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Factors Of Job-Related Stress As Perceived By Middle School Principals In Virginia, Teresa I. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted among middle school principals in Virginia to determine their perceptions of job-related stress factors. The entire population of middle school principals (grades 6, 7, 8) was selected to participate in the study. The Administrative Stress Index was used to assess factors that cause principals stress on the job and to measure their stress levels. A demographic data form was used to collect data on the variables of age, gender, administrative experience, assistant principal support, student enrollment, adults supervised, percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, location of school, type of school, experience as a middle …

Psychological Correlates Of Pain Perception: An Assessment Of False Biofeedback, Tobie Jay Escher

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Effects of suggestion and placebos in pain therapy have become a modern theme in pain management. This study was designed to investigate whether suggestive false biofeedback, compared with a true biofeedback control condition, would have an effect on pain perception ratings in a simplified version of a cold pressor task (CPT). Psycho-physiological measures of electrical cortical activity (EEG) and muscle tension (EMG) combined with psychological correlates (verbal and visual pain ratings) were also assessed.

A separate 2 (gender) x 2 (feedback condition) x 6 (time segment) mixed-design ANOVA was performed for (a) EEG frontal and (b) parietal lobe alpha activity, …

On Measuring The Cost Of Children:The Case Of Rural Maharashtra., Manisha Chakrabarty Dr.

Doctoral Theses

In this dissertation we have attempted to measure the cost of children, which plays a crucial role in matters relating to welfare and public policy like child benefits and compensation policies of the government. The cost is measured based on the single equation as well as the systems approach using the 38th round National Sample Survey (NSS) data on household consumer expenditure for rural Maharashtra (relating to the period of January to December, 1983).The first chapter provides a brief account of the basic literature on empirical demand analysis which is relevant for welfare comparison between households. To be specific in …

The Relationship Between Cosmopolitan-Local Orientation And Job Satisfaction Among Admissions Personnel At Christian Colleges In The United States And Canada, Jon P. Harr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the challenges facing college admissions professionals have increased, and turnover in the field has become an area of concern. A review of the literature indicated that surprisingly little research had been done in the area of job satisfaction for college admissions professionals and, in particular, Christian college admissions professionals. No direct application of professional (cosmopolitan-local) orientation to the admissions profession could be found in the literature. As a result, the primary purpose of this study was to examine both the level of job satisfaction and the cosmopolitan-local orientation of Christian college admissions professionals, and to determine if …

Multiracial Social Identities And Self-Esteem: How Physical Appearance And Heritage Affect The Categorization Self And Others, Estrella Aurora Ramirez

Student Work

One’s self-concept is comprised of both personal and social identities. This study will focus on the racial/ethnic component of social identity for the multiracial population: individuals with heritage from two or more different racial/ethnic groups. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the racial identity process for multiracial individuals and how this process is impacted by the relative status of racial/ethnic groups that comprise one’s heritage and the perceived physical appearance of an individual. Of central concern is how multiracial individuals racially self label as well as how multiracial and monoracial individuals racially categorize other multiracial individuals. Secondly, …

Positive Violations Of Procedural Justice: Effects On Organizational Citizenship Behavior Intentions, Eric Rowlee

Student Work

The present study examines the relationship between perceptions of procedural justice and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) intentions. Specifically, it adds to the current literature by studying positive violations of procedural justice. Positive procedural justice violations are defined as violations that give the recipient an undue advantage. Negative procedural justice violations are defined as violations that disadvantage the individual. The study first reviews the existing literature regarding distributive justice, procedural justice, the reciprocity norm, and OCB. Connections between these constructs are identified to explain the relationship between positive violations of procedural justice and OCB intentions, situational satisfaction, and supervisor approval. It …

An Empirical Examination Of Individual, Issue-Related, And Organizational Determinants Of Ethical Judgments, Sean Robert Valentine

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to empirically examine an ethical decision-making model that contained individual, issue-related, and organizational factors. At the individual level, the relationship between two job attitudes, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and ethical judgments was assessed. At the issue-related level, the association between moral intensity and ethical judgments was examined. At the organizational level, the relationship between ethical context and ethical judgments was examined. The hypothesized moderating effect of ethical context on the relationship between job attitudes and ethical judgments was also tested.

