were some of the most popular books in the late eighteenth century. If these novels were not meant to be read by young women, who were the authors' primary audience, why were they so popular? This project situates these questions in the political environment the authors were writing in to show that a relationship exists between what women were reading and how authors of conduct fiction helped facilitate the changing roles of women in the early Republic.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004180, ucf:49039
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004180
- Title
- Examining Relationships Among Income, Individual and Relationship Distress, and Outcomes in Marriage and Relationship Education for Low-to-Moderate Income Married Couples.
- Creator
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Carlson, Ryan, Daire, Andrew, Jones, Karyn, Young, Mark, Weger, Harry, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The current study utilized data from a federally-funded healthy marriage grant to examine pre, post, and three-to-six month follow-up changes in relationship satisfaction (as measured by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale total scores) and individual distress (as measured by the Outcomes Questionnaire 45.2). Additionally, the study evaluated income and dosage as predictors of relationship satisfaction and individual distress change at post-assessment and three-to-six month follow-up. Participants...
Show moreThe current study utilized data from a federally-funded healthy marriage grant to examine pre, post, and three-to-six month follow-up changes in relationship satisfaction (as measured by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale total scores) and individual distress (as measured by the Outcomes Questionnaire 45.2). Additionally, the study evaluated income and dosage as predictors of relationship satisfaction and individual distress change at post-assessment and three-to-six month follow-up. Participants included 220 married individuals with children who completed PREP 7.0 (Prevention Relationship Enhancement Program). A repeated measures, split plot, MANOVA indicated statistically significant improvements in relationship satisfaction and individual distress for participants at post-assessment and three-to-six month follow-up. No significant differences existed in relationship satisfaction and individual distress changes between men and women. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated combined monthly income and dosage (as measured by number of lessons attended) did not predict changes in relationship satisfaction and individual distress at post-assessment and three-to-six month follow-up. However, partner scores accounted for the largest percent of variance in relationship satisfaction change. Discussion of results, implications for research and practice, and study limitations are provided.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004205, ucf:49035
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004205
- Title
- Is Selective Mutism an Emotion Regulation Strategy for Children with Social Phobia? A Single Case Design Investigation.
- Creator
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Scott, Samantha, Beidel, Deborah, Rapport, Mark, Cassisi, Jeffrey, Hundley, Gulnora, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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To determine whether children with selective mutism (SM) withhold speech to regulate their emotional arousal and decrease automatic distress, the current study examines the behavioral and physiological responses of children with SM in comparison to children with social phobia (SP) and children with no psychiatric disorder (TD) as they participate in two social situations. A single case design strategy is used to compare behavioral and physiological responses both within and across groups....
Show moreTo determine whether children with selective mutism (SM) withhold speech to regulate their emotional arousal and decrease automatic distress, the current study examines the behavioral and physiological responses of children with SM in comparison to children with social phobia (SP) and children with no psychiatric disorder (TD) as they participate in two social situations. A single case design strategy is used to compare behavioral and physiological responses both within and across groups. Examining the temporal sequencing of behaviors and physiology provides a direct test of the utility of emotion regulation theory as it pertains to children with social phobia/selective mutism. The results indicate that children with SM show elevated arousal and emotional reactivity across all interaction segments relative to other children. Unique affective, behavioral and physiological responses occur between and within groups in relation to situational demands. The temporal sequencing of behavioral and physiological responses suggests that behavioral deficits may be related to underutilized and/or deficient physiological response systems and that not speaking represents a primitive avoidance strategy by children with SM to regulate extreme physiological arousal.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004438, ucf:49348
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004438
- Title
- A Solid Phase Assay for Topoisomerase I interfacial Poisons and Catalytic Inhibitors.
