Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Occurrence Of Alexithymia In Children And Adolescents With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Michael S. Routh

Student Dissertations & Theses

Previous studies of the relationship between alexithymia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have utilized samples of combat veterans with PTSD. However, children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and are diagnosed with PTSD exhibit similar or identical symptomology. The current study examined alexithymia in a sample of children and adolescents diagnosed with PTSD. It was hypothesized that the sample, when compared to non-PTSD and control samples, would reveal a significantly greater severity of alexithymia and PTSD. Although overall results were not consistent with previous research, trends of group means supported a relationship between alexithymia and PTSD. 1

The Effect Of The Cooper Wellness Program In Promoting Long- Term Lifestyle Behavior Changes, Ernesto P. S. Medina Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Most research on health behavior change programs examines their effectiveness in producing initial behavior changes, but fails to evaluate long-term maintenance of those changes. This study examined the effectiveness of the Cooper Wellness Program (CWP) in Dallas, Texas, in promoting maintenance of lifestyle behavior changes for one year or longer in the areas of diet, exercise, and stress management.

The CWP offers an intensive live-in lifestyle behavior modification program in four-, seven-, or 13-day formats. Data were collected from 223 individuals who attended the CWP between January, 1989, to February, 1992. The study addressed the following areas: 1) long-term maintenance …

Determinants Of Elite Athletes' Commitment To Sport: Examination Of The Sport Commitment Model In The Professional Sport Domain, Tammy Kay Hall

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the applicability of the Sport Commitment Model for a group of elite, professional athletes. The model proposes that an athlete's commitment will increase as sport enjoyment, personal investments, social constraints, and involvement opportunities increase and will decrease with an increase in involvement opportunities. The influence of identification as an athlete, a determinant of commitment not included in the original model, was also examined. One hundred and eighty three professional football players from the Canadian Football League (CFL) (n = 121) and National Football League (NFL) (n = 69) participated in the study. Each subject completed …

The Acute Effects Of Cocaine In Pigeons Performing Under A Progressive-Ratio Schedule, Claudia Ann Jones

Masters Theses

Although the progressive-ratio (PR) schedule has been used frequently to quantify the reinforcing effectiveness of self-administered drugs, it has seldom been used to examine the effects of drugs on food-maintained behavior and has never been used to evaluate the effects of cocaine on such behavior. In the present study, the effects of acute administrations of cocaine were evaluated in pigeons responding under a PR schedule of food delivery. Overall, cocaine produced a dose-dependent effect on food-maintained behavior. In general, acute administrations of cocaine at 0.56 to 3.2 mg/kg increased breaking points, whereas doses above 5.6 mg/kg decreased breaking points. Low …

The Use Of Music Therapy To Influence The Self-Confidence And Hostility Of Adolescents Who Are Sexually Abused, Joy Clendenon-Wallen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether music therapy would be an effective therapeutic medium for reducing hostility and increasing the self-confidence of sexually abused adolescents. The study utilized an experimental and control group which is unique in the sexual abuse literature. Most studies are descriptive or quasi-experimental in nature. Some of the subjects increased their self-confidence and decreased their hostility although no statistical significance was achieved for either group. This study describes the treatment problems of sexually abused adolescents and offers examples of non-confrontational and goal directed treatment strategies which can be achieved through music therapy. Music …

The Identification And Magnitude Estimation Of Stressors In A Selected Military Population At One Training Command, Susan W. Miller

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the most stressful aspects of being a student at a military training command. ·Forty students listed the significant stressors that they encounter at the training command. This list was reviewed and consolidated into a stressor rating questionnaire with 16 stressors. A convenience sample of 86 students rated the stressors. In the second part of the study, the students rated the stressors on a scale of "0 to 1000". The study revealed that the most significant stressors for students were absence of family and friends, uncertainty about their future, dealing with instructor's attitudes, …

A Multiple Case Study Of Selected Individuals Who Facilitate The Successful Adoption Of Environmental Public Policy, John H. Austin

Health Services Research Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the personal and professional characteristics of successful individuals who have had a positive influence on the development of public policy concerning the environment. Additionally, which characteristics are most likely to enhance success and determine which of these characteristics might contribute to efforts toward developing public environmental policy in the future were investigated. The purpose was accomplished through the design and implementation of a multiple case study utilizing a qualitative research methodology. The sample for this study included six public servants who were identified as actively involved in affecting the development of public …

Maternal Adjustment To Premature Birth: Utilizing The Roy Adaptation Model As A Theoretical Framework, Ivy Razmus

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the adjustment for primiparous mothers of preterm infants was less positive than for primiparous mothers of term infants utilizing the Roy Adaptation Model as a conceptual framework. This secondary analysis utilized data from a larger longitudinal study. The data was collected at three months post birth in the homes of the mothers. The sample consisted of 55 preterm and 46 full term mothers. The Affects Balance Scale (Derogatis, 1983) was used to measure adjustment. A significant difference was found between preterm and full term mothers on the Positive Affects Scale and …

Graduate Bulletin, 1993-1995, Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Coping With Multiple Roles, Deborah J. Laughlin

Masters Theses

Women in increasing numbers have been combining career and family. Balancing the multiple roles may be stressful at times. The purpose of this study was to examine how different stressors influence a woman's ability to utilize coping responses. This study examined the relationships between situational variables and a nurse's ability to cope with multiple roles. The situational variables studied were: age, educational level, number of hours worked, job type, number of children, ages of the children, view of nursing, husband's agreement with the wife on the number of hours worked, and satisfaction with child care. The survey tool, the "Coping …

Hardiness And Its Relationship To Anticipatory Nausea And Vomiting Experienced By The Patient Receiving Cisplatin Chemotherapy, Colleen K. Smith

