Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating The States Of Mind Model: Comparison To An Alternative Model And Effects Of Method Of Cognitive Assessment, Richard G. Heimberg, Monroe A. Bruch, Debra A. Hope, Mark Dombeck

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Two studies were conducted evaluating aspects of the States of Mind (SOM) Model proposed by Schwartz (1986; Schwartz & Garamoni, 1986, 1989) with a sample of social phobic subjects. First, the SOM ratio [positive thoughts/(positive + negative thoughts)] based on a thought-listing task was compared to a ratio based on Kendall and Hollon’s (1981) “power-of-nonnegative-thinking” model [negative thoughts/(positive + negative + neutral thoughts)], and the relationship of each ratio to criterion measures was assessed. The two ratios were highly correlated and related to several criterion measures, raising questions about the role of neutral thoughts in the internal dialogue. Second, SOM …

Social And Nonsocial Decentration In Hearing-Impaired And Normal Hearing Children, David S. Cates, Franklin C. Shontz

Journal Articles: Nebraska Medicine

Tweny-three hearing-impaired and 25 normally hearing children between 7 and 14 years of age were administered a social decentration task, a nonsocial decentration task (a set of conservation problems), and a test of nonverbal intelligence. Although the two groups did not differ with respect to nonverbal intelligence, the hearing-impaired children obtained significantlv lower scores than their normally hearing peers on both the social and nonsocial decentration measures. Within both groups, there was a significant positive correlation between social decentration and nonsocial decentration, which is consistent with Piaget's contention that centration-decentration is a cognitive dimension underlying the structuring of both social …

A Test Of A Mastery Learning Approach For Teaching Basic Paragraph Writing Skills To Spanish Language Background Students, Sara Soledad Garcia

Teacher Education

This dissertation tested whether learning could be improved for students of Spanish language background through a Mastery Learning (ML) approach. It was hypothesized that higher levels of achievement and more positive affect could occur in an ML classroom.

Phase I of the study compared two instructional conditions: Mastery Learning and conventional. Because of implementation problems in Phase I, Phase II used a Mastery Learning condition only. In each phase, Pre and Posttests, Formative and Summative Tests, and Affect Questionnaires were gathered from a total of 84 students. The Pre and Posttests were modifications of four Subscales testing General Impressions, General …

Effects Of Employment-At-Will Policies On Corporate Image, Job Pursuit Intentions, & Union Membership Intentions, Susan Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Since 1884, the courts have embraced and applied the doctrine of employment-at-will which states that employers may terminate their employees, with or without cause or notice, at any time. Recently, the courts have recognized exceptions to this doctrine. In order to avoid these exceptions, lawyers and human resource specialists have suggested that employment materials should explicitly state that all employment is at-will. However, while stating an employment-at-will policy may protect employers' rights to terminate at-will, little is known about the consequences of adopting these measures with respect to applicant and employee attitudes.

The concept of employment-at-will is explored and research …

Effects Of Three Organizational Policies On Individuals’ Attitudes About Drug Testing, Alan Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The consensus of recent literature appears to be that drug testing is both legal and valid. However, a testing program can meet legal and technical criteria and still fail to meet organizational objectives because one vital component has been left out – employees’ attitudes. The present study uses data from 148 college juniors and seniors to assess the effects of three hypothetical drug testing policies: (a) consequences of detected drug use (termination vs. rehabilitation), (b) timing of the program (expected interval vs. random interval vs. reasonable cause), and (c) business purpose (weak vs. strong) on attitudes toward drug testing. It …

Processes And Perceptions Of Remaining Current, Diane Paul

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research examined the problem of professional obsolescence and mechanisms available to employees to avoid becoming obsolete. Current literature is reviewed on obsolescence and on remaining current in the nursing profession. Specific areas addressed are indicators of obsolescence and an examination of what happens to skills and abilities when an individual moves from a technical field into its administration. Participants in the research include registered nurses at three hospitals. The research is composed of two phases: an interview phase and a survey phase. Qualitative and quantitative analysis reveal categories of concerns about remaining current. The special concerns an obsolescence of …

