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Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children And Adjustment Scales For Children And Adolescents, Eric Scroggs

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Perceived Parenting Style, Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction, And Self-Esteem As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Use, Megan Cox

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to identify predictors of adolescent substance use. Eighty-seven junior high school students completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction Index, Parental Authority Questionnaire, and the Michigan Alcohol and Other Drug School Survey. When examining self-esteem, adolescent family life satisfaction, and perceived parenting style, it was found that the authoritarian father parenting style was the best predictor of total adolescent substance use and, more specifically, tobacco use. Self-esteem and the authoritarian father parenting style were found to be the best predictors of adolescent alcohol use. Furthermore, the authoritarian father parenting style was significantly correlated with …

Depressive Symptoms And Academic Achievement In Fourth Grade Students, Michelle L. Harrison

Masters Theses

The relationships among depressive symptoms, peer acceptance, and academic competence were examined in 43 fourth-grade students using a self-report measure of depression (Children's Depression Inventory); a teacher-rated measure of depression (Behavior Assessment System for Children — Teacher Rating Scale); peer acceptance and peer rejection; and grade point average. Results indicated higher levels of self-reported depression than previously found in children of this age. Correlations between self-reports of depression and peer rejection and self-reports of depression and grade point average were significant. The current study also found a significant positive correlation between the two depression scales (Children's Depression Inventory and Behavior …

The Effectiveness Of Non-Directive Play Therapy On Decreasing Inappropriate Behavior, Heather M. Sawyer

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the effectiveness of non-directive play therapy, operationalized as non-contingent attention (NCA), no-demands, and an enriched environment, on three developmentally normal children with a history of abuse or neglect. A single-case reversal-replication design was employed. Baseline consisted of contingent attention, demands, and a relatively non-enriched environment. Results indicated that for one of the participants, NCA, no-demands, and an enriched environment successfully decreased inappropriate play behaviors. More specifically, destructive and disrupted play behaviors occurred much less frequently in both treatment conditions compared to the two baseline conditions. The other two participants did not show any clear pattern of …

Protective Factors Of Verbal Aggression, Yuria Morimoto

Masters Theses

The present study aimed to examine the negative long-term outcomes of parental verbal aggression in childhood. It also examined the roles of problem-solving coping skills, family cohesion, and a parental emotional bond as moderators of negative psychological outcomes. Sixty-four-male and169 female university students were recruited from psychology courses and completed a demographic questionnaire, measures of physical maltreatment, psychological maltreatment, family cohesion, parental emotional bonding, and use of coping strategies. Psychological adjustment was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Aggression Questionnaire, and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. Results indicated that individuals reporting greater verbal aggression histories …

Attachment Patterns Between Hearing Children And Deaf Primary Caregivers, Bette L. Witcraft

Masters Theses

This study extends previous research on attachment patterns, formed by infants with primary caregivers who noncontingently or inconsistently respond to the infant's attachment signals, to the population of hearing children of deaf primary caregivers. It was hypothesized that, due to the simple mechanical problem of the deaf primary caregiver's inability to hear the infant's attachment signals, e.g. crying, hearing adolescent children of deaf primary caregivers will demonstrate higher Anger Distress Scale scores as measured by the Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire than a control group. Results support the hypothesis. A sample of 19 hearing adolescents with deaf primary caregivers rated themselves significantly …

Pet Bonding And Pet Bereavement Among Adults, Kelli Brosam

Masters Theses

This study was designed to examine the relationship between the intensity of bonding and grief responses among adults following the death of their dogs or cats. Three hypotheses were considered: 1) The strength of the bond between an adult and a pet will predict the intensity of grief following the death of that pet. Specifically, adults who are more strongly bonded with a pet will experience more intense grief following the death of that pet than adults who are less strongly bonded. 2) Regardless of type of animal, women will be more highly bonded to pets, and women will report …

A Neuropsychological Perspective On The Efficacy Of Typical And Atypical Medication Treatment For Chronic Schizophrenia Regarding Executive Functioning, Eric Hart

Masters Theses

This study investigated the efficacy of current medication treatment procedures for chronic schizophrenics on neuropsychological measures. A total of twenty participants from the Coles County Mental Health Center, who met DSM-IV criteria for chronic schizophrenia, volunteered to be administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)-64 card version as a means of assessing neuropsychological executive functioning. A total of twenty participants free of any diagnosable psychological disorder also volunteered to be administered the WSCT-64, which served as a control group. The staff psychiatrist at the Coles County Mental Health Center completed the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in order to …