Masters Theses

Research suggests that the hardiness characteristic acts as a buffer in the stress/illness relationship. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of hardiness and examine its relationship to the amount of anticipatory nausea and vomiting experienced within a sample of patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy. It was hypothesized that individuals with a high level of hardiness would experience less anticipatory nausea and vomiting than individuals with a low level of hardiness.; A prospective descriptive correlational design was utilized. A convenience sample of adults with cancer (n = 29) receiving cisplatin intravenously was studied. All patients were assessed via …

Perceived Stress Levels Of Registered Nurses Employed In Medical-Surgical And Critical Care Units, Karen Snyder Keese

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to compare perceived stress levels of registered nurses employed in medical-surgical units to perceived stress levels of registered nurses employed in critical care units. A descriptive, correlational study was conducted using Wolfgang's (1988) Health Professions Stress Inventory. Perceptions of stress were measured and related to specialty, years of experience, years of nursing education, hours worked per week, and shift worked. A convenience sample of 102 registered nurses from two midwestern hospitals participated by a self administered questionnaire. Study findings included: medical-surgical nurses perceived significantly higher levels of stress than critical care nurses; stressors for …

Attachment Security And Partner Presence As Moderators To Automatic Responses To Stress In Women, Brooke C. Feeney

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Differences In Depressed And Conduct-Disordered Youth, Kathryn Haynes Rhody

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This study investigated the behavioral parameters of depression in children and adolescents. Demographic information, DSM-III psychiatric diagnosis, scores on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and admitting problem (POR) behaviors were obtained from an archival data pool collected at four different child psychiatric hospitals on 630 inpatient subjects 5 to 20 years of age.;Subjects were assigned to one of four research groups defined by psychiatric diagnosis (DSM-III) and/or by scores on the CDI, i.e., CDI only groups (high vs. low scorers), DSM-III only groups (depressed vs. conduct-disordered), DSM-III + CDI groups (depressed high scorers vs. conduct-disordered low scorers), and DSM-III only …

Economic Impacts Of Noxious Facilities: Incorporating The Effects Of Risk Aversion, Leslie A. Nieves

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The author suggests an integrative approach for projecting economic impacts of facilities that elicit public Risk aversion. She incorporates both economic stimulus effects and perception-based effects of facilities on the host area economy. Empirical findings are compared and an impact estimation framework is suggested for integrating psychometric and econometric techniques.

The Psychological Types Of Physical Therapy Administrators, Heather Despres, Kelly Myers, Sue Woods

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the distribution of psychological types among physical therapy administrators. Our random sample was taken from the membership roster of the Section on Administration of the American Physical Therapy Association. We used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to assess psychological types and a demographic questionnaire to collect data on the administrators.; The most common psychological types among the participants (n = 45) were found to be ISFJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, INTJ, and ENTJ, respectively. Although no explicitly predominant type was found, a clear preference toward judging (J) was noted.

An Investigation Of Stress And Burnout In Hospital Registered Nurses, Ellen Nora Hale

Masters Theses

This study investigated job stressors and burnout among hospital registered nurses and was based on a systems theory model in which inputs and throughputs interact to effect outputs. Job stressors were measured using the Job Stress Questionnaire (JSQ). Top-ranked stressors included heavy work load, insufficient resources, and inability to satisfy conflicting demands. Burnout was measured using the three subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Based on multiple regression analyses, total JSQ scores accounted for 21% of the variance in emotional exhaustion scores. Together, years of experience and an education level of BSN or BA …

Cognitive Motivations And Sensation Seeking As Long-Term Predictors Of Drinking Problems, Alan W. Stacy, Michael D. Newcomb, Peter M. Bentler

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The development of comprehensive theories regarding the determinants of
vulnerability toward drinking problems depends in part on longitudinal evidence
linking psychosocial precursors to clinically-relevant problem consequences. In
an investigation of some of the more promising psychosocial precursors of
problem vulnerability, we evaluated the long-term predictive effects of adolescent
cognitive motivations for alcohol use and sensation seeking on a wide variety of
adult drinking-problem consequences including driving while intoxicated (DWI).
Results indicated that the Cognitive Motivation factor was a significant, independent, nine-year predictor of a factor of Drinking-Problem Consequences. Over this same period, certain cognitive motivation and sensation seeking indicators independently …

Identification Of Which High Risk Youth Smoke Cigarettes Regularly, Alan W. Stacy, Steve Sussman, Clyde W. Dent, Thomas R. Simon, Dee Burton, Brian R. Flay

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

This study investigated which variables distinguish high school-aged adolescents who identify themselves as members of a high-risk group and, among them, those who report regular (weekly) vs. light levels of cigarette smoking. Youth who identified with a high-risk group were most likely to report problem-prone characteristics, such as a preference to take risks and smoke cigarettes. Yet, only half of them reported regular levels of smoking. Two variables delineated light smoking among these youth: not having a close friend who smoked and placing an importance on health as a value. Development of new tobacco-use prevention strategies to impart health values …

Effects Of Information And Physical Positioning On Attitudes Toward An Individual Who Is Nonspeaking And Physically Disabled, Paige M. Lepak

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effects of printed information and four physical positions in space on attitudes of individuals who are nondisabled toward a person who is nonspeaking with severe physical disabilities. Employing a 4 (positions in space) X 2 (presence/absence of information) factorial design, subjects were presented with four photographs depicting a male who is both physically disabled and nonspeaking having a communicative interaction with a male who is nondisabled. Subjects in Condition 1 viewed 4 photographs depicting the individual who is nonspeaking sitting in a chair; Condition 2 subjects viewed photographs of the individual sitting in a wheelchair; Condition …

Voluntary Consent To Police Searches: A Result Of The Foot-In-The-Door Technique, Julie E. Howe

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.