Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between The Family Of Origin And Selected Career Development Outcomes, Timothy Dean Dodge

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine, from the perspective of Bowen family systems theory (Papero, 1990) and Williamson's theory of personal authority in the family system (Williamson, 1981, 1982a, 1982b), the impact of family dynamics on the career development of college students and to overcome methodological weaknesses of prior research in this area. Methodologically, the present study overcomes weaknesses of prior research by providing a unifying theory from which measures of family dynamics are derived and by measuring career outcomes which are logically tied to family dynamics. Career outcome measures selected for the study include vocational identity, career decision-making …

The Impact Of Psychological Reactance And Desire For Control On Perceptions Of Common Elements Of Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral *Change, Morgan Edward Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study was designed to assess the impact of two dispositional variables, psychological reactance and desire for control, on individual perceptions of common elements of psychological change. These common elements represent cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of psychological change. The study tested whether individuals with different levels of psychological reactance and desire for control systematically differed in their perception of the importance of elements relevant to psychological change. Participants (N = 420) completed three self-report assessment instruments: (a) the Common Elements of Change Questionnaire, (b) Hong's Psychological Reactance Scale, and (c) the Desirability of Control Scale. As hypothesized, …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Coping Style Inventory In A College Sample, Christopher Garth Bellah

Doctoral Dissertations

The present study conducted a confirmatory factor analysis of the Coping Style Inventory (CSI). A comprehensive review of the history of stress and coping research was provided, along with a presentation of suggestions for future research that have indicated a need for a melding of both theory-driven and empirically-driven methodology in coping assessment. Pursuant to this need, a pilot study was conducted to explore the factor structure and psychometric properties of the CSI (N = 560). Results of pilot work using a principle components extraction and a parallel analysis criterion for factor retention indicated that six primary factors were …

Postural Balance And Acceleration Threshold Detection For Anterior Horizontal Translation In Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Elderly, Venkatesh Balasubramanian

Doctoral Dissertations

Slips and falls, and even the fear of failing, can represent a major medical and functional deterrent to living independently, especially among the elderly population. Various groups of elders are at known risk for falling including, but not limited to, those with vestibular dysfunction, those with low visual acuity including visual neuropathies, and those with peripheral neuropathies. The first two groups are fairly well studied, but the relationship between the level of peripheral neuropathy and extent of falling has received relatively less attention.

In this study, using sliding linear investigative platform for analyzing lower limb stability (SLIP-FALLS), the psychophysical thresholds …

Secretory Immunoglobulin A And Heart Rate Reactions To Mental Arithmetic And Hypnotic Suggestions, Grant Benham

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study replicates and extends previous research on the effects of both specific hypnotic suggestions and a mental arithmetic task on secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). Participants (14 males, 16 females) were shown a short video on immune functioning and then sat quietly for 8 minutes in order to obtain an initial baseline measure of sIgA. Participants were then administered an 8-min mental arithmetic (stress) task and a 16-min hypnosis task in a counterbalanced order and separated by a second 8-min baseline period. During the hypnosis condition, participants received a taped hypnotic induction followed by specific suggestions for increasing immune …

Psychometric Analysis Of The Self-Test; A Newly Developed Brief Screening Test For Detection Of Mild Cognitive Impairments In Early Alzheimer's Disease, Mateja De Leonni Stanonik

Doctoral Dissertations

Dementia is a major public health challenge, which is becoming more common as the aged population grows. Adequate care of dementia patients requires that they be recognized as having memory impairment, identified as having dementia syndrome, and evaluated for the specific cause of the dementia. Dementia is one of the first symptoms in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, the most common psychological instrument used in early evaluation of dementia and other cognitive problems in Alzheimer’s disease is the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE, Folstein & Folstein, 1974). The MMSE evaluates different aspects of a patient’s memory, visuospatial functions, …

Computerized Content Analysis: A Comparison Of The Verbal Productions Of High Hypnotizable, Low Hypnotizable And Simulating Subjects, Edeltraud Elter-Nodvin

Doctoral Dissertations

This research was designed to investigate the domain of hypnosis and to explore how the “state” of hypnosis, along with the susceptibility to hypnosis relate to lexical choice in verbal productions as well as to primary/secondary process mentation. The hypothesis that hypnosis facilitates primary process mentation has held a central place in numerous psychoanalytically oriented theories of hypnosis (Gill & Brenman, 1959; Fromm, 1992; Nash, 1991).