- Creator
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Cyril Sagayaraj, Vidusha, Muller, Mark, Zhao, Jihe, Chakrabarti, Debopam, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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We report a mechanism based screening technique to rapidly identify eukaryotic topoisomerase I targeting agents. The method is based on genetic tagging of topoisomerase I to immobilize the enzyme on a solid surface in a microtiter well format. DNA is added to the wells and retained DNA is detected by Picogreen fluorescence. Compounds that result in an increase in Picogreen staining represent potential topoisomerase interfacial poisons while those that reduce fluorescence report catalytic...
Show moreWe report a mechanism based screening technique to rapidly identify eukaryotic topoisomerase I targeting agents. The method is based on genetic tagging of topoisomerase I to immobilize the enzyme on a solid surface in a microtiter well format. DNA is added to the wells and retained DNA is detected by Picogreen fluorescence. Compounds that result in an increase in Picogreen staining represent potential topoisomerase interfacial poisons while those that reduce fluorescence report catalytic inhibitors; therefore, the solid phase assay represents a 'bimodal' readout that reveals mechanisms of action. The method has been demonstrated to work with known interfacial poisons and catalytic inhibitors. In addition to specific topoisomerase targeting drugs, the method also weakly detects other relevant anticancer agents, such as potent DNA alkylating and intercalating compounds; therefore, topoisomerase I HTS represents an excellent tool for searching and identifying novel genotoxic agents. This method is rapid, robust, economical and scalable for large library screens.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004473, ucf:49304
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004473
- Title
- Harmony Oriented Architecture.
- Creator
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Martin, Kyle, Hua, Kien, Wu, Annie, Heinrich, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis presents Harmony Oriented Architecture: a novel architectural paradigm that applies the principles of Harmony Oriented Programming to the architecture of scalable and evolvable distributed systems. It is motivated by research on Ultra Large Scale systems that has revealed inherent limitations in human ability to design large-scale software systems that can only be overcome through radical alternatives to traditional object-oriented software engineering practice that simplifies the...
Show moreThis thesis presents Harmony Oriented Architecture: a novel architectural paradigm that applies the principles of Harmony Oriented Programming to the architecture of scalable and evolvable distributed systems. It is motivated by research on Ultra Large Scale systems that has revealed inherent limitations in human ability to design large-scale software systems that can only be overcome through radical alternatives to traditional object-oriented software engineering practice that simplifies the construction of highly scalable and evolvable system.HOP eschews encapsulation and information hiding, the core principles of object- oriented design, in favor of exposure and information sharing through a spatial abstraction. This helps to avoid the brittle interface dependencies that impede the evolution of object-oriented software. HOA extends these concepts to distributed systems resulting in an architecture in which application components are represented by objects in a spatial database and executed in strict isolation using an embedded application server. Application components store their state entirely in the database and interact solely by diffusing data into a space for proximate components to observe. This architecture provides a high degree of decoupling, isolation, and state exposure allowing highly scalable and evolvable applications to be built.A proof-of-concept prototype of a non-distributed HOA middleware platform supporting JavaScript application components is implemented and evaluated. Results show remarkably good performance considering that little effort was made to optimize the implementation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004480, ucf:49298
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004480
- Title
- The use of a Phototherapy Intervention to Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, and Self-Disclosure in Counselors-in-training using the Personal Growth Group.
- Creator
-
Wilkes, Christopher, Hagedorn, William, Young, Mark, Hundley, Gulnora, Xu, Lihua, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The researcher set out to investigate the effectiveness of a specific phototherapy intervention on counselor-in-training's empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure development through participation in a personal growth group using Davis' (1980) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Govern and Marsch's (2001) Situational Self-Awareness Scale, and behavioral observations. The study also explored the relationship between the three factors. The study looked to see if there was a difference in...
