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The Effects Of Maternal Support And Non-Support On The Family Concepts Of Sexually Abused Girls, Sharon R. Hitchens

Dissertations and Theses

Incest, and the problems arising from it, have increasingly come under the scrutiny of therapists and researchers. All family members are affected by incest and all have been studied. Victims are particularly devastated by sexual abuse by a family member but it is a commonly held belief that having a supportive mother can mitigate the trauma a victim experiences. In this study, girls between the ages of ten and eighteen who were the victims of sexual abuse by a father-figure were compared to a group of girls not thought to be incest victims. The incest victims were divided into two …

Tips, Volume 05, No. 4, 1985, Wolf P. Wolfensberger

Training Institute Publication Series (TIPS)

• Imprisonment

• Jailhouse News & Blues

• Beating Institutions Into Prisonshares

• Beating Prisons Into Condominiumshares

• Good News

• Criminal Justice Tales

• Your Money or Your Rights!

• Good News

• Judicial Murder

• The Antics of Police States & Police Forces

• Slavery

• Miscellaneous

• Street People, Poverty, & Homelessness

• Destitution

• The Bum on the Rods & the Bum on the Plush (Irwin, 1930)

• Homelessness

• Two Bits For a Cup of Coffee--... (Poem from Depression, Irwin, 1930)

• News of the Christmas Season

• Interfaces With Religion

• Excerpts from Peter …

Creating Opportunities For Father Involvement, Glen F. Palm

Child and Family Studies Faculty Publications

The increase of men's involvement in their children's lives is a common theme in the popular media. As a parent educator and a teacher of early childhood educators, I was interested in how successful early childhood programs for young disabled children have been at involving fathers. I was curious about the kinds of opportunities that are available to fathers and how many fathers are taking advantage of these opportunities.

Behavioral Toxicology Of A Glucocorticoid: Analysis Of Selected Behavioral And Physiological Effects Of Repeated Prednisolone Treatment, Robert G. Sewell

Dissertations

Glucocorticoids are used medicinally for numerous chronic ailments. While dramatically effective, glucocorticoid treatment is replete with psychiatric complications. The behavioral toxicology of glucocorticoids, however, remains relatively unexplored. Therefore, 13 laboratory studies were performed to analyze the influence of prednisolone, a representative glucocorticoid, upon varied behavioral and physiological endpoints in rats. Experiments 1-3 showed prednisolone to produce marked hypodipsia, body weight loss, selective adrenal gland atrophy, hyperactivity, hyperalgesia, altered grasping responses, hyperglycemia, enhanced predation, and conditioned taste aversion. Most of these findings were directly dependent upon dose, and where explored, number of treatments. The remaining ten studies examined both acute and …

Rule-Governed Behavior In Preschool Children, Cassandra Ann Braam

Masters Theses

The control exerted by different types of rules on the behavior of preschool children was determined. Using a variation of a multielement design, four topographically similar rules were presented to seven four-year-old children. The rules varied in the deadlines and delay of consequences (rewards) specified. The results showed that: (a) requests or mands specifying only response requirements generally exerted poor control; (b) rules specifying an immediate deadline and an immediate reward exerted strong control; (c) rules specifying deadlines and a one-week delay of the reward exerted good control; and (d) rules specifying no deadlines for completion and a one-week delay …

A Comparison Of Similar Versus Dissimilar Competing Response Practice In The Treatment Of Muscle Tics, Ellen L. Sharenow

Masters Theses

Miltenberger, Fuqua, and McKinley (1985) reported that the competing response component of the habit reversal treatment package (Azrin & Nunn, 1973) when presented alone was as effective as the entire habit reversal procedure in suppressing muscle tics. In a related study, Miltenberger and Fuqua (1 9 8 5 , in press) reported that the performance of the competing response contingent on the occurrence of a variety of nervous habits resulted in greater response suppression than the non-contingent performance of the competing response. In an effort to determine whether the topography of the competing response was important to the reported effects, …

The Sibling Experience: A Comparative Study Of Relationship And Birth Order Factors In Predicting Personality Characteristics, Elizabeth Bergmann-Harms

Theses and Dissertations

The two purposes of this research were: (1) to develop an instrument, the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) to measure retrospectively childhood feelings towards siblings and (2) to assess the power of the SRQ in statistical prediction of personality characteristics, as measured by the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). The predictive power of the SRQ was compared by multivariate analyses to that of birth order variables. The principal personality features investigated were need for achievement, need for affiliation, conformity, sociability, and sex-role orientation.

