Digital Commons Network^™

Academy Retzor: Teaching Social Skills Through Computers, Cynthia Stilwill

Theses

None provided.

Effects Of Gender And Perceived Identifiability On Whistle-Blowing Behavior, John Johanson

Student Work

Whistle-blowing--the disclosure of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate organizational practices--has received increased attention in recent years as a possible method for organizations to prevent loss due to theft, injury, law suits, etc. Few studies to date have examined this topic from more than a descriptive or correlational perspective. A new emphasis on controlled studies may shed more light on the topic. This study used a 3 x 2 x 2 design to examine the causal influences of three levels of perceived identifiability of the potential whistle-blower and the effects of the gender of both the potential whistle-blower and the authority to …

Social Skills Training: Effects On Social Competence And Behavior In Children, Philip T. Shepherd

Student Work

The effects that fifteen sessions combining cognitive behavioral techniques and social skills training had on increasing socially positive behavior was investigated with male and female, fifth and sixth grade students. Within a control, experimental and placebo group, behavior rating surveys were administered to parents, teachers and students to identify changes in perceptions of subject behavior. Survey instruments included the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklist (1983 rev.) and the Elementary Behavior Questionnaire. Changes in interpersonal behavior, acting out behavior and disturbed peer relations were assessed. Results indicated there was no statistically significant increase in prosocial behavior or decrease in antisocial behavior …

A More Stringent Criterion For Mental Disability Verification: Implications For Iowa And The Green Valley Area Education Agency, Tim R. Maher

Student Work

This Applied research project focused on the following: 1. The rationale for Iowa's I.Q. criterion for a M.D. diagnosis. 2. The possible ramifications of a more restrictive M.D. criterion. 3. Qualitative differences in educational services students are likely to receive in a special education program verses a regular education program.

Child Abuse Reporting: Characteristics Of The Type Of Abuse, Gender, And Disclosure On Likelihood Of Reporting By Iowa School Psychologists, Stephen L. Schwiesow

Student Work

This study examined the effects of a child’s gender, type of suspected child abuse, and child ’s disclosure of abuse allegations on school psychologists’ likelihood of reporting. One hundred seventy Iowa certified school psychologists responded to a set of three vignettes, each depicting a suspected case of child abuse (sexual, physical, neglect). Each vignette was followed by two questions requesting respondents to rate their level of certainty of suspected abuse, and their likelihood of reporting the case to an intake agency. Also recorded were respondents' demographic background and past reporting practices. As predicted, sexual abuse was rated significantly more reportable …

Persistent Oral Dyskinesias Induced By Long-Term Haloperidol Treatment Is Dissociated From Changes In Neostriatal B(Max) And Mrna Content For Dopamine D(2) Receptors, Nuoyu Huang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the presumed associations of dopamine (DA) receptor supersensitivity phenomena in both long-term neuroleptic-treated tardive dyskinetic rats and neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine (n6-OHDA)-lesioned rats, we studied the influence of haloperidol on n6-OHDA-lesioned rats. At 3 days after birth rats received 6-OHDA-HBr (200 $\mu$g, bilateral intracerebroventricularly; desipramine pretreatment, 20 mg/kg, 1h) or vehicle. Two months later haloperidol (1.5/kg/day $\times$ 2 days/week for 4 weeks, then 1.5 mg/kg/day, every day for 10 months) was added to the drinking water. Spontaneous oral activity of intact and n6-OHDA-lesioned rats receiving haloperidol was reached and maintained at significantly higher levels after 15 weeks of haloperidol treatment. …

The Efficacy Of Massed Versus Distributed Practice As A Function Of Desired Learning Outcomes And Grade Level Of The Student, Vanessa D. Moss

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study examined the extent to which type-of-practice strategies (massed or distributed) had an effect on learning a verbal information (reading) or intellectual skill (math) task for second- and fourth-grade students. One hundred and ninety students from eight second- and fourth-grade classrooms participated in the study. Classrooms were randomly assigned to the two practice conditions and all students participated in a 9-week integrated learning system (ILS) intervention.

The present study found that intellectual skill tasks are learned slightly more effectively in a massed than distributed practice mode, though the difference was not statistically significant. Students also learned verbal information tasks …

Others' Perceptions Of Self-Handicappers: Claimed Depression And Alcohol Use As Self-Handicapping Strategies In Men And Women, Charles Ronald Borger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Dissociation: The Development And Initial Validation Of The Adolescent Dissociation Scale., Colleen Mary Fitzmaurice

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The present study attempted to develop and initially validate a self-report screening measure for adolescent dissociative experiences. The Adolescent Dissociation Scale (ADS) is a 49-item, empirically derived, self-report scale designed as a research, screening measure to examine the degree of dissociative experiences in the general population as compared to clinical subjects. Results obtained suggest the ADS is a reliable, highly internally consistent measure. Initial content, construct and discriminate validity were explored. The ADS was found to discriminate between high and low dissociative adolescents. The ADS also was positively correlated with other measures of dissociation.