Show moreThe researcher set out to investigate the effectiveness of a specific phototherapy intervention on counselor-in-training's empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure development through participation in a personal growth group using Davis' (1980) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Govern and Marsch's (2001) Situational Self-Awareness Scale, and behavioral observations. The study also explored the relationship between the three factors. The study looked to see if there was a difference in the change over time between the group receiving the phototherapy intervention and those participants who did not receive the intervention. The data was collected and measured through a (a) repeated measures MANOVA, (b) independent samples t-test, and (c) Pearson product correlation. The study used 41 participants who were currently enrolled in a group counseling course at a CACREP-accredited master's program in the Southeast. The students were either on a marriage and family, mental health, or school track. Both the treatment and the comparison group consisted of four groups and met weekly for a total of 10 meetings. Each group used a manualized treatment developed by the researcher with the treatment group incorporating the use of images. The findings showed that the phototherapy intervention did not have a significant impact on affective empathy or self-awareness when compared to the comparison group. Cognitive empathy showed a significant difference between the two groups over the course of the study. There was no difference between the observations of self-disclosure for the treatment and comparison groups, and the factors of empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure were not correlated. The results did show a significant change for both groups when looking at self-awareness. As a whole the study attempted to fill a gap in the literature surrounding how the factors of empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure are taught in counselor training programs and proposed next steps for future studies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004461, ucf:49323
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004461
- Title
- Harvesting the Seeds of Early American Human and Nonhuman Animal Relationships in William Bartram's Travels, The Travel Diary of Elizabeth House Trist, and Sarah Trimmer's Fabulous Histories.
- Creator
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Vives, Leslie, Logan, Lisa, Murphy, Patrick, Kamrath, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This thesis uses ecofeminist and human-animal studies lenses to explore human animal and nonhuman animal relations in early America. Most ecocritical studies of American literature begin with nineteenth-century writers. This project, however, suggests that drawing on ecofeminist theories with a human-animal studies approach sheds light on eighteenth-century texts as well. Early American naturalist travel writing offers a site replete with human and nonhuman encounters. Specifically,...
Show moreThis thesis uses ecofeminist and human-animal studies lenses to explore human animal and nonhuman animal relations in early America. Most ecocritical studies of American literature begin with nineteenth-century writers. This project, however, suggests that drawing on ecofeminist theories with a human-animal studies approach sheds light on eighteenth-century texts as well. Early American naturalist travel writing offers a site replete with human and nonhuman encounters. Specifically, naturalist William Bartram's travel journal features interactions with animals in the southern colonial American frontier. Amateur naturalist Elizabeth House Trist's travel diary includes interactions with frontier and domestic animals. Sarah Trimmer's Fabulous Histories, a conduct manual that taught children acceptable behavior towards animals, provides insight about the social regulation of human and nonhuman relationships during the late eighteenth century, when Bartram and Trist wrote their texts. This thesis identifies and analyzes textual sites that blur the human subject/and animal object distinction and raise questions about the representation of animals as objects. This project focuses on the subtle discursive subversions of early Euroamerican naturalist science present in Bartram's Travels (1791) and the blurring of human/animal boundaries in Trist's Travel Diary (1783-84); Trimmer's Fabulous Histories (1794) further complicates the Euroamerican discourse of animals as curiosities. These texts form part of a larger but overlooked discourse in early British America that anticipated more well-known and nonhuman-centric texts in the burgeoning early nineteenth-century American animal rights movement. ?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004451, ucf:49329
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004451
- Title
- Evaluating the utility of a virtual environment for childhood social anxiety disorder.
- Creator
-
Wong, Nina, Beidel, Deborah, Rapport, Mark, Sims, Valerie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Objective: Two significant challenges for the dissemination of social skills training programs are (a) the need to provide sufficient practice opportunities to assure skill consolidation and (b) the need to assure skill generalization (i.e., use of the skills outside the clinic setting). In the case of social anxiety disorder, virtual environments may provide one strategy to address these issues. This investigation describes the development of an interactive skills-oriented virtual school...
