Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Parent Childrearing Beliefs And Child Externalizing Behaviors In Families Of Adhd And Odd Children, June E. Hoefling

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between the perceived externalizing behaviors of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and the maladaptive childrearing beliefs of their parents. The study used archival survey data provided by Intervention Services, Inc., a community mental health center. Data from 338 families with a child diagnosed with ADHD or ODD were analyzed. The study used the Conners' Parent Behavior Rating Scale short version to measure the level of conduct problems, impulsivity, and hyperactivity of the children as perceived by the parents. The Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory was used to measure the degree of parental …

The Cry-Wolf Phenomenon And Its Effect On Alarm Responses, James P. Bliss

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Responses to alarms are assumed important. Yet failure to respond to alarms is recognized, although is not well understood or quantified. Conditions that might induce a failure to respond include alarm unreliability (i.e., numerous false alarms, the "cry-wolf" effect), high primary task demand, or low criticality of the alarm itself. The goals of this research were to substantiate the existence of the cry-wolf effect, quantifying its effect on operator performance, and to examine the relation between the cry-wolf effect and alarm criticality. One hundred thirty-eight UCF students alternatively performed two primary tasks, chosen from the Automated Performance Test System. Subjects …

College Students' Perceptions Of Parental Sexuality, Nancy L. Janisz

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Pocs and Godow (1977) published research results indicating that college students experienced difficulty in considering their parents as sexual beings. The results of the present study were based on responses of 330 college students to a questionnaire authored by the examiner. Results were compared to Pocs and Godow's results, and research data from Kinsey (1948, 1953) and Hunt (1972), which presented the reported frequencies of sexual activities of the parent-aged population. The comparisons suggest that although estimates of the subjects in the current study were higher in all areas than in the Pocs and Godow data, today's college students still …

Personality Variables Mediating Change In Concern Toward Environmental Issues, John Mark Davis

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have for several decades examined the relationships between personality and demographic variables, pro-environmental behaviors, and level of concern toward environmental problems. In this study, personality and selected demographic variables contributing to an increase in concern toward environmental issues were examined. Subjects included 79 females and 46 males with a mean age of 22.5 years who were enrolled in undergraduate courses at the University of Central Florida. During the first session, information concerning personality and demographic variables was obtained and subjects completed Weigel and Weigel's (1978) Ecological Concern Scale (ECS). During the second session, experimental group subjects viewed a video …

The Effect Of A Pet's Presence Upon Anxiety During A Simulated Clinical Interview, Kenneth G. Weigand

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing the importance of evolutionary parallels between humans and other animals, researchers make use of animals to better the understanding of people in various fields of study, such as history, ecology, medicine, psychology, and sociology (Levinson, 1978). Boris Levinson (1962) was an early advocate for the inclusion of pets in psychotherapeutic intervention. His theories have been frequently cited in research that has attempted to define the possible benefits associated with utilizing pets as an adjunct in the treatment of disturbed populations. The results of studies with varied populations indicate that a pet's presences can lower a person's anxiety level, positively …

The Relationship Of Corporate Fitness To Absenteeism And Health Care Cost, Shawn J. Mcgahey

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Interest in corporate fitness is increasing. In this study, absenteeism rates and health care costs were measured for 12 months before and 12 months after implementation of a corporate fitness class. It was hypothesized that those who participate in the fitness program would have lower absenteeism rates and health care costs. It was also hypothesized that lifestyle factors would be significantly related to the decision to participate in the fitness program and to absenteeism.

Results showed no significant relationship between program participation and absenteeism. Also, it was found that average health care costs were lower before the program intervention and …

The Feasibility Of Computerized Cognitive Testing As A Surrogate Measure For Assessment Center Performance, Leilani M. De Saram

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The use of microcomputerized cognitive testing of personnel has thus far been limited to military and environmental stressor applications. The investigation of such testing as a substitute for assessment center performance represents a novel application of this technology. An examination of the relationship between performance on a cognitive test battery and assessment center performance was conducted.