College students were screened for level of hypnotic susceptibility employing the following two hypnotic susceptibility scales: The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS: A; Shor & Orne, 1962) [Appendix D] and …

Religious Involvement And Dispositional Characteristics As Predictors Of Work Attitudes And Behaviors, Tami Leigh Knotts

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to empirically examine the effects of (1) religious involvement on job attitudes, (2) dispositions on job attitudes, and (3) religious involvement on workplace behaviors. This study also assessed whether job attitudes mediated the effect of religious involvement an workplace behaviors or the interaction effect of religious involvement and dispositional characteristics on workplace behaviors.

Higher levels of religious involvement were hypothesized to lead to more positive work attitudes and behaviors. Conservative and self-transcendent values along with positive well-being were expected to lead to positive attitudes at work. The effect of religious involvement on work behaviors …

Effect Of Cooperative Learning (Student Teams -Achievement Divisions) On African American And Caucasian Students' Interracial Friendships, James Edward Cook

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gauge the impact of cooperative learning teams on interracial friendships. The participants were 256 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in English classes (20% African American and 80% Caucasian) at a rural middle school in Louisiana. After delivery of instruction, the experimental group studied worksheets in teams, received rewards based upon the team's performance, and received individual grades based upon individual exam scores. The control group studied worksheets individually and received individual grades. This eight week study utilized the sociometric question, “Who are your friends in this class?” as the pretest and posttest …

A Social-Cognitive Approach To Salesperson Work Motivation, Lawrence Scott Silver

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to apply a social-cognitive model of motivation, used extensively in educational psychology, to a sales setting. The topic pertaining to work motivation and its importance is evidenced by the amount of research devoted to the topic. The literature examined for this study was selected from the fields of industrial/organizational psychology, educational psychology, and marketing/sales. Specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: (1) To what extent is salespeople's goal orientation determined by their implicit personality theory? (2) Do salespeople's goal orientation determine their behavior pattern? (3) Does optimism moderate the relationship between salespeople's implicit …

Conscientiousness And The Prediction Of Task Duration: Evidence Of The Role Of Personality In Time Prediction, William Ernest Kelly

Doctoral Dissertations

Accuracy in predicting the duration necessary to complete a task is an important dimension of daily fife. There exists a large degree of variation in an individual's accuracy in predicting task duration. One domain suggested to influence accuracy of predicting duration is that of personality factors and individual differences. Empirical and theoretical links were found in the literature between the personality factor conscientiousness, of the Five Factor Model of Personality, anxiety, and predicting task duration. The purpose of this dissertation was to empirically examine the role of conscientiousness and anxiety in the accurate prediction of task duration. Ninety-five undergraduate students …

Team Conflict, Integrative Conflict-Management Strategies, And Team Effectiveness: A Field Study, Donnamaria Christina Vigil-King

Doctoral Dissertations

A longitudinal field study examined team effectiveness, including both performance and viability, in relation to team conflict management strategies and three types of team conflict. Hypotheses predicted that integrative conflict-management strategies would correlate with team performance and viability, and that these relationships would vary with the level and type of team conflict. Teams using integrative conflict management styles were expected to have higher performance and viability than teams using less integrative styles. When higher levels of relationship conflict were perceived by the team, the performance and viability of teams using a more integrative strategy would be higher than teams using …

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. …

Consequences Of Contingent Compensation, James Herschel Turner

Doctoral Dissertations

The principal objective of this study is the explication of the impact of incentives on measures of performance. The effects of contingent compensation (commissions and bonuses) on role stress, job attitudes, and performance outcomes were studied in a multi-industry sample of 255 employees.

It was hypothesized that as compensation contingency increases, role conflict and financial anxiety also increase and the increase in stress would be negatively related to in-role performance, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Finally, it was hypothesized that as organizational commitment and job satisfaction are reduced, intent-to-leave will be increased and extra-role performance will be reduced. The sum …

The Nature Of Hope Among Men And Women Living With Hiv-Aids, Jeannie Vaughn Gillian

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this qualitative study was to discover how individuals living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience hope. Still considered a life-threatening illness, the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to challenge those who are affected by it. In an attempt to enhance understanding of the nature and role of hope in HIV-related illness, repeated in-depth conversational interviews were conducted over 24 months in naturalistic settings.