In Study 1 a pool of items regarding childhood sibling relationships was submitted to a sample of 255 undergraduate …

Reinforcement Increases The Strength Of An Elicited Response, Michael D. Peters

Dissertations

A response initially produced by noncontigent fixed-time delivery of brief electric shock was strengthened by reinforcement. Following the fixed-time shock baseline condition, response contingent shock absence (avoidance) was programmed for the lower probability of two response options for one group of squirrel monkeys. For the other group the interposed history was variable-interval food reinforcement. When responding was reliably maintained reinforcement was discontinued and a return made to fixed-time shock conditions as programmed prior to reinforcement. Upon a return to original conditions, rates were substantially elevated over baseline with the elevation sustained for many sessions. The avoidance group showed the most …

The Effects Of Frequency & Source Of Feedback On Performance Under Goal-Setting Conditions, David Campshure

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Feedback and goal setting are both necessary for either to have an effect on performance (Erez, 1977). In the present study two attributes of feedback, frequency and source, were manipulated under goal-setting conditions to examine their effects on performance. It is generally assumed that performance can be enhanced by providing individuals with frequent feedback and by providing them with feedback that originates from a source close to themselves--that is, feedback from the task itself or self-administered feedback. A third variable of interest, subjects' perceived control over the task, was assessed via questionnaires.

Subjects worked on a problem-solving task. Each subject …

Instructional Control Of Leniency In Self-Appraisals, Maria Barnum Nelson

Masters Theses

Self- and supervisor ratings were obtained on four classifications of non-teaching public school employees across two instructional conditions. Self-ratings showed more leniency in the condition where employees were instructed not to meet with the supervisor to discuss the ratings; self-ratings showed less leniency in the condition where employees were instructed to meet with the supervisor to discuss the ratings. Despite foreknowledge of the research question and instructional conditions, supervisors showed a tendency to rate employees differentially according to the instructional conditions. The results of the analyses demonstrate the potency of instructional control on rating behavior by employees and supervisors. Questions …

Tamoxifen Effects Upon Body Weight, Water Intake, And Several Behaviors, And Tamoxifen’S Unconditioned Stimulus Properties In The Conditioned Taste Aversion Paradigm, Steven J. Anderson

Masters Theses

The antiestrogen tamoxifen citrate (Stuart Pharmaceuticals) is indicated for treatment of breast cancer. Tamoxifen (TMX) is frequently employed because of demonstrated effectiveness in tumor reduction and a low incidence of debilitating side effects compared to similar agents. Even though side effects are uncommon with use of TMX, medical and behavioral sequalae have been noted. The present , . study investigated several behaviors in female rats administered TMX in two separate studies. In the first investigation, the effects of 25 daily treatments of TMX upon body weight, water intake, and several behaviors were assayed. In the second study, aversion to a …

Cultural Characteristics Of Learning And Perceptual Skills Of Southeast Alaskan Native 5-Year-Olds, Thomas J. Turkon

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the use of cognitive skills by 5-year-old Alaskan Native children on a standardized testing instrument. The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence (WPPSI) were administered to 23 boys and 17 girls of predominantly Tlingit, Tsimshean, and Haida ancestry. A standardized parent interview was used to collect bio-demographic data. Mean scores for the sample displayed significant differences between the Performance and Verbal scales, with the strongest performance in the Spatial subtests, and lowest in the Sequential subtests. Scores were significantly associated with variables representing culture-specific self identity and behavior, but were most strongly associated with family size. …

Traits As Self-Schemata And Their Effect On Recall Of Content-Specific Adjectives, Victor Lee Barrow

Master's Theses

The concept that personality traits serve as a priori self schemata cognitive structures in memory was investigated. College students from University of Richmond were tested on recall of 160 content-specific adjectives and then administered the Personality Research Form. After being shown the list of adjectives, subjects were given a five-minute distractor task and then given fifteen minutes to recall as many adjectives as possible. A correlational analysis was performed on the scores on the personality traits of achievement, affiliation, autonomy, dominance, endurance, nurturance, order, play, sentience, and understanding and with the recall of content-specific adjectives. The correlation between the trait …

A Study Of The Interrater Agreement Of Therapists Using The Basic I.D. Profile As An Assessment Tool, Jimmy Mann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In using the BASIC I.D. profile as an assessment tool, seven modalities of the client are assessed: Behaviors, Affect, Sensations, Imagery, Cognitions, Interpersonal relationships, and Drugs (physiological condition). The purpose of this s•udy was to assess the interrater agreement of the BASIC I.D. profile when used as an assessment approach in psychotherapy. The raters were 15 graduate students in clinical and school psychology at Western Kentucky University. Six actors served as subjects who simulated clients coming to a psychotherapist for his/her initial interview. Two experienced interviewers portrayed therapists conducting the initial interview with the subject. The interviews were videotaped and, …

The Effect Of Training On The Helping Behavior Of Religiously-Oriented Persons, Randy P. Marsh