Show moreObjective: Two significant challenges for the dissemination of social skills training programs are (a) the need to provide sufficient practice opportunities to assure skill consolidation and (b) the need to assure skill generalization (i.e., use of the skills outside the clinic setting). In the case of social anxiety disorder, virtual environments may provide one strategy to address these issues. This investigation describes the development of an interactive skills-oriented virtual school environment and evaluated its utility for the treatment of social anxiety disorder in preadolescent children (Study 1). This environment included both in-clinic and at-home solutions. In addition, a pilot replication/extension study further examined preliminary treatment efficacy between children who received a standard multi-component treatment and children who received the modified treatment with social skills practice in a virtual environment (Study 2). Method: Eleven children with a primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder between 7 to 12 years old participated in the initial feasibility trial (Study 1). Five additional children participated in the replication/extension study (Study 2). To investigate preliminary treatment efficacy, clinical outcome measures for the Study 2 sample were compared to a comparison sample who received the standard treatment. Results: Overall, the virtual environment program was viewed as acceptable, feasible, and credible treatment components to children, parents, and clinicians alike but modifications would likely improve the current version. Additionally, although preliminary, children who received the modified treatment with virtual environment practice demonstrated significant improvement at post-treatment on clinician ratings but not parent or self-reported measures. Conclusion: Virtual environments are feasible, acceptable, and credible treatment components for clinical use. Future investigations will determine if the addition of this dose-controlled and intensive social skills practice results in treatment outcome equivalent to traditional cognitive-behavioral programs.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004962, ucf:49583
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004962
- Title
- The Relationship Between Married Partners' Individual and Relationship Distress: An Actor-Partner Analysis of Low-income, Racially and Ethnically Diverse Couples in Relationship Education.
- Creator
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Munyon, Matthew, Young, Mark, Hagedorn, William, Daire, Andrew, Sivo, Stephen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Couples experiencing relationship distress often require professional help, such as counseling and couple and relationship education (CRE). Research recently discovered that among couples in counseling, a circular relationship exists between individual and relationship distress(-)stress begets stress. Until this study, a similar examination had not been conducted among couples selecting CRE. This study examined the relationship between individual and relationship distress among married...
Show moreCouples experiencing relationship distress often require professional help, such as counseling and couple and relationship education (CRE). Research recently discovered that among couples in counseling, a circular relationship exists between individual and relationship distress(-)stress begets stress. Until this study, a similar examination had not been conducted among couples selecting CRE. This study examined the relationship between individual and relationship distress among married couples that had children, were from predominantly low-income and racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and selected CRE. A correlational research design was employed and framed in the social interdependence theory. The actor-partner interdependence model was conducted within a three-level hierarchical model. The results confirmed that a circular relationship exists between individual and relationship distress(-)distress begets distress. Within the circular model of individual and relational functioning, personal individual distress predicted partner individual distress as well as personal and partner relationship distress, and personal relationship distress predicted personal individual distress and partner relationship distress. The extent to which distress begot distress was stronger among women, those with low income, and those who were unemployed. The results also revealed a continuum of individual and relational functioning. Dyad members interact along a continuum from intrapersonal individual functioning to interpersonal relational functioning. The continua meet at the nexus of negotiation or the heart of interpersonal interaction, where dyad members communicate and make decisions, among other actions. Implications related to the findings of this study as well as inspirations for future research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004284, ucf:49529
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004284
- Title
- Counselor education students' ethnic identity and social-cognitive development: Effects of a multicultural self-awareness group experience.
- Creator
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Johnson, Jennifer, Lambie, Glenn, Daire, Andrew, Young, Mark, Hopp, Carolyn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The present study investigated the impact of a multicultural self-awareness personal growth group on counselor education students (n = 94) and group leaders (n = 10) and their ethnic identity development scores, social-cognitive maturity levels, and presence of group therapeutic factors. Findings from the study identified no statistically significant differences in ethnic identity development and social-cognitive maturity scores between treatment group and comparison group participants, or as...