Participants in this longitudinal study originally included 5 women and 30 men; 15 deaths have occurred since the onset of the study. Of the 28 participants who completed the study, all but …

The Use Of Prior Knowledge In Learning From Examples, Stephen B. Blessing '89

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the way people acquire procedures from examples, and provides a computational model of the results. In four experiments, people learned an analog of algebra. For each experiment, the initial know ledge that people had of the task was varied. In two experiments (Experiments 1 and 3), the syntactic know ledge that people had concerning the task w as manipulated. The knowledge of syntax that participants had, particularly the ability to correctly parse the character string, was found to be a major determiner in the way participants acquired the rules. Experiment 2 explicitly manipulated participant's awareness as to …

Transitions To U.S. Private Schools: Perceptions Of Six Immigrant Elementary School Boys, Philip Manwell

Doctoral Dissertations

"The United States is faced with the privilege and challenge of educating immigrant children, not only in a second language and other skills, but also in the many and varied dimensions of life in this country" (London, 1990; p. 287).

Whether these children have fled rigid dictatorial regimes or wars, whether they came to the U.S. directly or spent time in refugee camps or detention centers, whether they have little more than what they are wearing at the time, or their families have planned the migration carefully, leaving their countries of origin legally and peacefully, bringing currency and the promise …

The Experience Of Place, Rosemary Kehoe Peacher

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the human experience of place. A phenomenological approach was utilized employing an unstructured open-ended dialogical interview method. Twenty participants, including ten younger and older adults, were asked to describe places which were special to them.

Interpretation of the interview transcripts revealed five themes descriptive of one's experience of place: Identity, Connection, Security, Possibilities, and Beauty/Awe. The experience of time was interwoven with all five themes.

The theme of Identity comprises the way in which a place can strengthen one's sense of self, provide continuity across the developmental life span, and trigger poignant …

The Relationship Among Parenting Styles, Home Environments, And Children's Curiosity, Amy Baldwin Crockett

Doctoral Dissertations

In this research, the relationships of parenting styles, attitudes, and child-rearing environments with children's curiosity, the relationships of parenting styles and attitudes with child-rearing environments, and the indirect relationships of parenting styles and attitudes with children's curiosity through child-rearing environments were explored. Seventy-four parent-child dyads were recruited from area day care centers. Oldest children between 3 and 6 years old were studied. Parents were administered a demographic information questionnaire, the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory--Revised (HOME), and the Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). Children were administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised (PPVT-R), the Complexity Task, the Preference for …

A Study Of The University Of Tennessee Ronald Mcnair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program: Factors Related To Graduate School Enrollment For First Generation, Low-Income And Under-Represented College Students, Kenneth Chatman

Doctoral Dissertations

The Ronald McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program is a federal response to the recent decline in the number of African American doctoral degrees conferred and the general under-representation of minority group members in graduate education. The McNair Program is designed, through enrichment activities, to facilitate doctoral study among first generation, low-income and under-represented students. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville was one of the first 14 programs funded in the United States. Now, sixty-eight McNair Programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

This quantitative case study of 60 participants in the University of Tennessee Ronald McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement …

Some Aspects Of Affect Measurement On Rorschach's Test And The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, Greta L. Hunter

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate some of the ways in which the relationship between two types of measures that assess positive and negative expectations about the world might be improved. The first measure, an index in the Burstein-Loucks comprehensive scoring system (1989) for Rorschach's test, was based on object relations theory. The second measure consisted of two higher-order factors of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Tellegen, 1982), an empirically-derived instrument. Revision of the Burstein-Loucks index did not further improve the magnitude of the relationship between the two measures, although it may have slightly changed the nature of that …

Psychological Adjustment And Family Experiences Of Children In Foster Care Placed With Or Apart From Siblings, Susan M. Flynn

Doctoral Dissertations

It was hypothesized that foster children placed with a sibling would show better psychological adjustment and more embeddedness in the foster family than those foster children without such contacts. Subjects were 41 foster children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Cognitive maturity, problem behaviors, psychological maturity, dependency, wariness, curiosity, and attention seeking were aspects of psychological adjustment. These were measured on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, Child Behavior Checklist, Tasks of Emotional Development Test, Marble-in-the-Hole Game, and Picture Game. Embeddedness in the foster family was measured with a family sculpting technique. Family Boundary Ambiguity was measured with a …

Relationship Patterns Among Men And Women From Stepfather Families, Susan Montgomery Brinn

Doctoral Dissertations

This research examined differences in relationship patterns between men and women in stepfamilies and men and women in biological families. Previous studies have generally reported more distant relationships with parents for respondents in stepfamilies. Findings on relationships outside the home have been contradictory; some research observed no effect on peer relationships for subjects from stepfamilies, still others reported more difficulty in relationships and greater risk for delinquency among this population. In order to measure relationship differences, three psychometric scales and the social network list were administered to 215 college students (63 stepchildren and 152 biological children). Results indicated that stepsons …

Attitudinal And Perceptual Differences Between Experienced And Novice National Park Users, Rebecca Lynne Van Cleave

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the primary goals of the National Park Service is to protect the natural environments of its parks. At the same time the Park Service must provide quality experiences for its visitors. At times these two goals may seem mutually exclusive. For the Park Service to maintain a balance between protection and use management must possess a thorough understanding of the visitors to the parks. The present research sought to extend this understanding.