A national sample of 3,000 sales professionals was used to test the hypotheses. …

The Public Dream: A Jungian Interpretation Of "The Waste Land", Obed Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A Jungian interpretation of The Waste Land was undertaken in this thesis. The symbolic underpinnings of the poem were found to resonate with archetypal significance. A comparative study of key ideas developed by C. G. Jung and T. S. Eliot was adopted in order to illuminate the psychological aspects of the poem. The theme of individuation and the archetypes which accompany it were revealed in the symbolic imagery of The Waste Land. The emotional tenor of Eliot's disposition and the philosophical direction of his thinking at the time The Waste Land was written were found to correlate with and parallel …

Acculturation Level And Performance Of Mexican Americans On A Test Of Malingering, Sonya Rosa Flores

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The detection of malingered neuropsychological impairments is an essential issue for mental health professionals. Acculturation level and performance of Mexican Americans on the Computerized Assessment of Response Bias, (CARB), was investigated in the present study. The CARB was administered to 89 subjects comprised of 51 student volunteers and 38 community volunteers. There were 41 males and 48 females, with ages ranging from 18 to 46 years of age. All subjects were instructed to try their best to "fake" a memory deficit. Subjects were grouped into four acculturative typologies according to their performance on the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II, …

A Comparison Of Prison Rehabilitation Classes, Linda Sue Jackson

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study employed a Pretest-Posttest Comparison Group Design in order to determine the comparative effectiveness of two prison rehabilitation classes. The experimental group was comprised of 14 adult, male, incarcerated offenders enrolled in a Prerelease class designed to impact their attitudes, thinking, and values. The comparison group consisted of 22 adult, male, incarcerated offenders enrolled in a GED preparation class. Both groups received a battery of pretests and posttests consisting of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Adjective Checklist (ACL), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). There was an interval of 23 school days between the pretests and posttests. Between …

A Research Model Of Care-Givers And/Or Socializing Agents Explored In Terms Of Grandparenthood, Susanna Imelda Guadalupe Stephens

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A collection of secondary (literature) information which revealed the relevant elements and conditions that surround the psychosocial aspects of family kinships were integrated to form the Kin-Psychosocial-Systems Model (KPSS). The KPSS Model is an investigative model (that includes a set of inter-related concepts, definitions, and propositions) which presents a systematic view of family kinships by specifying relationships among culture and family social systems, care-giving and socialization, and psychosocial development for the purpose of providing researchers with a means for explaining and predicting psychological and social phenomena related to the expression and enactment of family kinships.

Acculturation In Mexican American Adolescents And Its Relation To Perceived Social Support, Rossana Jimenez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Previous research has demonstrated the importance of social support resources for emotional well-being and health, few studies have explored the determinants of social support. A number of factors that can influence Mexican American adolescents' tendencies when seeking help have been studied. Variables such as acculturation, culturally shared beliefs or values, social support systems, and self-esteem may help to better understand such behaviors.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of acculturation on perceived social support by adolescents. Specifically, we examine the extent to which gender, acculturation, and age influenced perceived social support of adolescents.

In general, results …

Situational Frequency And Retrieval: The Effect Of Revelation On The Judgments For Occurrence Of Events., Craig Barton Neely

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Only one prior experiment has examined the effect of revelation on situational frequency judgments (Exp. 3, Greene, 1996). In the current study, three experiments examined the effect of revelation on frequency estimation. Experiment 1A and 1B replicated and extended the study done by Greene (1996) by increasing the frequencies of study items from one to eight in both a random (1A) and blocked (1B) design. Experiment 2 examined the relation between the frequency of study items and the degree of distortion of the items revealed at test. A significant effect of revelation was found across frequencies for the three revealed …

An Evaluation Of Noncontingent Reinforcement Effects As A Function Of Baseline Reinforcement Schedules., Joel Eric Ringdahl

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

An evaluation of fixed-time (FT) schedules and extinction was conducted with children who had mild to severe developmental disabilities. The principal research question was: Does the similarity between baseline (i.e., response-dependent) and FT reinforcement rates make behavior resistant to change? During Phase I for each of 13 participants, a reinforcer assessment was conducted. Those individuals for whom a reinforcement effect was demonstrated continued to Phase II. During Phase II, the effects of FT schedules with either similar or dissimilar reinforcer rates (relative to a response-dependent baseline) and extinction were assessed for each participant. Results suggested that both extinction and FT …

Discriminative Validity Of The Wide-Range Assessment Of Memory And Learning (Wraml) With Children With And Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd)., Heather Brewis Scheffler

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The present study examined the discriminative validity of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML), using the individual subscales, original indexes, and a factor structure proposed by Burton, Donders, and Mittenberg (1996) that includes an Attention factor. The sample consisted of 57 non-learning disordered children who were enrolled in the first through the seventh grade and met criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 62 Control children. The groups were matched by age, race, SES, and estimated intellectual ability. Group comparisons by MANCOVA revealed that, after controlling for the effects of math and reading achievement, differences between the groups …

The Role Of Trait And State Anxiety In Semantic Network Organization Of Information Related To Current Concerns., Gretchen Joan Diefenbach