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Persons who adhere to a religious faith or theology based upon the Bible value its teachings that call for responsiveness to the needs of others. However, belief often varies from behavior. Prior research (Darley & Batson, 1973, Batson, 1976, Batson & Gray, 1981, Batson & Ventis, 1982) has found that religious orientation consistently predicts differences in helping behavior. A particular disparity exists between quest oriented persons, who are typically responsive to the stated needs of others, and end oriented persons, whose responses seem more dependent upon an internal need to appear helpful. The present study hypothesized that such differences are …

Development Of A Screening Device For Western Conservative Baptist Seminary Using Mmpi Clinical, Research And Subscales, Demographics, Sentence Completion And Seminary Attrition Scale, J. Ross Neder

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study was to develop a method by which to screen prospective students for the possibility of future adjustment difficulties with seminary life. The final goal for this information is to identify students who would benefit from extra support and guidance. A random sample of 55 male M. Div. students from Western were given the MMPI, Sentence Completion, Seminary Attrition Scale, Demographics and a new scale developed by the author, the Seminary Socialization Scale (SSS) in the spring quarter of 1984. The 20 question SSS correlated in the expected direction with 44 pathology measures on the MMPI …

Self-Efficacy Expectancy As A Training Technique In Personal Evangelism, Glenda C. Loomis

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Bandura's self-efficacy theory was applied to a religious variable, namely personal evangelism, in a sample of 31 volunteers from a Christian liberal arts college. The study sought to determine whether a significant relationship exists between the kind of training a person receives in evangelism and the individual's subsequent self-efficacy expectancy, outcome expectancy and intention to perform the behavior. Three treatment emphases were used: a) an intellectual emphasis which provided individuals with arguments, proofs and evidences for the validity of Christianity; 2) an affective emphasis which encouraged individuals to rely on their faith and devotion to God, which would result in …

School Of Psychology Fall Schedule 1985, Nova University

CPS Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Internal Consistency On The Cpi Social Dominance Scale On The Predictability Of Dominance Behaviors, Jerry Guttman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to show that the degree of consistency that people demonstrate on personality measures is positively related to the degree to which behaviors representing the personality domains can be predicted. Thirty five female consistent personality scale respondents and Thirty eight female inconsistent scale respondents participated in small group discussions. The results showed that for all females, scale scores on the California Psychological Inventory subscaJe of dominance were predictive of three measures of dominance behaviors in the discussion group. Consistent personality scale respondents had no measures that were significantly correlated with the dominance scale score, whereas …

Evaluation Of Stress Management Program Participant Outcomes, Kanya Boondharm Sitanggang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study, conducted by a Health Maintenance Organization in Southern California, evaluated the impact of a stress management program in reducing stress/anxiety, stressors/hassles, and perception of stressors. Impact of the program in reducing negative coping mechanisms and increasing positive coping mechanisms as well as the retention of stress management training over a three month follow-up period was examined.

A quasi-experimental -- non-equivalent control group design was used. The experimental group consisted of 54 clients who registered for stress management classes. The control group consisted of 105 matched subjects selected from a larger group of 212. All subjects were tested prior …

Weighted Application Blanks: An Empirical Approach For The Selection Of Delivery Personnel Psychology, Barton Lee Dahmer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a biographically weighted application blank for use in selecting delivery personnel. The England (1971) procedure for weighting biographical information was utilized. The criterion was a ratio of planned work time to actual work time. It was hypothesized that (a) significant derivation and cross-validities would be obtained, and (b) significant practical benefits in terms of correct placement of workers in the high and low criterion groups would result. The first hypothesis was partially supported in that a significant derivation validity was obtained (r = -.56, P < .05). However, the cross-validity (r = -.12) was not significant. Thus, the second hypothesis was not supported. A discussion of the results and recommendations for the implementation of the weighted application blank are provided.

Cerebral Hemispheric Mechanisms In The Retrieval Of Ambiguous Word Meanings, Roland Curt Burgess

Student Work

Targets related to ambiguous primes were projected to the left and right visual fields in a lexical priming experiment with stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA) of 35ms and 750ms. Left hemisphere results were similar to earlier results with central projection (Simpson & Burgess, JEP:HPP, 1985). Facilitation across both SOAs for the more frequent meaning and a decrease in facilitation for the less frequent meaning at the longer SOA. In contrast, right hemisphere results indicated a decay of facilitation for the more frequent meaning at the longer SOA, while activation for the subordinate meaning increased. Results suggest that while automatic processing occurs …

Getting Ready To Learn: The Correspondence Between Contingency Awareness And Level Of Piagetian Sensorimotor Development, Patricia Beilby-Smith