The goals of this research were: to explore differences in attitudes towards and perceptions of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) by different user groups; to …

"The Road Not Taken": A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Experience Of Regret, Daniel Matthew Gordon

Doctoral Dissertations

The Purpose of this study was to investigate the human experience of regret in order to discover and describe the essential nature of the experience. A phenomenological approach was taken, employing a dialogical interview method. Twelve participants volunteered for an unstructured, open-ended interview in which they were asked to describe their personal experiences of regret.

Analysis of the interview transcripts by thematizing significant statements revealed three essential themes of the experience of regret. The experience of regret is comprised of opportunities/consequences, blaming oneself, and looking back/looking forward.

Opportunities consist of an awareness of a choice, feelings of uncertainty, and a …

Crying Women: An Investigation Of The Lived Experience Of Women With And Without Cancer, Jean W. Hunt

Doctoral Dissertations

This study attempts a more holistic perspective on cancer and the emotions than previous research which has tended to focus on either biological, psychological or social aspects individually. Crying was chosen as an aspect of human existence which simultaneously implicates biological, psychological and social aspects of being human. Over a 30-day period, frequency and intensity of crying behavior was tracked in a group of 27 women with cancer and 22 women without. Women in this study ranged from 20 to 69 years of age. Among women with cancer, fifteen were participants in therapist facilitated psychosocial support groups and eleven were …

A Qualitative Study Of First-Person Accounts Of Living With A Stutter, Peter James Columbus

Doctoral Dissertations

Eight males and four females who stutter were interviewed regarding their everyday life experiences with stuttering. The interviews were analyzed using a qualitative, intuitive/inductive method. Results revealed four major experimental themes: The Burden of Stuttering, Living with Difference, Living with Constraints, and Negotiating Life. The Burden of Stuttering theme refers to the participant's experience of the effort involved in discoordinated speech, contending with interactional order between self and other, effectively communicating spoken messages, and their uncertainty about the occurrence of stuttering and listener reactions to it. Living with Difference refers to experiences of dissimilarity between self and fluent speaking others; …

Team Member Implicit Theories Of Team Development: Relationships With Team Member Behavior, Team Viability And Team Performance, Marilyn Ann Perkins

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the relationship of team effectiveness and members' implicit theories of team development. Implicit theories are individuals' preconceptions of the relative importance of team development variables associated with team effectiveness. Team development variables assessed in this study were communication, cohesion, norms, role clarity, conflict, and participation.

The first hypothesis predicted a direct relationship between implicit theories of team development and behavior. Hypothesis one also predicted this relationship would be enhanced by convergence of individual implicit theories with remaining team members' implicit theories. It was also hypothesized that there is a positive relationship between convergence of implicit theories among …

Social Processes In Work Groups: A Model Of The Effect Of Involvement, Credibility, And Goal Linkage On Training Success, Catherine S. Clark

Doctoral Dissertations

The effect of social processes in the work group on training has not been systematically studied. A model is proposed that considers the influence of pre-training social processes and supervisor credibility on expected training utility, training motivation and learning.

Survey data were collected before and after training in organizations from a large southern metropolitan area. Social process variables include group goal linkage, expected supervisor and work group training transfer climates, and involvement in training decision. In addition, job involvement and supervisor credibility were assessed. Dependent variables included expected job and career utility of training, motivation to take training, and learning. …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Creativity In Person Centered Expressive Therapy, Mukti Khanna

Doctoral Dissertations

The field of creative or expressive arts therapies seeks to harness the power for'creative expression to the process of psychotherapy. Although expressive arts therapies are increasingly being used with a variety of populations, including the elderly, the disabled, intergenerational, and cross-cultural groups, a comprehensive theory of expressive arts therapies has yet to emerge. In addition, there is a paucity of research of what works in such therapies. A comprehensive theory of expressive arts therapies, however, can only emerge from the expressive arts themselves, reflecting the uniqueness of the creative process that is at their foundation. Qualitative research focusing on the …