A battery of selected microcomputerized tests measuring cognitive constructs was administered to assessment center candidates in law enforcement occupations. Contrary to expectations, the computerized cognitive measurements did not exhibit significant correlations with assessment center performance measures. It was speculated that the two measures assessed …

Escalation: A Closer Look At Allocation Decisions, David A. Hofmann

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The escalation of commitment to a particular course of action has, in the past eleven years, become an increasingly popular area for research in the psychological aspects of decision making. The major question posed by this line of research is: "Does an individual become so committed to a particular course of action that he/she can no longer analyze the situation objectively and, consequently, makes irrational decisions to continue investing when such activity is no longer advisable?" Staw (1981) states that the escalation phenomenon can occur when an individual becomes overly committed to a chosen course of action. He adds that …

Effects Of Informed Consent On Client Behaviors And Attitudes In A Pro-Life Pregnancy Counseling Center, Kathryn Lynn Mardirosian

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Although current professional and public opinion support the right of the client to make an informed decision about entering and continuing in a psychotherapy or counseling relationship, research studying the effects of informed consent on client behaviors and attitudes in the medical, research, and mental health fields has resulted in equivocal findings. This study looked at the effects of an informed consent procedure on client behaviors and attitudes in a pro-life pregnancy counseling center where the center's primary goal is to reduce the number of abortion decisions among clients. Thirty of the center's clients (Experimental Group) were given an Informed …

Assessment Of The English Comprehension Level Test As A Predictor Of Success In Navy Recruit Training, Carla M. French

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

As of 1980, the total population of persons of Spanish origin in the United States was 14,609,000, or 6.4%, with over 2,000,000 of them Puerto Rican (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1983). Thousands of Hispanics are coming into the U.S. every year, both legally and illegally. They are the second largest minority in the U.S., and if growth continues at the current rate, they may outnumber Blacks by the year 2020 (Davis, Haub, & Willette, 1983).

Sense Of Humor And Social Anxiety, James E. Fischer

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

In utilizing humorous intervention within the psychotherapeutic milieu, researchers have indicated that there is a relationship between an individual's sense of humor and stressful emotions, specifically anxiety. However, the nature of this relationship is uncertain. While some scientists propose a direct relationship between humor and anxiety, others hypothesize an inverse relationship. This study was designed to investigate this relationship, hypothesizing that the greater an individual's sense of humor, the more likely the individual would experience anxiety in social situations. The subjects were 143 male and female undergraduates. These volunteers were administered the Situational Humor Response Questionnaire (SHRQ) and the Interaction …

Behavioral Problems Among Sexually Abused And Nonabused Children, Kelli B. Mills

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the level of social competency and presence of behavioral problems associated with young sexually abused children ages 4 to 8, as compared to those among a comparable sample of nonabused young children. Thirty-two parents or guardians, 16 in each group, completed the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist for each child. Characteristics of the abuse were addressed on an additional questionnaire. Data was collected on 12 female and 4 male children in each group. The results indicated that the amount and severity of behavior problems was greater and social competency levels were lower among the sexually abused children than …

Death Anxiety Among Older Adults As A Function Of The Christian Faith With Specific Reference To The Experience Of Being "Born Again", Wendy E. Holland

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sixty male and female subjects between the ages of 60 to 84 years were administered three questionnaires concerning death anxiety, religiosity, and life satisfaction. Data were collected and analyzed by Pearson r correlation as well as by multiple regression analysis.

Findings included those subjects considering themselves to be "born again" Christians scored significantly lower on the death anxiety scale than did those respondents considering themselves Christian, but not "born again." Subjects considering themselves to be non-Christian/Other did not correlate significantly with death anxiety. Life satisfaction was not a significant predictor of death anxiety. Subjects indicating more conservative/fundamentalist denominational affiliations indicated …

Utility Analysis: Estimating The Sdy Parameter For Accounting Supervisors, Terry P. Brownson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Personnel decisions have the potential to influence an entire organization. The effects of these decisions are more credible and relevant when quantified. Historically, benefits were defined in correlational statistics, i.e., validity coefficients. But the increasing demand is for a bottom-line or dollar-value definition. The utility concept presents a methodology for providing the dollar value impact on performance of a personnel intervention program. One parameter of a utility analysis model is the standard deviation of job performance in dollars (SDy). This research develops a SDy value for the yearly production contribution of a first level line accounting supervisor to be used …