Personality Correlates Between Fundamentalist And Non-Fundamentalist Individuals As Measured By The Neo Pi-R And The Religious Fundamentalism Scale, Jason Andrew Witt

Masters Theses

The relationship between religious fundamentalism and personality was examined. Over 150 students total, from two Midwestern universities were administered the NEO PI-R and the Religious Fundamentalism Scale. It was predicted that the individuals who scored highly on the RF Scale would score significantly higher on the Neuroticism scale and significantly lower on the Openness scale of the NEO PI-R than the non-fundamentalists. Results of the study confirmed the prediction that Openness would be significantly lower for fundamentalists, F (1, 103) = 11.093, p < 0.001. Results did not confirm the prediction that Neuroticism would be significantly higher for fundamentalists, but showed that Agreeableness was significantly higher for fundamentalists, F (1,103) = 11.127, p < 0.001. Possible reasons for the differences in personality scores between fundamentalists and non-fundamentalists were discussed, as well as suggestions for future research in this area.

Ratings Of Assessment Procedures By Learning Disabilities Teachers And School Psychologists, Raquel A. Williams

Masters Theses

This study surveyed the perceptions of school psychologists and learning disabilities teachers (LD teachers) on the frequency of use and usefulness of the following assessment procedures: Standardized tests, curriculum based measures (CBMs), classroom observations, interview with general education teachers, and analysis of class assignments for initial placement of a child, instructional planning, and evaluation of student progress. Further, this study investigated how proficient the two groups felt in administering each of the five assessment procedures. Fifty four school psychologists and 32 LD teachers completed the questionnaire. Results indicated that school psychologists and LD teachers agreed on the frequency of use …

Family Environment, Family Structure, And Personality Traits Of Adult Children, Michelle A. Rallins

Masters Theses

There have been several studies on the long-term impact of divorce on children; however there have been relatively few studies on the personality characteristics of adult children of divorce. This study investigates the personality traits and family environments of young adults from varied family structures. College students (n = 75) completed the Personality Research Form (PRF-E) and the Family Environment Scale (FES) and demographic forms. A multivariate of analysis (MANOVA) was conducted. The results revealed no significant differences in regard to personality or family environments between young adults from intact families and divorced families. There were, however, marginal differences in …

The Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children (Basc) And The Preschool And Kindergarten Behavior Scale (Pkbs), Lindsay A. Barton

Masters Theses

The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) and the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) are two relatively new behavior assessment scales that measure emotional and behavioral problems of children. The BASC is designed to evaluate the behavior and self-perceptions of children aged two and a half to eighteen years old. The PKBS is designed to evaluate social skills and problem behavior patterns of preschool and kindergarten aged children including the ages of three, four, five, and six years old. There are no studies in the empirical literature comparing the preschool form of the BASC and the PKBS behavior rating …

The Effects Of Positive Peer Reporting On Children's Social Involvement, Kristyn B. Moroz

Masters Theses

This investigation examined the effectiveness of positive peer reporting (PPR) on increasing the social involvement behavior and peer acceptance of four socially withdrawn children within a general education setting. PPR is a social skills intervention where children are taught how to publicly praise a target classmate's appropriate behavior. The positive peer reporting procedure was implemented daily by each participant's classroom teacher and its effects were observed during recess using behavioral observations. The results indicated that PPR had no effect on peer status. However, results from the behavioral observations indicated that three of the participants exhibited higher rates of social involvement …

Differences In Motivation Between Division I Collegiate Female Basketball Players And Swimmers, Meghan Mcgovern

Masters Theses

Previous research has shown that motivation to participate in athletics is influenced by a variety of factors. A great number of studies have identified several of these factors including age, gender and scholarship status (Amorose and Horn, 2000). However very little research has been conducted regarding how the type of sport may influence motivation.

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in the types of motivation exhibited by team sport athletes and individual sport athletes when assessed using the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) (Pelletier et al, 1995). It was hypothesized that team sport athletes would display …

The Effects Of Cognitive And Affective Persuasion On Supporting The Death Penalty, Jason Wayne Hortin

Masters Theses

This thesis examined how participants with cognitively based favorable attitudes toward the death penalty were influenced by cognitive or affective arguments that criticized the death penalty. College students' general attitudes toward the death penalty were measured using a Likert-type scale. They were then asked to write out their thoughts and/or feelings about the death penalty. Some of the participants received two cognitive arguments while others received two affective arguments against the death penalty. After reading these counterarguments, the participants' positions and thoughts/feelings were once again measured.

