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Behavioral Problems Among Sexually Abused And Nonabused Children, Kelli B. Mills

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the level of social competency and presence of behavioral problems associated with young sexually abused children ages 4 to 8, as compared to those among a comparable sample of nonabused young children. Thirty-two parents or guardians, 16 in each group, completed the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist for each child. Characteristics of the abuse were addressed on an additional questionnaire. Data was collected on 12 female and 4 male children in each group. The results indicated that the amount and severity of behavior problems was greater and social competency levels were lower among the sexually abused children than …

Death Anxiety Among Older Adults As A Function Of The Christian Faith With Specific Reference To The Experience Of Being "Born Again", Wendy E. Holland

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sixty male and female subjects between the ages of 60 to 84 years were administered three questionnaires concerning death anxiety, religiosity, and life satisfaction. Data were collected and analyzed by Pearson r correlation as well as by multiple regression analysis.

Findings included those subjects considering themselves to be "born again" Christians scored significantly lower on the death anxiety scale than did those respondents considering themselves Christian, but not "born again." Subjects considering themselves to be non-Christian/Other did not correlate significantly with death anxiety. Life satisfaction was not a significant predictor of death anxiety. Subjects indicating more conservative/fundamentalist denominational affiliations indicated …

Utility Analysis: Estimating The Sdy Parameter For Accounting Supervisors, Terry P. Brownson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Personnel decisions have the potential to influence an entire organization. The effects of these decisions are more credible and relevant when quantified. Historically, benefits were defined in correlational statistics, i.e., validity coefficients. But the increasing demand is for a bottom-line or dollar-value definition. The utility concept presents a methodology for providing the dollar value impact on performance of a personnel intervention program. One parameter of a utility analysis model is the standard deviation of job performance in dollars (SDy). This research develops a SDy value for the yearly production contribution of a first level line accounting supervisor to be used …

Initiation Of Sexual Behavior In The Marital Relationship, Nancy Roberts-Cruce

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

While traditional beliefs and some research show that men have been more likely than women to initiate sexual activity, recent research indicates that traditional patterns of sexual initiation may be changing especially for married couples. Also, patterns of initiation seem to be related to sexual satisfaction. Specifically, women who always take the initiative and those who never do are the least satisfied with their sex lives. Conversely, those wives who initiate sex half the time are very happy with their sex lives. Since it appears that initiation of sexual activity is related to satisfaction with sex, information regarding why a …

Vasectomy: A Literature Review With Implications For Pre-Vasectomy Counseling, Annette Thrift Wing

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Job Characteristics Model: Test Of A Modified Four-Trait Model At The University Of Central Florida, Gena L. Cox-Jones

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the number of significant factors in the Hackman and Oldham (1980) job characteristics model. The original factors were: Skill Variety, Task Significance, Task Identity, Autonomy, and Feedback. Scores on these dimensions for 84 employees of the University of Central Florida (21 supervisory and 63 non-supervisory subjects) were used as the basis for this study through a mail administration of the Hackman and Oldham Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) and their Job Rating Form (JRF). It was hypothesized that: (a) only four significant job dimensions would emerge from factor analysis of the data; (b) that the motivating potential ratings …

Person Perception And The Employment Interview: The Impact Of Facial Features In The Employee Selection Process, Susan C. Muller

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found that the structural makeup of the face influences the manner by which individuals perceive others and attribute characteristics to them. In addition, support has been provided for the hypothesis that nonverbal cues significantly influence an interviewer's perception of a job candidate and the pending hiring decision. Taken together, this study hypothesized that the nonverbal cues emitted from the structural makeup of the face would impact the decision to hire and the perceptions of the job applicant's personality. It was also expected that variations in facial structure would influence an employer's decision in hiring the applicant for …

The Effects Of Locus Control Upon Pay Satisfaction, Richard A. Curle

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The issue of pay satisfaction is of increasing concern to management because of today's high cost of recruiting and training employees. Also of concern to management is the impact that a high employee turnover rate, due to pay dissatisfaction, can have on organizational effectiveness. Therefore, identifying the causes of, and reducing the probability of, employee pay dissatisfaction is desirable.