Show moreThe present study investigated the impact of a multicultural self-awareness personal growth group on counselor education students (n = 94) and group leaders (n = 10) and their ethnic identity development scores, social-cognitive maturity levels, and presence of group therapeutic factors. Findings from the study identified no statistically significant differences in ethnic identity development and social-cognitive maturity scores between treatment group and comparison group participants, or as a result of multiple measurements throughout the semester. However, a statistically significant effect was identified for time (pre-test, M = 91.94, SD = 5.33; mid-semester, M = 90.32, SD = 6.43; post-test, M = 91.18, SD = 6.36) on social-cognitive maturity TPR scores for treatment group participants, Wilk's Lambda = .90, F (2, 63) = 3.39, p = .04, ?(&)#178; = .10. In addition, positive correlations were identified between ethnic identity development scores and group therapeutic factors in students participating in the multicultural personal growth groups: (a) Instillation of Hope, n = 63, r = .43, p = .00 (18.5% of the variance explained); (b) Secure Emotional Expression, n = 63, r = .39, p = .00 (15.2% of the variance explained); (c) Awareness of Relational Impact, n = 63, r = .47, p = .00 (22.1% of the variance explained); and (d) Social Learning, n = 63, r = .46, p = .00 (21.2% of the variance explained. Furthermore, a discussion of implications for counselor education and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) with graduate students are included.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004257, ucf:49528
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004257
- Title
- Forecasting Volcanic Activity Using An Event Tree Analysis System and Logistic Regression.
- Creator
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Junek, William, Jones, W, Simaan, Marwan, Foroosh, Hassan, Woods, Mark, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Forecasts of short term volcanic activity are generated using an event tree process that is driven by a set of empirical statistical models derived through logistic regression. Each of the logistic models are constructed from a sparse and geographically diverse dataset that was assembled from a collection of historic volcanic unrest episodes. The dataset consists of monitoring measurements (e.g. seismic), source modeling results, and historic eruption information. Incorporating this data into...
Show moreForecasts of short term volcanic activity are generated using an event tree process that is driven by a set of empirical statistical models derived through logistic regression. Each of the logistic models are constructed from a sparse and geographically diverse dataset that was assembled from a collection of historic volcanic unrest episodes. The dataset consists of monitoring measurements (e.g. seismic), source modeling results, and historic eruption information. Incorporating this data into a single set of models provides a simple mechanism for simultaneously accounting for the geophysical changes occurring within the volcano and the historic behavior of analog volcanoes. A bootstrapping analysis of the training dataset allowed for the estimation of robust logistic model coefficients. Probabilities generated from the logistic models increase with positive modeling results, escalating seismicity, and high eruption frequency. The cross validation process produced a series of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with areas ranging between 0.78 - 0.81, which indicate the algorithm has good predictive capabilities. In addition, ROC curves also allowed for the determination of a false positive rate and optimum detection threshold for each stage of the algorithm. The results demonstrate the logistic models are highly transportable and can compete with, and in some cases outperform, non-transportable empirical models trained with site specific information. The incorporation of source modeling results into the event tree's decision making process has begun the transition of volcano monitoring applications from simple mechanized pattern recognition algorithms to a physical model based forecasting system.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004253, ucf:49517
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004253
- Title
- Understanding Phonological Memory Deficits in Boys with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Dissociation of Short-Term Storage and Articulatory Rehearsal Processes.
- Creator
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Bolden, Jennifer, Rapport, Mark, Beidel, Deborah, Sims, Valerie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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current study dissociated and examined the two primary components of the phonological working memory subsystem (-) the short-term store and articulatory rehearsal mechanism (-) in boys with ADHD (n = 18) relative to typically developing boys (n = 15). Word lists of increasing length (2, 4, and 6 words per trial) were presented to and recalled by children following a brief (3 s) interval to assess their phonological short-term storage capacity. Children's ability to utilize the articulatory...
