Digital Commons Network^™

Attachment Security: The Genesis Of Parenting Style?, Ian P. Haag

Masters Theses

There is a great deal of literature examining attachment security and parenting styles but little research has considered these topics in relation to each other. This paper examines the nature of this relationship with a particular focus on Baumrind’s (1978) categorical parenting styles and Bowlby’s (1969) attachment theory. Utilizing a clinic population of 20 parents, it was proposed that securely attached parents would evidence authoritative parenting styles, while insecurely attached parents would evidence no-authoritative parenting styles. The Adult Attachment Projective (AAP), the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), and the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS) were utilized in assessing attachment security. The Parental Authority …

Television News Violence And Children’S Fear Reaction, Lin Wang

Masters Theses

Do parents perceive that exposure to violence on television news programs is a problem for their young children? Although considerable research has shown that media violence in other forms (cartoons, movies, television entertainment programs) has several negative effects on children, almost no research or policy attention has been given to children’s exposure to violent events in television news broadcasts. The purpose of this study was to examine the rates of 4-5 years old children’s exposure and fear reaction to television news violence as it relates to several ecological variables, including parental gender, race, education level, household income, family structure and …

Physiological Response Associated With Select Rorschach Codes, Chad Ryan Sims

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of Rorschach codes that have been theoretically and empirically linked to the experience of affect in the Comprehensive System (Exner, 2003) through the use of skin conductance and heart rate data. Twenty-four university undergraduates (18 females and 6 males) were administered the Rorschach while physiological data were recorded in an adjacent room. It was anticipated that responses yielding particular codes (C, C’, m, T, V, Y, minus form quality, or cognitive special scores) would evidence higher levels of affective arousal as compared to …

Predictors Of Children’S Understandings Of Death: Age, Cognitive Ability, Death Experience, And Maternal Competence., Sally Beville Hunter

Masters Theses

Several factors have been documented as major factors affecting children’s formation of a mature death concept. Among these factors are the child’s age, cognitive ability, and exposure to death in his or her environment. The effects of parent communication patterns on children’s understanding of death have been understudied. This has left a gap in our knowledge of parents’ influence on their children’s conception of death.

In addition to the investigation of individual child factors, the present study investigated the relationship between mothers’ styles of communication about death and their children’s understandings of the subconcepts of death (i.e., inevitability, universality, finality, …

A Comparative Study Of Behavior In Neonate Gartersnakes, Thamnophis Butleri And T. Radix (Colubridae), In An Area Of Potential Hybridization, Lauren Elizabeth Kirby

Masters Theses

An isolated population of Butler’s gartersnake, Thamnophis butleri (Colubridae), in southeastern Wisconsin has recently been listed as Threatened by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. One of the possible reasons for the decline of T. butleri in Wisconsin is pressure from a closely related species, the plains gartersnake, T. radix. The possibility of hybridization between T. butleri and T. radix has received recent attention because T. butleri is threatened in the area where the hybridization may be occurring. This study addresses the issue of hybridization by studying the behavior of neonatal T. butleri born to females originating from areas where …

Adolescent Gender Attitudes: Between And Within Couples Effects, Joseph Warren Dickson

Masters Theses

This study examines gender attitudes in the context of romantic relationships, and explores the relationship between gender attitudes and individual and relational outcomes. Participants (208 couples) were recruited from a previous study of the dating behaviors of 2200 students who attended 17 East Tennessee High Schools (Harper, Welsh, Grello, & Dickson, under review). Multilevel modeling was utilized in order to maximize the reliability of our models as a technique specifically designed to address the non-independence of partner members’ data (Raudenbusch & Bryk, 2002). Our findings indicate an association between gender attitudes and communication, relationship satisfaction, and depressive symptoms in adolescent …

The Effects Of Depressive Symptomology On Women’S Childbearing Considerations, Andrea Darlene Marable

Masters Theses

Empirical literature dedicated to pursuing knowledge of the relationship between women who suffer from depression and their considerations of childbearing is lacking. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine the types of relationships that exist between depressive symptomology in women and their childbearing considerations.

Secondary data analysis was the chosen form of research analysis, and the National Survey of Families and Households (Wave 1) was the data set employed. There were a total of four independent variables (depressive symptomology, global life satisfaction, global optimism, and self-esteem) and two dependent variables (10 constraint items and 4 motivational factor …

Mindfulness And Narrative: Connecting Experience And Story, Noah Lyons Roost

Masters Theses

Autobiographical narrative is the verbal summary of an individual's personal history. The quality of autobiographical narrative has been found to correlate with both emotional wellbeing (Oppenheim et al., 1997; Baerger & McAdams, 1999) and quality of social relationships (Van IJzendoorn, 1995; Shields et. al., 2001), and yet little has been done to examine other predictors or causes of narrative quality. Mindfulness training could potentially be a promising method of narrative enhancement. Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental, open awareness of what is currently occurring in the self and in the environment. Mindfulness is likely to promote open, objective awareness of new information …