Only participants with cognitively based attitudes that were supportive of the death penalty were …

Functional Analysis Of Abused/Neglected Children's Inappropriate Play, Jessica Bauer

Masters Theses

This study investigated the possible governing mechanisms of inappropriate play behaviors of three developmentally normal children with a history of abuse/neglect. A functional analysis was performed using three conditions—contingent attention plus demands, contingent attention, and non-contingent attention. For one child, functional analysis revealed that inappropriate play behavior occurred more frequently in those conditions where contingent attention was present. Demands, at least when contingent attention was provided, did not appear to elicit or evoke inappropriate play behavior. For the other two children, functional analysis did not reveal any significant differences between conditions. The results of this study suggest that for some …

Sorrow Into Joy: A Phenomenological Study Of Adult Women Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Eldine M. Webster

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn how six mid-life women who had been sexually abused as children perceived the way in which that early experience had impacted their life to date. Using a phenomenological qualitative life-history approach, each participant was interviewed for a period of from one to three hours. Content analysis of the interviews and member-checking with participants who volunteered to do so resulted in eight major themes emerging from the data: memories, family, career, addictions, depression, boundaries and embodiment, counseling, and synchronicity. The last theme, synchronicity, very closely related to the concept of spirituality and a …

The Nonverbal Communication Of Pain As Recognized By Alternative Health Care Providers, Jodi L. Pope

Masters Theses

Recognizing nonverbal messages of pain in a health care setting is essential. The nonverbal communication of pain is a communication aspect typically overlooked in modern health care environments. This research surveyed alternative health care providers to determine what nonverbal behaviors they recognize as pain indicators and how they react to those behaviors. Massage therapists and chiropractors from a Midwest county filled out surveys and participated in a focus group. Fifty nonverbal pain indicators, such as guarding body parts, postural inequalities, gait, and clenched fists, among others, were charted. Several other topics such as learning how to determine nonverbal pain indicators, …

Adult Perceptions Of Their Relationships With Siblings Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Paula K. Aguilar

Masters Theses

How young adults' perceptions of their relationships with their siblings with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder differ from the perceptions of other young adults having non-disordered siblings were examined. Participants' perceptions of warmth, conflict, and rivalry with their siblings were measured using the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire. The results indicated that perceptions of warmth, conflict, and rivalry were not significantly different for these two groups. An inverse relationship between warmth and rivalry was found for participants having siblings with ADHD. As feelings of warmth increased, feelings of rivalry decreased. Findings suggest future research in this area is needed for results that …

Effects Of Gender And Position Of Test Stimuli On Undergraduates ' Spatial Task Performance, James Brenton Curley

Masters Theses

This study predicted that sex differences in performance can occur where the sense of touch serves as vision, and that the position of the test array may significantly affect performance. Sixty-four college undergraduates (32 males and 32 females), with ages ranging from 18-27 (M = 20.06, SD = 1.82) were recruited from the psychology subject pool of Eastern Illinois University for participation. Apparatus consisted of templates with raised line drawings of tilted jars containing water drawn on them. The subjects were blindfolded and instructed to interpret four jar drawings at a time. The task consisted of identifying the jar with …

Patterns Of Parenting In Relation To Adolescent Achievement In Ninth Through Twelfth Grades, Kimberly D. Hofmann

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore how the characteristics of parenting change during the adolescents' ninth through twelfth grade years and how these changes effect achievement. In addition, this study explored adolescents' and parents' perceptions of parenting. Subjects were 120 ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders recruited from public high schools in the Midwest. Measures of maternal and paternal demandingness, responsiveness, values toward achievement, involvement in schoolwork, and involvement in-school functions, designed for this program of research, were obtained from both adolescents and their parents. Results showed adolescents' reports of maternal parenting significantly predicted their achievement outcomes. Adolescents …

Relationship Between Belief In An Active Satan And Intolerance Of Minority Groups, Jennifer L. Acord

Masters Theses

For years researchers have explored the issue of intolerance of minority groups. Research has suggested that intolerance is related to general religiosity. More recently the focus of investigation has been the relationship between intolerance and specific religious beliefs, such as belief in an active Satan, religious fundamentalism, and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). In a previous study Wilson and Huff (in press) found that belief in an active Satan was related to intolerance of gay men and lesbians and ethnic minority groups. The current study re-examined the relationship between belief in an active Satan and intolerance of various minority groups. In addition, …