Show morecurrent study dissociated and examined the two primary components of the phonological working memory subsystem (-) the short-term store and articulatory rehearsal mechanism (-) in boys with ADHD (n = 18) relative to typically developing boys (n = 15). Word lists of increasing length (2, 4, and 6 words per trial) were presented to and recalled by children following a brief (3 s) interval to assess their phonological short-term storage capacity. Children's ability to utilize the articulatory rehearsal mechanism to actively maintain information in the phonological short-term store was assessed using word lists at their established memory span but with extended rehearsal times (12 s and 21 s delays). Results indicate that both phonological short-term storage capacity and articulatory rehearsal are impaired or underdeveloped to a significant extent in boys with ADHD relative to typically developing boys, even after controlling for age, SES, IQ, reading ability, and reading speed. Larger magnitude deficits, however, were apparent in short-term storage capacity (ES = 1.15 to 1.98) relative to articulatory rehearsal (ES = 0.47 to 1.02). These findings are consistent with previous reports of deficient phonological short-term memory in boys with ADHD, and suggest that future attempts to develop remedial cognitive interventions for children with ADHD will need to include active components that require children to hold increasingly more information over longer time intervals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004359, ucf:49432
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004359
- Title
- The relationship between caregiver intimate partner violence, posttraumatic stress, child cognitive self-development, and treatment attrition among child sexual abuse victims.
- Creator
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Delorenzi, Leigh, Daire, Andrew, Young, Mark, Lambie, Glenn, Abel, Eileen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide problem, with two-thirds of all cases going unreported. A wealth of research over the last 30 years demonstrates the negative emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual, academic, and social effects of CSA. As a result, researchers and mental health professionals frequently attempt to measure the efficacy of treatment modalities in order to assess which treatments lead to better outcomes. However, in order to effectively study treatment outcomes,...
Show moreChild sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide problem, with two-thirds of all cases going unreported. A wealth of research over the last 30 years demonstrates the negative emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual, academic, and social effects of CSA. As a result, researchers and mental health professionals frequently attempt to measure the efficacy of treatment modalities in order to assess which treatments lead to better outcomes. However, in order to effectively study treatment outcomes, researchers must be able to track the status of child functioning and symptomology before, during, and after treatment. Because high levels of treatment attrition exist among CSA victims, researchers are unable to effectively study outcomes due to large losses in research participants, loss of statistical power, and threats to external validity (Kazdin, 1990). Moreover, due to the high prevalence of concurrent family violence, caregivers with intimate partner violence are more than twice as likely to have children who are also direct victims of abuse (Kazdin, 1996). Caregivers ultimately make the decisions regarding whether or not a child stays in treatment, and therefore, it is important to examine the influence of both parent factors (e.g., intimate partner violence) and child factors (e.g., traumatization and/or disturbances in cognitive self-development) on treatment attrition. This two-pronged approach of examining both child and family characteristics simultaneously with attrition patterns offers a more complete picture for the ways concurrent family violence influences treatment than looking at child and caregiver factors separately.The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between caregiver intimate partner violence, child posttraumatic stress (Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children [TSCC]; Briere, 1996), child cognitive self-development (Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale [TABS]; Pearlman, 2003), and treatment attrition. The statistical analyses in this study included (a) Logistic Regression, (b) Poisson Regression, and (c) Chi-square Test for Independence. Elevated TSCC subscale scores in posttraumatic stress predicted both an increased number of sessions attended and increased number of sessions missed. Elevated TABS subscale scores in self-trust predicted an increased number of sessions attended and decreased number of sessions missed. Elevated TABS subscale scores of other-intimacy and self-control predicted an increased number of sessions missed. Moreover, the presence of past or current caregiver intimate partner violence predicted a decrease in number of sessions attended. While no relationship existed between child posttraumatic stress or cognitive self-development and whether a child graduated or prematurely terminated from treatment, children with parents who confirmed past or current intimate partner violence were 2.5 times more likely to prematurely terminate from treatment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004369, ucf:49439
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004369