Personal Narrative Views Of Mothers And Their Children: Setting Events For Mother-Child Interactions?, Meredith P. Schwartzman

Masters Theses

The personal narratives of mothers and children were examined for coherence and richness. Both were assessed for commonalities in narrative structure and possible links to mother’s responsiveness to child’s aversion behaviors. Narrative structure was empirically manipulated to assess changes on responsiveness and child negativity. A sample of thirty mother-child dyads were recruited for participation from normal populations and ten mother-dyads were recruited through the University of Tennessee Psychological Clinic. Measures include the Child Behavior Checklist 9CBCL; Achenback & Edelbrock, 1983), Personal Narrative (Castlebury & Wahler, 1997), and the Standardized Observation Codes-Revised (SOC-R, see Cerezo, 1988). Mother and child narratives were …

Effect Of Gender, Socioeconomic Status And Family Structure On Depression In Adolescents In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lada Mujkic

Masters Theses

The relationship between self-reported depressive symptomatology among adolescents in Bosnia-Herzegovina, who experienced the chronic stress during four year war, and risk factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, and family structure were investigated in the current study. The present study tested the hypothesis that each one of above mentioned risk factors individually impact depressive mood. Also interactions between gender and socioeconomic status and gender and family structure were hypothesized. A nationally representative sample of high school teenagers was selected from two high schools in the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sarajevo (N=559, 263 boys and 296 girls, mean age 15.34). Data from questionnaire …

Psychometric Properties Of The Pswq-A In A Community Sample Of Older Adults, Julie A. Crittendon

Masters Theses

Among older adults, GAD is as prevalent as major depression (Blazer, George, & Hughes, 1991). As a result of scale development and norming that generally incorporates younger samples, psychometrically sound anxiety and worry instruments for older cohorts are limited. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer, Miller, Metzger, & Brokovec, 1990) is one instrument that may be useful for assessing worry in older adults, although limitations of this scale recently were highlighted that resulted in the development of a revised version that more effectively might assess worry in older adults, the Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A; Hopko et. al., 2003). …

The Assessment Of Psychopathic Traits And Risk-Taking Using Balloon Analog Risk Task (Bart), Melissa Kathryn Hunt

Masters Theses

Continuing a program of research assessing the utility of the Behavioral Analog Risk Task (BART, Lejuez et al, 2002) as a measure of risk taking, the BART was administered to a non-forensic sample of individuals high and low in self-reported psychopathy. Inter-relations of BART performance with measures of psychopathy and impulsivity were examined, with an emphasis on exploring the predictive validity of self-report measures on overt risk-taking behavior. Following completion of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-II; Hare, 1991), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS; Barratt, 1985), and the Authority Problems subscale (Pd2) of the MMPI-2 (Harris & Lingoes, 1955), physiological data were …

Organizational Correlates Of Negative Workplace Behavior: A Field Study, Graeme K. Mitchell

Masters Theses

This was a field study conducted in the entertainment industry in eastern Tennessee designed to investigate the relationship of perceived supervisor support and perceived pay equity with negative workplace behavior. Participants consisted of 171 employees of an entertainment company who completed a questionnaire with four scales, including one developed in this study. Results showed a significant, inverse correlation of perceived supervisor support and negative workplace behavior (r = -0.45, p< .01) and a significant correlation of pay inequity and negative workplace behavior (r = 0.33, p<.01) that demonstrated the negative consequences of perceived inequity or maltreatment. The correlations of perceived supervisor support and organization citizenship behavior (r = 0.48, p<.01), and pay equity and organization citizenship behavior (r = 0.23, p<.01) suggested that perceived pay equity or supervisor support led to behaviors that helped the organization. No relationship was found between the type of negative workplace behavior people engaged in and perceived pay equity, however, perceived supervisor support was inversely correlated with “withdrawal” (r = -0.31, p<.01). Perceived supervisor support had a very strong relationship with the LBDQ-XII factor “consideration”. Previous research has suggested people engage in negative workplace behaviors because they see inequities in their compensation or treatment at work, and this behavior was an attempt to restore equity. Future research should consider whether specific organizational factors predict discrete types of negative workplace behavior, what the impact of senior leader decision-making is on workplace behavior, whether one or many factors precipitate workplace behavior and whether organizational citizenship behavior and negative workplace behaviors are opposing or independent constructs.