Initiation Of Sexual Behavior In The Marital Relationship, Nancy Roberts-Cruce

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

While traditional beliefs and some research show that men have been more likely than women to initiate sexual activity, recent research indicates that traditional patterns of sexual initiation may be changing especially for married couples. Also, patterns of initiation seem to be related to sexual satisfaction. Specifically, women who always take the initiative and those who never do are the least satisfied with their sex lives. Conversely, those wives who initiate sex half the time are very happy with their sex lives. Since it appears that initiation of sexual activity is related to satisfaction with sex, information regarding why a …

Vasectomy: A Literature Review With Implications For Pre-Vasectomy Counseling, Annette Thrift Wing

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Job Characteristics Model: Test Of A Modified Four-Trait Model At The University Of Central Florida, Gena L. Cox-Jones

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the number of significant factors in the Hackman and Oldham (1980) job characteristics model. The original factors were: Skill Variety, Task Significance, Task Identity, Autonomy, and Feedback. Scores on these dimensions for 84 employees of the University of Central Florida (21 supervisory and 63 non-supervisory subjects) were used as the basis for this study through a mail administration of the Hackman and Oldham Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) and their Job Rating Form (JRF). It was hypothesized that: (a) only four significant job dimensions would emerge from factor analysis of the data; (b) that the motivating potential ratings …

Person Perception And The Employment Interview: The Impact Of Facial Features In The Employee Selection Process, Susan C. Muller

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found that the structural makeup of the face influences the manner by which individuals perceive others and attribute characteristics to them. In addition, support has been provided for the hypothesis that nonverbal cues significantly influence an interviewer's perception of a job candidate and the pending hiring decision. Taken together, this study hypothesized that the nonverbal cues emitted from the structural makeup of the face would impact the decision to hire and the perceptions of the job applicant's personality. It was also expected that variations in facial structure would influence an employer's decision in hiring the applicant for …

The Effects Of Locus Control Upon Pay Satisfaction, Richard A. Curle

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The issue of pay satisfaction is of increasing concern to management because of today's high cost of recruiting and training employees. Also of concern to management is the impact that a high employee turnover rate, due to pay dissatisfaction, can have on organizational effectiveness. Therefore, identifying the causes of, and reducing the probability of, employee pay dissatisfaction is desirable.

Children's Attributional Style And Length Of Stay In An Alternative Education Program, William E. Pinnell

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has linked attributional style in children to self-esteem, loneliness, depression, general distress, and reading persistence to the learning disabled. The current study sough to determine if specific attributional styles in children were correlated with their length of stay in a behaviorally based Alternative Education program. Sixty-two first-grade through sixth-grade children were recruited from two Alternative Education campuses in Polk County, Florida. They each completed two administrations of the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ), separated by a two-week interval, and one administration of the performance Expectation Questionnaire, (PEQ), which assessed the children's expectation of their ability to perform tasks …

Cognitive And Social Desirability Factors In Marital Adjustment For A Sample Of Retired Older Adults, Priscilla B. Wilson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated cognitive components of marital adjustment and the role of social desirability response sets in a sample of retired older adults. It was hypothesized that higher marital adjustment scores would correlate negatively with dysfunctional beliefs concerning marriage. The objectives of the study were to identify which irrational beliefs are related to higher and lower levels of marital adjustment, and to determine the extent to which higher adjustment scores reflect the tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner. The sample consisted of 45 married couples, each partner of which was retired and aged 65 years or older. Assessment …

An Evaluation Of A Parent Sex Education Program, Janice Devlin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Sex education during childhood and adolescence is much more than a "birds and bees" discussion between a mother and a daughter or a seventh-grade science unit on human reproduction. It is, rather, a pervasive experience involving children's everyday interactions with friends, family, and their wider social environments. Elizabeth Roberts (1980) has developed a framework for understanding sexuality that emphasizes the broad-based nature of sexual learning. She focuses on six dimensions of sexuality which are socially learned: gender role, affection and intimacy, family roles and social life styles, body image, erotic experiences, and reproduction. The role of the family in each …

