There are many people who have provided me with support, assistance, and advice in the completion of this research project. Many thanks to my advisor, Dr. Grace Caskie who has been a source of tremendous knowledge, encouragement and compassion to me throughout this process. My deepest thanks to her for always encouraging me to pursue research that I am passionate about, even when the tasks seemed great. I would also like to extend my great thanks to all of the other faculty members who I have worked with during the course of my graduate studies at Lehigh University. Each has taught me valuable lessons and skills, many of which I have been able to apply to this dissertation project. Special thanks to Alayna Berkowitz, who assisted me in the data collection process for this project. Finally, thanks to my family, particularly my husband and daughter, who have provided me with more encouragement and support in this process than I could have ever imagined.