Investigating the Delivery of Therapeutic Recreation Services on the Internet: a Pilot Study Using Leisure Education for the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse (open access)

Investigating the Delivery of Therapeutic Recreation Services on the Internet: a Pilot Study Using Leisure Education for the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse

This pilot study, grounded in social learning theory, demonstrated that leisure education services can be delivered on the Internet. Participants (n=40) successfully accessed the Web page program and responded to instruments and surveys. The treatment group (n=16) effectively completed four leisure education sessions on-line. Confidentiality, privacy, and anonymity issues were controlled. Responses were monitored and feedback provided as to the complexity of the program and comprehension of the participants. The leisure education program had no significant effect on posttest measures of alcohol expectancies and leisure motivations. Mean changes frompretest to posttest may indicate trends. The small n and convenience sample may have introduced many extraneous variables. Professional implications include compliance issues (57% experimental mortality rate), technology-related anxiety, and limited professional competency to work in this environment. Future research which examines the provision of leisure education and other components of therapeutic recreation service on-line is warranted.
Date: December 1998
Creator: Mainville, Sylvie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development and Validity of the Teachers' Attitude, Comfort and Training Scale (TACTS) on Sexuality Education (open access)

Development and Validity of the Teachers' Attitude, Comfort and Training Scale (TACTS) on Sexuality Education

The purpose of the study was to design and validate an instrument designed to investigate teachers' attitudes in regard to adolescent sexuality education. Test development adhered to the guidelines of Aligna and Crocker. Cronbach alpha was performed on the entire instrument and determined the reliability to be .8003, thus the instrument was consistent in measuring the domain areas. A panel of experts assessed content validity of items. A principal component factor analysis and a Pearson's product moment correlation were used for construct validity. Teacher concerns about curriculum implementation, teacher comfort with the subject matter, course-specific teacher attitudes, teacher interest about curriculum content, and teacher attitudes toward sexuality were found to be the constructs of the TACTS.
Date: May 1999
Creator: D'Entremont, Laura S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Control and Self-Control Factors Associated with Interpersonal Violence in Adolescent Females (open access)

Social Control and Self-Control Factors Associated with Interpersonal Violence in Adolescent Females

Adolescent females are committing an increasing number of violent interpersonal acts. This study used the qualitative technique of focus group interviews to explore social control and self-control factors which impact such behaviors. Forty-seven girls aged 10-18 years described situations and events where interpersonal violence might be used and also what might prevent such acts. For the girls interviewed, social controls were the predominant means of controlling the use of interpersonal violence. Family and peer groups were the most powerful social controls, whether positive or negative. Self-control was deemed important but most girls lacked either the skills or desire to engage in self-control. Violence prevention programs need to teach techniques for improving self-control and increasing self-concept to be most effective.
Date: May 1999
Creator: Mavis, Beverly J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Parent Responses to the Birth and Rearing of a Child with Down Syndrome : The Application of Engel's 3-stage Theoretical Model of Grieving (open access)

Parent Responses to the Birth and Rearing of a Child with Down Syndrome : The Application of Engel's 3-stage Theoretical Model of Grieving

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) To analyze the similarities and differences between parent responses to the birth and rearing of a child with Down syndrome and; 2) To document the characteristics of grieving described in Engel's 3-stage model of grieving. A questionnaire was used to assess responses from randomly chosen parent members of the Dallas Down Syndrome Guild. Qualitative data analysis was conducted, using the methodology of triangulation.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Smith, Jenette L.
System: The UNT Digital Library