The Relationship Between Selected Personality Variables And Compulsive Gamblers In Treatment, Kevin E. Kip

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The empirical contributions of researchers on the personality characteristics associated with the identification and treatment of compulsive gambling have been largely piecemeal. As an active four year veteran of the Gamblers Anonymous program, the author has come to recognize that the vast majority of members comprising Gamblers Anonymous are persons typically not well versed in experimental design or research methodology techniques. Compounding this statement is the fact that it was not until the early 1980's that compulsive gambling (or synonomously stated as pathological gambling) became recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder with explicit diagnostic signs and …

Psychological Effects Of Divorce On Children: A Developmental Approach, Arlene Iasimone

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Validity Of Student Evaluations: A Comparison Of Student Ratings To Instructor Self-Evaluations, Rebecca A. Hopson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Soap Opera Viewers' Perceptions Of The Real World, Gayle Seese

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The frequency of occurrence on typical soap operas of incidents such as homicide, infidelity, and mental breakdown is much greater than is the case in real life. Also, various occupations (e.g., medical profession, legal profession) are overrepresented in these programs. The present study investigated the extent to which heavy soap opera viewers are influenced by these representations. Specifically, the differences between long term soap opera viewers’ and non-soap opera viewers’ perceptions about people and events in the real world were investigated. The subjects’ perceptions of the frequency of occurrences in the general population of such events as divorce, extramarital affairs, …

Effects Of Volunteer Activity On Psychosocial Adjustment Among The Elderly, William R. Criss

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research was carried out to determine if psychosocial adjustment improves for elderly persons engaged in volunteer activity. Questionnaires were completed by 27 persons aged 60 or over before and two months after beginning volunteer activity at one of 33 Florida community hospitals. A control group of 37 persons without hospital volunteer experience also completed these two questionnaires, which covered several aspects of psychosocial adjustment, including self-esteem, life satisfaction, sense of control, optimism, anxiety, depression and somatization. An analysis of covariance with repeated measures indicated that there was no significant improvement in subjective well-being associated with volunteer activity after accounting …

Preparation And Preparedness: A Study Of Curriculum Design In Terminal Master's Programs In Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Cynthia K. Rubin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Graduate programs in Industrial/Organizational Psychology vary throughout the country with regard to curriculum design and content, raising the issue of preparation and its relationship to preparedness on the job. It was hypothesized that: (1) students with a greater amount of prior field experience would perceive themselves to be better prepared for the workplace than those with a lesser amount of such experience; (2) employers would perceive students who had received a greater amount of prior field experience as better preared than those with a lesser amount of such experience; and (3) students with previous work experience or job training in …

A Comparison Of Modeling And Instructions On Nonverbal Empathy Behavior In A Simulated Counseling Interview, Robin D. Seipp

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The relative contribution of modeling and instructions as methods for training counselors in nonverbal empathy was assessed in a 2 X 3 factorial design employing two instruction conditions (Instructions and No Instructions) and three modeling conditions (High Nonverbal Empathy Model, Low Nonverbal Empathy Model, and No Model). Six groups of subjects were presented with the six different combinations of the above conditions and were then asked to conduct a 15-minute interview with a "client." It was predicted that those viewing the High Nonverbal Empathy Model would exhibit higher nonverbal empathy responses in the interview. It was also predicted that instructions …

Abstinence Versus Controlled Drinking: A Critical Review, Suresh. Pushkarna

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Abstinence used to be the only recommended goal for persons affected with alcohol misuse. In recent years there has been a trend to suggest controlled drinking for some alcohol abusers. The comparison of abstinence versus controlled drinking indicates that controlled drinking goals have proved to be successful in a limited attempt with problem drinkers having middle income, average intelligence, stable job and adequate social support system. Severely dependent alcoholics (gamma type) have been trained in some instances to control their drinking in a laboratory environment, but their control erodes over time. The controlled drinking controversy has partly to do with …