Psychological Well-Being As A Predictor Of Adaptive Behavior In Older Adults., Heather Casper Jahnke

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Six dimensions of psychological well-being were used to predict effective coping across three context domains. Participants rated themselves on dimensions of psychological well-being and the coping behaviors used for problems they reported in a health, financial, and isolation or loss of relationship context. For each participant, a close friend or family member also rated them along the same six dimensions to provide an alternate measure of well-being. The criteria for effective coping was based on the use of emotion-focused coping in situations perceived as uncontrollable and problem-focused coping in situations perceived as controllable. Results indicated that the personal growth dimension …

A Social Skills Measure For Adults With Mild Or Moderate Mental Retardation: Development Of The Measure Of Observable Social Skills (Moss)., Debra Farrar-Schneider

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The literature on the history, definition, etiology, and assessment of social skills in mentally retarded adults was reviewed and the lack of adequate assessment measures was noted. Given the importance of social skills for mentally retarded individuals, especially in the area of community adjustment (e.g., residential and vocational placements), a behavioral checklist to assess these skills was developed. The Measure of Observable Social Skills (MOSS) was derived from reviewing social skills assessment and treatment literature, questionnaires, rating scales, and checklists. Two forms, each containing 47 different items, were developed and completed by caregivers of 212 mild to mentally retarded adults. …

The Relationship Between Daily Stress And Neuropsychological Test Performance., Mark Edward Todd

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Much research has focused on identifying the causes and risk factors associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Surprisingly, stress, which has been implicated in the course of a variety of other diseases, has been generally ignored in research on AD despite the fact that several different areas lend indirect support for a relationship between stress and the progression of AD. In this study, the effect of daily stress on the clinical course of AD was examined. Also, given that no study has examined the effects of daily stress on neuropsychological test performance, this relationship was examined as well. Forty-five out-patients with …

Reducing Burden And Distress In Caregivers Of Dementia Patients., Christopher David Sletten

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

As the prevalence and diagnosis of dementia have become more clearly delineated, there has been an increasing focus on the consequences of dementia on the family members that care for these individuals. Much of the attention has focused on who provides care and what impact that caregiving has on them. It has been well documented that the patient's family is responsible for much of the caregiving. These caregivers often experience both a physical and psychological impact from their role. Because of these negative consequences, several studies have investigated interventions designed to reduce caregiver distress. Most of these studies have incorporated …

The Nation-State And Its Ideology: A Study Of School Children's Views Of Nationalism, Politics, And Enmity, Linda June Olson

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the reproduction and ideological legitimization of the nation-state in the eyes of successive generations. There are two components to this study. The first is a socio-historical analysis of the formation of nation-state ideology, a formation which seems to necessitate creation of "in-groups" and "out-groups." It is a socio-historical analysis of victimization, of the tendency to justify colonialism, expansionism, imperialism, and brutality to outsiders.

The second component of this study is concerned with how the ideology of the nation-state regarding nationalism, patriotism, and especially classification of enemy groups, is reproduced and legitimized for future generations. For this purpose, …

Differentiating Between Delay Dependent And Delay Independent Deficits Following Medial Thalamic Lesions And Prefrontal Cortical Lesions In The Rat, Alexander Alden Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations

Twenty-four male rats were pretrained on a two-choice, auditory match to position (AMTP) task and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: radio-frequency lesions of either the medial wall (MW) of prefrontal cortex; lesions of the lateral internal medullary lamina site (LIML) of thalamus; or sham surgical control (CON).

Both lesion groups exhibited significant impairment on initial post-surgical testing of discrimination trials in the AMTP task. However, the MW group showed partial recovery with extensive retraining. In contrast, the LIML lesion group remained impaired throughout post-surgical discrimination testing. Neither the MW or the LIML group showed signs of more …

Molar And Local Effects Of The Fixed-Ratio Changeover Requirement On Choice, Changeovers, And Visits: A Parametric Examination Of The Fixed-Ratio Changeover Requirement, Michael B. Ehlert