Examining Values Through Aphorisms, Lauriann L. Hebb

Masters Theses

Many psychologists agree that studying values is an important aspect of understanding human nature (Allport, Rokeach, etc.). In spite of this consensus, there is little collective research on the subject. This is due, in part, to variations in instruments.
Therefore, the purpose of the present research was to (a) assess the underlying structure of responses to a set of aphorisms, (b) to examine potential reasons for differential endorsement and (c) to explore the relationship between a set of aphorisms and traditional psychosocial measure of values as well as personality.
Study 1 included 928 participants, and the objective was to examine …

Organizational Commitment, Perceived Supervisor Support, And Performance: A Field Study, Sarah K. Soulen

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationships among supervisor support, organizational commitment, and job performance in a work environment. Specifically, differential relationships between supervisor support, affective commitment, and continuance commitment were explored. The relationship between commitment dimensions and job performance in the presence of supervisor support was also investigated.

A sample of 96 social workers completed measures of affective commitment, continuance commitment, and perceived supervisor support. Participants’ supervisors provided ratings of job performance and withdrawal behaviors. Results indicated that affective commitment is positively related to supervisor support (r = .42, p<.01) and performance (r = .18, p<.05). Continuance commitment was unrelated to any measured variable. When added to the model, affective commitment did not predict performance (β= .11, SE= .17, p>.05), but perceived supervisor support did significantly predict performance (β = …

Optimistic Personality, Work Performance, And Interpersonal Relationships At Work: A Field Study, Fung Ming Chan

Masters Theses

A field study examines the personality trait optimism, defined as an enduring personal tendency to expect favorable outcomes, in relation to work performance and interpersonal relationships at work. Based on prior research and theory, the hypothesis predicts that optimism will correlate positively with job performance and positively with the quality of interpersonal relationships with co-workers and supervisors. 282 employees at a large manufacturing plant in the southeastern United States completed a work-based measure of personality, the Personal Style Inventory (PSI). Participants’ immediate supervisors rated the employee’s job performance and the quality of their interpersonal relationships with peers and supervisors. Statistical …

Personality Differences Of First-Year Law Students Using The Theory Of Mental Self-Government, Charles Angelo Licata

Masters Theses

Thinking styles are described as ones conscious attempt to develop an awareness of stimuli within the surrounding environment. They reflect on the way we perceive, interpret, and integrate information, as well as influence the quality of information we supply to others. At the same time, personality traits have become important factors in understanding the preferences people may feel towards their careers, lifestyles, and quality of life. Furthermore, Myers and Briggs (1984) linked personality to the way we perceive and think about the environment by developing a new model of personality and thinking, which was based on the research and theories …

Exploring Thematic Balance In Personal Narrative As A Marker For Responsiveness, Laura G. Porter

Masters Theses

Research on personal narrative as a template or map that organizes experience and creates a lens for the interpretation of reality has largely relied on structural analysis for its assessments of adequacy. As a synthesis of beliefs and values with actions, thoughts, and feelings, however, the tone and thematic quality of an individual's life story must also shape the narrative compass that guides interactions in the social world. Among these elements, one's theory of reality will exert a significant impact on the overall context within which the specific unfolding of narrative plots occurs. In Western societies in particular, this perspective …

Characteristics Of Graduate Student Instructors As Related To Students' Judgments Of Their Competence, Edwin Rice Barnett

Masters Theses

The present study seeks primarily to determine if there is a congruence between the perceived similarity of a student to his instructor and the student's judgment of the instructor's competence. To test this hypothesis, an Interpersonal Checklist, consisting of 160 adjectives, was devised and administered to two sets of 50 students during a period of six months. Three instructional sets were utilized with a five-point Likert response system in conjunction with the checklist. One instructional set asked the student to describe his instructor, another asked for a judgment of the extent to which the student thought himself similar to his …

A Preliminary Analysis Of The Activities Of Captive Black Bear (Ursus Americanus)--Locomotion And Breeding, Jeanne Crozer Ludlow

Masters Theses

The behavior of the American black bear, Ursus americanus, has been poorly documented in the past. This investigation is a preliminary analysis of the diurnal activities of a hand-reared female and a captive wild male black bear, and the successful breeding of another pair of captive black bears.

Two black bears were kept in a semi-naturalistic enclosure at Tremont within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). Their daily activities were recorded by a scan sampling technique, supplemented by photographic accounts. Detailed systemic records were kept of behaviors classified into categories (locomotor, non-locomotor). The bears' activities were analyzed in …

Sex Role Identification Of Children Of Divorced Parents, Frank A. Brown Iii

Masters Theses

This study was designed to explore the effects of parental divorce on the male college student's over-all adjustment and his difficulty in completing the sex role identification process. Behavioral ratings of the Ss and their scores on the MMPI were used to test each of these effects. Specifically it was hypothesized that the conflict in the home preceding the divorce, more than the separation from one of the parents after it, was likely to cause difficulty for the "child" in the sex-typing process. It was also suggested that in the cases where the male "child of divorce" originally blamed the …

The Effect Of Tonal Proximity Upon The Memory Of A Set Of Tones, William M. Walters Jr.

