Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1980. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-265).

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Dec. 14, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-206). Also available online through Digital Dissertations.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, August, 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Michigan State University.

Thesis--Michigan State University.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- La Trobe University, 2004. / "A thesis submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora." Research. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 343-362). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (July 13, 2006) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Frances S. Berry, Florida State University, College of Social Sciences, Dept. of Public Administration and Policy. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 21, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 114 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

The effect of frequency of nursing home contact on family perceptions of quality care is the focus of this research. A family member characteristic, such as geographic distance from the nursing home, affects his or her frequency of contact with the nursing home. Frequency of contact, in turn, affects family perceptions of the care his or her loved one receives in the nursing home. The theoretical framework for this study is based on Allport's intergroup contact theory, which posits that when four contact conditions - institutional support, equal status, common goals, and intergroup cooperation - are present in an intergroup situation, a reduction in anxiety between groups is likely to occur. Regression analysis tested the stated hypotheses using survey data collected from 275 family members of residents in 10 Dallas-Ft. Worth area nursing homes. This study is among the first to quantify family geographic distance, finding that family geographic distance is a significant negative predictor of nursing home contact. Additionally, results build on Allport's theory by extending its' usefulness to nursing home organizations in two distinct ways. First, findings support Allport's premise that contact alone between groups - i.e., family members and nursing home staff - is insufficient for increasing or decreasing family perceptions of nursing home care. Second, three of the four contact conditions included in Allport's theory were statistically supported by the data. In sum, findings of this research provide nursing homes with an empirically tested model for improving family perceptions of quality nursing home care.