Student Work

My purpose in this descriptive study was to view infants' readiness to learn and their performance on a simple discrete task from the perspective of Piaget's theory of infant intelligence. Such a readiness to learn has been described by Watson (1966, 1971, 1972) as contingency awareness. This study attempted to investigate the relationship between assessed Piagetian sensorimotor level and performance on a contingency awareness task. Performance measures included efficiency rate and latency to first hit on a second test session. Infant performance was viewed within the framework of sensorimotor development. From the literature there is evidence of a relationship between …

Tips, Volume 05, No. 2 & 3, 1985, Wolf P. Wolfensberger

Training Institute Publication Series (TIPS)

• An Issue on Miscellaneous Matters

• A Letter From a Master Human Service Training/Consulting Vulture to Several of His Nieces/Nephews

• RIP

• Resources

• Human Service News

• More on the Good News-Bad News Dilemma

• Sex & Sex Related News (Surely You'll Want to Read This)

• Hey, Cutie, Wanna Play With Me??

• Miscellaneous Human Service News

• Miscellaneous Life-&-Death News, Mostly in Human Services

• Someone is Going to Burn for This

• Tinkering With the Forms & Definitions of Human Life

• There is a Raging War Against Handicapped People in Contemporary Society (Milton …

The Use Of Job Aids As An Alternative To Training New Employees, William D. Powers

Masters Theses

Lack of knowledge required to perform a job, has often been dealt with by implementing some sort of training program. However, some businesses cannot afford to implement training. This study tested the effectiveness of using job aides as an alternative to training two new employees at a small business which had no training program. Step-by-step instructional aids were developed for rebuilding Series 40 MT Delco starters and Series 10 SI Delco alternators. A multiple-base-line between subjects design, with an ABABAB reversal, was used.

The data showed the average time required by the new employees to rebuild Series 40 MT Delco …

The Self-Concept Of Pregnant And Nonpregnant Adolescents And Changes That Occur Between Trimesters, Linda Aileen Furlani

Master's Theses

Twenty-two nonpregnant adolescents and 14 pregnant adolescents selected from Chesterfield Health Department's clinic population participated in a study to determine if the self-concept of a nonpregnant adolescent is higher than that of a pregnant adolescent. Each group was further subdivided into a middle adolescent and a late adolescent category to determine if there is any difference in the self-concept of a pregnant adolescent in the middle adolescent stage versus that of a pregnant adolescent in the late adolescent stage. Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), School Form, was administered to test the subject's perception of herself and to measure evaluative attitudes toward …

Effect Of Fixed-Ratio Size On Response-Latencies Produced By Other Variables, Albert Edward Neal

Masters Theses

Using a discrete-trial, two-component multiple schedule, pigeons were required to complete a fixed-ratio in the presence of stimuli correlated with different probabilities of reinforcement (Experiment 1), or different amounts of reinforcement (Experiment 2). The amount of separation of graphed median latencies to the onset of the two stimulus conditions as a function of the different reinforcement conditions was investigated in relation to various fixed-ratio values. It was found that previous researchers had chosen an optimal fixedratio size; larger ratios produced greater separation between median latencies, but at the expense of increased session-to-session variability, while smaller ratios failed to produce median …

The Effects Of Reward And Reinforcement On Intrinsic Interest, Alyce Muzette Dickinson

Dissertations

Under certain circumstances, rewarding individuals for performing a task that they enjoy may decrease their subsequent interest in that activity when rewards are no longer available. Decreased task interest is not, however, an inevitable outcome of reward and the subsequent termination of reward. This study investigated one variable that may influence whether task interest will increase or decrease following reward termination: the degree to which the reward is reinforcing. The study also examined how long post-reward performance changes persisted when they occurred.

A multiple-trial, within-subject comparison design was employed in which three reward phases were alternated with post-reward phases. Two …

The Use Of An Incentive System To Increase Worker Performance In A Financial Setting, Steven S. Armstrong

Dissertations

The use of merchandise as a consequence in a performance based incentive system was assessed in a financial setting. Points were earned by each subject based on individual daily performance. These points were collected by each subject and used toward the purchase of merchandise. A multiple baseline across two groups of bank tellers showed substantial increases in worker behavior after the onset of contingent points. Differences between groups existed and an analysis is provided. Follow-up data revealed sustained performance and a cost-benefit analysis demonstrated substantial savings.

The Effect Of Medicaid Billing On Service To Developmentally Disabled Adults, Kambiz Alavi

Dissertations

This study provides a detailed analysis of the daily service delivery records before and after the introduction of a Medicaid Billing Form at a day-activity center for developmentally disabled adults. The form required therapists to record daily service delivery (in 15-minute units) to Medicaid eligible clients. There were 38 clients, 23 Medicaid and 15 non-Medicaid, and four therapists. The data showed, for three of the four therapists, a clear and large increase in reported service delivery to Medicaid clients and a smaller increase to non-Medicaid clients. Six months after the introduction of the Medicaid Billing Form the therapists were required …