Doctoral Dissertations

The distribution of behavior by organisms in choice situations is of long-standing interest to psychologists. The generalized matching relation accurately predicts choice between concurrent variable-interval schedules of reinforcement. Researchers have assumed, on weak grounds, that the effect of the changeover requirement on sensitivity to reinforcement--the exponent in the generalized matching equation--was consistent. This experiment considered the effects of the changeover requirement by parametrically manipulating the fixed-ratio schedule required to switch alternatives. Pigeons pecked either of two side-response keys in a standard three-key operant chamber for food, delivered according to independent variable-interval schedules. No changeover delay was used, instead completion of …

Temporal Context And Choice, Randolph Carey Grace

Doctoral Dissertations

An extension of the generalized matching law is proposed as a model for choice in concurrent chains. The contextual choice model (CCM) assumes that effects of temporal context on choice are determined by the relative times spent in the terminal and initial links (Tt/Ti), and that terminal-link value is independent of temporal context. CCM gives an excellent description of a wide range of archival data, and because it simplifies to the generalized matching law when terminal-link duration is zero, provides a quantitative integration of concurrent chains and concurrent schedules. A series of experiments with pigeons as subjects is described to …

Psychological Types And Temperaments: A Correlational Study Using The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator And The Temperament Inventory, Ronda F. Daugherty

Master's Theses

Problem

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the construct of psychological types, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and temperaments, as measured by the Temperament Inventory (TI).

Method

A non-random sample of 113 individuals completed a demographic questionnaire, the MBTI, and the TI. The results of each preference score of the MBTI and the scores on each of the four temperaments from the TI were compared using a canonical correlation analysis.

Results

There is a significant relationship between the MBTI's psychological types and the TI's temperaments. A preference for …

Social Skills In Mentally Retarded Children With Symptoms Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder., Debra Anne Benavidez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

One hundred forty-five boys ages 6 to 11 were administered the Social Skills Rating System and the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters. Subjects were divided into the following groups based on IQ, adaptive behavior, and score on a checklist of ADHD symptoms: normal IQ comparison, normal IQ high-activity-level, normal IQ medicated, mentally retarded comparison, mentally retarded high-activity-level, and mentally retarded medicated. For both normal IQ and mentally retarded children, high-activity-level resulted in higher levels of negative social behavior. Both groups of high-activity level subjects also scored lower on classroom-related social behaviors. Medicated normal IQ subjects displayed social behavior …

The Interview For The Diagnosis Of Eating Disorders-Iv: Application To Dsm-Iv Diagnostic Criteria., Vesna Kutlesic

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The standard diagnostic system in the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III-Revised, has recently been revised (i.e., DSM-IV) to include recent research and clinical advances that have enabled further specification of the existing diagnostic criteria. One set of diagnostic criteria that is representative of this increased specification are the criteria for the eating disorders. The expansion of these criteria in the recent publication of DSM-IV creates a need for the development of a structured interview that would enable differential diagnosis among these diagnostic categories. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric …

Equity Sensitivity: Scale Development And Validation., Kerry Shaun Sauley

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The Equity Sensitivity Instrument (Huseman, Hatfield, and Miles, 1985) has been the primary measure used in equity sensitivity research to date. It appears to suffer from content deficiency and an inappropriate scoring procedure. Because of these problems, this dissertation constructed a new measure, based on systematic item development procedures, that provided thorough coverage of the equity sensitivity construct. Development of the new measure was based on Huseman, Hatfield, & Miles' (1987) theory of equity sensitivity. Items for the new measure were developed using the traditional approach of developing items that directly inquire about a person's equity sensitivity and a second …

An Examination Of Whether Irony And Sarcasm Are Different Terms For The Same Psychological Construct, Christopher James Lee

Digitized Theses

Researchers have studied counterfactual statements, such as "There's not a cloud in the sky!" uttered during a violent thunderstorm, both as instances of irony (Jorgensen, Miller & Sperber, 1984; Kreuz & Glucksberg, 1989; Katz & Lee, 1993) and as instances of sarcasm (Gibbs, 1986; Kreuz & Glucksberg, 1989). It is not surprising that some terms are used inconsistently in a young field of investigation such as the psycholinguistics of irony and sarcasm. However. the inconsistent use of the terms irony and sarcasm across different empirical studies is problematic when research participants are asked to judge whether or not counterfactual statements …

Traits, Situations, And Managerial Behaviour: Test Of A Trait Activation Hypothesis, Robert Preston Tett

Digitized Theses

Results supporting the predictive validity of assessment centres (e.g., Gaugler, Rosenthal, Thornton & Bentson, 1987) are at odds with widely reported findings that behavioural consistency among assessment centre exercises is low (e.g., Sackett & Dreher, 1982). Lack of behavioural consistency raises doubts as to how assessment centres work. Drawing from principles of person-situation interactionism, a trait activation hypothesis is proposed to help explain the conflicting findings and direct development of valid simulation exercises. The hypothesis holds that the behavioural expression of a trait requires arousal of that trait by trait-relevant situational cues. Cross-situational consistency in behaviour is thereby conceived to …