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In the first study of this report empirically-derived cognitive networks were established for high trait test anxious participants ( n = 28) and low trait test anxious participants (n = 25) during periods of both high and low exam stress. Cognitive networks were created using the Pathfinder algorithm, which transforms pair-wise word similarity ratings into an associative network. Information included in the networks pertained to the following word categories: testing situations, positive performance evaluation, and negative performance evaluation. Contrary to predictions, there was no effect of either trait or state test anxiety on semantic network organization. These findings fail to …

Detecting Simulated Memory Impairment After Closed Head Injury: Validation Of The Word Completion Memory Test (Wcmt)., Robin Colleen Hilsabeck

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Simulation is the intentional production or exaggeration of psychological symptoms (cognitive and/or emotional) in an effort to obtain secondary gain (e.g., avoiding work, obtaining financial compensation). While most current simulation measures can successfully identify obvious attempts at faking cognitive deficits (e.g., memory impairment), they have been much less successful at identifying more sophisticated simulators. The Word Completion Memory Test (WCMT) is the first measure specifically developed to detect more sophisticated attempts at feigning memory impairment. Unlike other simulation detection measures, a sophisticated coaching methodology was used in developing the WCMT. An initial validity study suggested the WCMT is a valid …

Psychometric And Historical Predictors Of Behavior In Incarcerated Female Juvenile Offenders: A Longitudinal Analysis., Michael P. Santa Maria

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether factors known to predict recidivism and future misbehavior are useful in predicting behavior of offenders while incarcerated. This study examined the population of all incarcerated and recently released female juvenile offenders in Louisiana (n = 211). Predictive equations were developed based on demographic, offense-related, and psychological test variables including: age, race, age at first offense, number of prior offenses, history of a violent offense, history of physical abuse, history of sexual abuse, history of alcohol abuse, history of drug abuse, IQ, and Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) Reading Comprehension …

Effect Of An Individualized Treatment Protocol On Competency Restoration In Pretrial Forensic Inpatients., Lisa Jo Bertman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Competency to stand trial refers to a defendant's ability to consult with his attorney with a reasonable degree of factual and rational understanding of the proceedings against him. If declared incompetent to stand trial by the courts, judicial proceedings are postponed until a defendant's competency deficits are remediated. However, there is a paucity of data on treatment of individuals who have been declared incompetent to stand trial. This study evaluated the effectiveness of individualized treatment on competency restoration in pretrial patients. This investigation improved upon previous group treatment studies, all but one of which were uncontrolled. Treatment groups were: Deficit-Focused …

Ideomotor Apraxia And Lesion Location: Analysis Of Error Types, Motor Function, And Task Demands., Brenda Hanna-Pladdy

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Ideomotor apraxia is a disorder of learned skilled movement which typically has been attributed to damage confined predominantly to the frontal and parietal cortical areas within the hemisphere dominant for speech. However, most studies of the anatomical basis of apraxia have relied on case studies or have only approximate lesion localization, and few studies have examined motor performance in relation to lesion location. This study examined the relationship of apraxia severity to lesion location (in both cortical/subcortical dimensions and anterior/posterior dimensions), aphasia, motor performance, and task demands, and identified the existence of subtypes of apraxia with characteristic performance profiles (error …

Preschool Children's Negotiation Of Intersubjectivity During Rough -And -Tumble Play., Donna Michele Dewolf

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This current study included an exploratory component, as well as, a confirmatory component. The exploratory component of the study involved developing an understanding of how children negotiate intersubjectivity during rough-and-tumble play (R&T play). Utilizing participant observation, the researcher described the context and the experiences of children as they jointly negotiated a shared understanding during R&T play. The researcher discovered, in R&T play, a structure and level of shared thinking among participants similar to other types of social play. The confirmatory component of the study involved conducting analyses on certain child characteristics as they related to participation in R&T play episodes. …

Increasing Accuracy In Children's Verbal Self -Report Of Reinforcers., Gina Michelle Digiovanni

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Several studies have examined the relationship between self-report of behavior and actual behavior (Baer, Williams, Osnes, & Stokes, 1985; Bernstein & Michael, 1990; Risley & Hart, 1968). Results from such studies indicate poor correspondence between verbal self-report and actual behavior. This finding is particularly true for children (Guevremont, Osnes, & Stokes, 1986). However, few studies have examined conditions under which the accuracy of self-report procedures can be increased. The current study evaluated whether the accuracy of children's verbal self-report of reinforcers could be increased by modifying antecedent conditions. Specifically, the current study examined the effects of two antecedent variables (i.e., …

Effects Of Intralaminar Thalamic Nuclei, Prefrontal Cortical, And Hippocampal Lesions On A Seven-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task, Joshua Alan Burk

Doctoral Dissertations

Slow response speed has been associated with several neuropsychological disorders including Korsakoff's disease. The ability to respond to brief stimuli can be tested to assess whether slow response speed is due to slow stimulus processing. A seven choice serial reaction time task was developed to test the ability to respond to brief stimuli. Distractibility and stimulus discriminability were manipulated to challenge performance and cues were presented to enhance performance. In Experiment 1, six unlesioned rats were tested on this task. As expected, significant deficits were found when (1) stimulus duration was decreased, (2) bright distractor light was briefly presented, (3) …

