MEASURING ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY: A THEORY-BASED ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY IN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH BY Courte

To my incredible and heroic wife Danica, without whom most of my ideas would remain trapped inside my scull and To J. R. " Bob " Newbrough, who has been a tireless inspiration, sounding board, and cheerleader throughout this and many other projects. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks to my chair and advisor, Douglas D. Perkins for his encouragement, reflections, and many contributions to the completion of this work. I am also grateful for the work and persistence of my readers, J. R. Newbrough and Paul W. Speer; their footprints and coffee rings have shown through in many ways throughout this thesis. thoughts, support, and encouragement. I am additionally indebted to the attendees at the first presentation of many of the ideas herein, who braved my roundtable at the 2007 bi-ennial of the Society for Community Research and Action. I am truly thankful for the help of Daniel Cooper and Jonathan Vick for their assistance with this work. Their aid was essential in establishing my instrument and evaluation process. I hope someday to repay their kindness. I am also eternally grateful to my wife, Danica J. Brice, for her ideas, editing, motivation , calming voice, and endless cups of tea. Danica is truly the keystone of all things I achieve and produce. She is the loving and supportive family that I have always wanted and needed.