Children's Attributional Style And Length Of Stay In An Alternative Education Program, William E. Pinnell

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has linked attributional style in children to self-esteem, loneliness, depression, general distress, and reading persistence to the learning disabled. The current study sough to determine if specific attributional styles in children were correlated with their length of stay in a behaviorally based Alternative Education program. Sixty-two first-grade through sixth-grade children were recruited from two Alternative Education campuses in Polk County, Florida. They each completed two administrations of the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ), separated by a two-week interval, and one administration of the performance Expectation Questionnaire, (PEQ), which assessed the children's expectation of their ability to perform tasks …

Cognitive And Social Desirability Factors In Marital Adjustment For A Sample Of Retired Older Adults, Priscilla B. Wilson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated cognitive components of marital adjustment and the role of social desirability response sets in a sample of retired older adults. It was hypothesized that higher marital adjustment scores would correlate negatively with dysfunctional beliefs concerning marriage. The objectives of the study were to identify which irrational beliefs are related to higher and lower levels of marital adjustment, and to determine the extent to which higher adjustment scores reflect the tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner. The sample consisted of 45 married couples, each partner of which was retired and aged 65 years or older. Assessment …

An Evaluation Of A Parent Sex Education Program, Janice Devlin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sex education during childhood and adolescence is much more than a "birds and bees" discussion between a mother and a daughter or a seventh-grade science unit on human reproduction. It is, rather, a pervasive experience involving children's everyday interactions with friends, family, and their wider social environments. Elizabeth Roberts (1980) has developed a framework for understanding sexuality that emphasizes the broad-based nature of sexual learning. She focuses on six dimensions of sexuality which are socially learned: gender role, affection and intimacy, family roles and social life styles, body image, erotic experiences, and reproduction. The role of the family in each …

The Relationship Between Selected Personality Variables And Compulsive Gamblers In Treatment, Kevin E. Kip

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The empirical contributions of researchers on the personality characteristics associated with the identification and treatment of compulsive gambling have been largely piecemeal. As an active four year veteran of the Gamblers Anonymous program, the author has come to recognize that the vast majority of members comprising Gamblers Anonymous are persons typically not well versed in experimental design or research methodology techniques. Compounding this statement is the fact that it was not until the early 1980's that compulsive gambling (or synonomously stated as pathological gambling) became recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder with explicit diagnostic signs and …

Psychological Effects Of Divorce On Children: A Developmental Approach, Arlene Iasimone

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Validity Of Student Evaluations: A Comparison Of Student Ratings To Instructor Self-Evaluations, Rebecca A. Hopson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Soap Opera Viewers' Perceptions Of The Real World, Gayle Seese

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The frequency of occurrence on typical soap operas of incidents such as homicide, infidelity, and mental breakdown is much greater than is the case in real life. Also, various occupations (e.g., medical profession, legal profession) are overrepresented in these programs. The present study investigated the extent to which heavy soap opera viewers are influenced by these representations. Specifically, the differences between long term soap opera viewers’ and non-soap opera viewers’ perceptions about people and events in the real world were investigated. The subjects’ perceptions of the frequency of occurrences in the general population of such events as divorce, extramarital affairs, …

Effects Of Volunteer Activity On Psychosocial Adjustment Among The Elderly, William R. Criss

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research was carried out to determine if psychosocial adjustment improves for elderly persons engaged in volunteer activity. Questionnaires were completed by 27 persons aged 60 or over before and two months after beginning volunteer activity at one of 33 Florida community hospitals. A control group of 37 persons without hospital volunteer experience also completed these two questionnaires, which covered several aspects of psychosocial adjustment, including self-esteem, life satisfaction, sense of control, optimism, anxiety, depression and somatization. An analysis of covariance with repeated measures indicated that there was no significant improvement in subjective well-being associated with volunteer activity after accounting …