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of music to which people respond. Ortmann's finding that the songs of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and R. Strauss are characterized by more frequent use of smaller intervals implies that small intervals are more typical in western music.

In Experiment I random sets of notes were played by the experimenter on a toy xylophone, and the subject was asked to reproduce the set on an identical instrument. The results were that subjects were generally capable of finding the correct notes, but this ability declined as the size of the set …

Thermoregulation In A Cold Environment: Effects Of Body Weight, Roger A. Kleinman

Masters Theses

The present experiment, then, was conducted to ascertain the role of body weight in the physiological and behavioral adjustment to cold. Specifically, it was hypothesized that animals which gained weight after periodic exposure to cold would show a decreased temperature loss as well as less lever-pressing behavior for infra-red heat reinforcement than animals which were maintained at their pre-experimental weight level.

Manipulation Of The Magnitude Of Incentive Variable And Runway Performance, David Mason Wildasin

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was an attempt to replicate the findings of Wolfe and Kaplon (1941) using rats and somewhat more precise measurements of the dependent variables. Both the former study and Dyal's work indicate that specification of the amount of reward in terms of the weight of the food is insufficient. Specifically, the effect of presenting the same amount of food in one unit as against presenting it in five units was investigated.

Preliminary Investigations In The Effect Of Continually Changing Reinforcement On Learning And Extinction, Michael Dinoff

Masters Theses

A great deal of research has been done in the gener­al area of manipulating reinforcement parameters. However, reinforcement per se has rarely been varied systematically from trial to trial. The research exceptions have been indicated. In these experiments , the nutritive value, the delay, or the units of reinforcement have been systematical­ly varied and the results are not always conclusive as re­gards the experimental variable itself. The present study attempts to control for these factors and yet vary systema­tically properties of the reinforcing agent alone. Pigeons were the experimental subjects and they worked for food while they were at a …

The Uptake Of Sodium Ions By The Tongue, Magill Echols

Masters Theses

We have seen a wealth of data demonstrating that salt prefer­ ence thresholds decrease as salt deprivation continues. Careful studies indicate that these fluctuations cannot be accounted for in terms of changes in neural excitatory thresholds. It is reasonable to assume that something on or about the tongue may change with sodium deprivation. The problem approached in this study was the search for evidence of such a change.

The experimental hypothesis was, "that sodium ions actually penetrate the surface of the tongue according to the sodium depriva­ tion experienced by the animal."

This was basically a search for processes associated …

A Comparative Study Of The Experiential Characteristics Of A Group Of Alcoholic And Non-Alcoholic Subjects, Hugh C. Davis Jr.

Masters Theses

The problem in this investigation is a behavioral comparison of a group of alcoholics and non-alcoholics. The primary purpose of these comparisons is to generate hypotheses about covariate factors related to alcoholism and secondly to gain understanding about the etiology of the alcoholic process. Three steps were involved in carrying out these purposes: (1) defining alcoholism behaviorally, (2) ascertaining current functioning of the subjects, (3) ascertaining early learning experiences. Alcoholism is the dependent variable--criterion--of this investigation. A quantifiable behavioral drinking scale developed by Jenkins and Davis (15) yielded scores which defined the criterion. The U-T Deprivation Scale was used to …

The Effect Of Varying Degrees Of Anxiety Upon Classroom Learning Performance, Martha J. Thorne

Masters Theses

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of varying degrees of anxiety, as measured by the fifty-item forced-choice Taylor Scale of Manifest Anxiety (TMAS) (24), upon the classroom learning performance of a group of thirty-one student nurses, as measured by the increase in scores on an objective-type final examination administered at the beginning and end of a course in psychiatric nursing. The thirty-one subjects were divided into three groups on the basis of low, medium, and high anxiety scores on the TMAS. The per cent gain scores from the pre- and post-final exam were then compared …

An Experimental Analysis Of The Reinforcement Process, Raymond Robert Shrader

Masters Theses

The reinforcement process as it applies to learning theory has been the subject of an increasing amount of attention in recent years. This attention is reflected in the controversial question of whether or not reinforcement is a necessary condition for learning and it is reflected even more so, for those who adopt an affirmative position on the question, in their attempt to demonstrate the relationship between reinforcement and learning. Whatever the bias of the theorist there has been an overall concern with making more explicit the reinforcement process. With regard to this latter problem we find several points of view …

The Psychology Of Memory, James Ernest Jackson

Masters Theses

Throughout all the ages man has had some faint realization of the tremendous importance of memory. Even today we realize its full importance only faintly. Memory is undoubtedly one of the most important functions of the mind. Without memory the mind is nothing. Memory is one of the basic and fundamental elements of the mind.