The Ideal Free Distribution Of Group Choice: A Social Psychology Of Human Behavior, John Robert Kraft

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents an experimental analysis of social behavior. The behavior is called Group Choice (Baum & Kraft, 1998) and the analysis is a social foraging model called the Ideal Free Distribution (IFD; Fretwell & Lucas, 1970). The IFD is a social foraging model that describes the distribution of a group of foragers in a patchy environment. Group Choice describes group members engaging in two behaviors. The IFD suggests that group members engage in two behaviors in the same relative relation to the consequences obtained from those behaviors. The IFD of Group Choice is analogous to the Matching Law analysis …

Mentoring In Adolescence: A Sociocultural And Cognitive Developmental Study Of Undergraduate Women And Sixth-Grade Girls In A Mentoring Program, Katharina Maria Fachin Lucas

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, a quasi-experimental study was conducted to explore the cognitive developmental effects of taking on the role of "mentor" as an undergraduate or the role of "mentee" as a sixth grader in one university-based mentoring program. Second, an ethnographic study was conducted to study the experiences of ten sixth graders and ten undergraduates as they took on the role of "mentor" or "mentee" in a planned mentoring relationship. A sociocultural analysis explored processes occurring on the personal, interpersonal, and community level that shaped the mentoring experiences of the participants.

The participants in this …

When Does Gender Matter? Explaining The Transition To Adulthood As A Gendered Process, Kimberly Autumn Mahaffy

Doctoral Dissertations

Most gender theory and research focuses on two points in the life course: childhood and middle adulthood. Less attention is given to the period in between. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine whether and how the transition to adulthood is gendered. To what extent do school, family, and labor market contexts have a different effect on adolescent girls and boys as they become adults?

Using data from the High School and Beyond 1980 Sophomore Cohort Study (1980--1992), 1 examine how social context differentially affects the plans for the future and adult status outcomes of young women and men. …

Learning To Read Music Cooperatively In A Choral Setting: A Case Study, Andrew Inzenga

Doctoral Dissertations

Two volunteer cooperative teams of ninth grade girls were studied for six months to discover whether and how they learned to read music. The two teams represented novice students and students who had received private instruction. Study teams represented the population of the freshman Girls Chorus. Teams met regularly during daily chorus rehearsals, with only occasional help from the director. These meetings were analyzed through video tape recordings to observe if students employed traditional teaching and learning strategies to assist each other in learning. It was determined that team members regularly use certain teaching and learning strategies to assist in …

The Effects Of Reversible Inactivation By Lidocaine Of Ventral Striatum And Intralaminar Nucleus Of The Thalamus In Match To Sample Tasks With And Without Delays Trained In The Lever Box, Mary Christine Porter

Doctoral Dissertations

Three experiments systematically examined the effects of reversibly inactivating intralaminar nuclei and ventral striatum with infusions of lidocaine. The ventral striatum and the intralaminar nucleus were targeted based on deficits in accuracy and speed of responding in delayed conditional discrimination tasks associated with permanent lesions of these structures (Mair, Burk and Porter, 1998).

The present research showed that a 4.0 mul of 2% lidocaine caused impairments accuracy, but not in response speed, in a match to sample task trained in the lever box without delays when the internal cannula projects 0.5 mm from the guide cannula. One microliter of 2%, …

The Effects Of Medicaid And Maternal Depression On Prenatal Care And Infant Health, Lisa C. Defelice

Doctoral Dissertations

While in recent years, the infant health production function literature has expanded to incorporate behavioral inputs into the production of infant health current research fails to incorporate the Medicaid-private insurance choice into the mother's decision making process. This dissertation seeks to address this by treating private insurance and Medicaid as endogenous while considering the effects that the Medicaid eligibility rules have on both kinds of coverage. Medicaid and private insurance are entered directly into the health production function so that quality effects may be captured. In addition, a woman's state of mental health is also incorporated into the health production …

Predicting Ageist And Sexist Attitudes And The Conditions For Their Existence, Heather Frasier Chabot

Doctoral Dissertations

Prejudice and discrimination are pervasive and problematic and affect intergroup relations (Allport, 1954). The purpose of the current research was to expand our understanding of ageist and sexist attitudes. The Pilot Study indicated some of the significant predictors of ageist attitudes among college students. The results of Study I indicated that college students view younger adults as more instrumental than older adults but they do not differentiate between older adults who are 65 to 74 years of age, 75 to 84 years of age, and 85 years or older. Study 2 indicated that intergroup distinctions among younger (17--28 years of …