Body Image Disturbance In Relation To Attributions Of Physical Attractiveness And Social Competence In College Women., Christine Louise. O'Connor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between eating-related attitudes and behaviors and the body figures chosen to present each participant's current body size, her ideal one, the one she judges to be most physically attractive to men, and the one she believes is most socially competent. One hundred and thirty-eight undergraduate women responded to the Figure Rating scale, the Eating Attitudes Test, and an open-ended question asking them to explain their choice of ideal body figure. Abnormal eating-related attitudes and behaviors were detected in 11.6% of the sample. Perceived current body size and the difference between current and ideal sizes …

Psychological Adjustment To Breast Cancer: Congruence Of Locus Of Control And Information And Decision-Making Participation., Betty Jane. Kirkland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forty-two breast cancer patients were interviewed to examine the relationship between psychological adjustment to breast cancer, current locus of control orientation, and treatment approach (i.e., amount of medical information received and degree of treatment participation). Specifically, the present study tested Reid's (1984) "congruence hypothesis" which suggests that a treatment approach congruent with locus of control orientation is associated with better psychological adjustment than a mismatched approach. Psychological adjustment was assessed with the profile of Mood States (McNair, Lorr, & Droppleman, 1971, 1992) and three subscales--emotional adjustment, sexual adjustment, and appearance satisfaction--of the Mastectomy Attitude Scale (Heyl, 1977). Locus of control, …

The Person-Job Fit: Implications Of Selecting Police Personnel On The Basis Of Job Dimensions, Aptitudes And Personality Traits., Brenda A. Tomini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to examine how well aptitude and personality measures combined could predict job performance and job satisfaction, for a sample of entry-level police constables. In the first phase, eight job analyses were conducted on various entry-level policing positions using the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ). Upon comparing the resulting eight profiles, using a variety of techniques, it was determined that all jobs analyzed were similar and could be considered as one job for the remainder of the analyses. In the second phase, seven raters were asked to conceptually link the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) second-order …

Contextual Influences On Parental Directive Speech Style., Cornelia Linda. Illman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the present study the stability of parental directive speech styles was examined across contexts and over time. Two variations in contexts were considered--setting and group size. Comparisons were made of parental speech styles between two settings: freeplay and supper, and two group sizes: dyads and polyads. A developmental comparison was also conducted, evaluating the speech used at two supper sessions that were spaced six months apart. The parental speech styles examined were concerned with the use of follow versus lead utterances, i.e., utterances which related to the child's current focus of attention (follow), or utterances which were unrelated to …

Hemispheric Differences In Global/Local Processing: The Effects Of Attentional Allocation., Shemira. Murji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study employed global/local stimuli to investigate RT performance of normal controls on divided and directed attention tasks. The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (1) to examine the role of attentional factors in global versus local processing, and (2) to investigate hemispheric differences in hierarchical visual processing. The results indicated that response times were significantly faster under the directed attention condition compared to the divided attention condition. The data, however, failed to support the hypothesized left hemisphere/analytic and right hemisphere/holistic dichotomy that predicts hemispheric superiority in local versus global processing. Evidence from the present investigation is consistent with …

Leadership And Culture: Developing A Constructivist Approach To Social Organizing., Edward Murray. Vokes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An alternative social constructivist based approach to leadership and culture management is developed for, and evaluated in conjunction with, a five member senior management team for a large social service agency. The research is praxis-oriented, emergent in design, and emancipatory in its intent (Lather, 1991; Morgan, 1993). Lincoln and Guba's (1985) method of Naturalistic Inquiry is used to guide the conduct of the inquiry. The central purposes of the study are to: (1) develop a constructivist based theory of social organizing through the conceptual integration of leadership and culture; (2) design and conduct a training and application initiative focused on …

Neuropsychological Subgroups Of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease., Nancy Justina. Fisher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neuropsychological test data from 134 patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) were studied, to investigate whether subgroups of patients with qualitatively distinct neuropsychological profiles could be identified. Three empirical classification approaches were undertaken in this regard: Q-type factor analysis, hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis, and iterative partitioning (i.e., k-means). It was theorized that there may be different underlying pathways of neuropathological progression of AD, such that the brains of those with spared semantic knowledge or visual-spatial/constructional abilities are initially affected asymmetrically. Furthermore, an earlier proposed neuropsychological model of AD accounting for these variations in early clinical presentation is extended and …