Clinical Applications Of The Mmpi-2 1990, Nova University

CPS Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

School Of Psychology Master's Course Schedule Fall 1990, Nova University

CPS Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Textual Considerations In The Scientific Construction Of Human Character, Kenneth J. Gergen

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Inferences About Guessing And Knowing By Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Daniel J. Povinelli, Kurt E. Nelson, Sarah T. Boysen

Sentience Collection

The visual perspective-taking ability of 4 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) was investigated. The subjects chose between information about the location of hidden food provided by 2 experimenters who randomly alternated between two roles (the guesser and the knower). The knower baited 1 of 4 obscured cups so that the subjects could watch the process but could not see which of the cups contained the reward. The guesser waited outside the room until the food was hidden. Finally, the knower pointed to the correct cup while the guesser pointed to an incorrect one. The chimpanzees quickly learned to respond to the knower. …

In Search Of The Fair Jury : Does Extended Voir Dire Remedy The Effects Of Pretrial Publicity?, Hedy Red Dexter

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study asked two important questions: Does prejudicial pretrial publicity produce bias which may impair juror objectivity and, if it does, can voir dire remedy its untoward effects? Subjects were 68 college undergraduates whose political attitudes had been assessed and who had or had not read case-specific pretrial publicity one week before viewing a murder trial. Trial proceedings took place at the University of Miami law school. Voir dire, trial viewing, and deliberations were conducted in UM's moot courtroom. As predicted, analyses revealed main effects for both voir dire and pretrial publicity such that pretrial publicity increased conviction rate …

Therapeutic Professions And The Diffusion Of Deficit, Kenneth J. Gergen

Psychology Faculty Works

The mental health professions operate largely so as to objectify a language of mental deficit. In spite of their humane intentions, by constructing a reality of mental deficit the professions contribute to hierarchies of privilege, reduce natural interdependencies within the culture, and lend themselves to self-enfeeblement. This infirming of the culture is progressive, such that when common actions are translated into a professionalized language of mental deficit, and this language is disseminated, the culture comes to construct itself in these terms. This leads to an enhanced dependency on the professions and these are forced, in turn, to invent additional terms …

Blocking Of Acquisition But Not Expression Of Conditioned Fear-Potentiated Startle By Nmda Antagonists In The Amygdala, Mindy Miserendino, Catherine B. Sananes, Kathleen R. Melia, Michael Davis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Assessed the role of N-methyl-{d}-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the amygdala in associative fear conditioning. 132 rats were implanted with cannulae aimed at the basolateral amygdaloid nuclei, while 13 controls had cannulae aimed at the interpositus nuclei of the cerebellum. NMDA antagonists infused into the amygdala blocked the acquisition, but not the expression, of fear conditioning measured with a behavioral assay mediated by a defined neural circuit (fear-potentiation of the acoustic startle reflex). This effect showed anatomical and pharmacological specificity, and was not attributable to reduced salience of the stimuli of light or shock used in training. An NMDA-dependent process in …

Stress Indicators Of Kentucky Elementary Principals, Helen Kirby

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Stress has become a problem to which people of all walks of life may relate, affecting the actions of the individual on both professional and personal levels. In the field of education, administrators often report a high level of stress, sometimes referred to as burnout. Much has been written about teacher stress, but very little research has been done on stress encountered by elementary principals. Research was conducted on stress as perceived by elementary principals in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for this study.

The questionnaire used was compiled by the researcher using Koff, Laffey, Olson and Cichon’s table of Stress …

The Comparability Of A Field & A Device-Mediated Performance Test For M1 Armor Crewmen, Sylvia Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A study was conducted to evaluate the construct validity of four measures of Armor combat performance derived through the Simulation Networking (SIMNET) system. Problems with field testing, such as high cost, low reliability, and lack of realism, has lead the Army to look for alternative methods for soldier evaluation. SIMNET's utility for supplemental training and hardware development has been documented and the device holds promise as a low-cost alternative for soldier evaluation. Performance by 120 M1 tank crews on a SIMNET test was compared to their performance on a field test measuring four critical domains of Armor combat performance: command …

Need For Cognition Scale: A Study Of Its Psychometric Properties And Its Ability To Predict Academic Achievement, Arthur Cleavinger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The psychometric properties of the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS; Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) were investigated in two studies with independent samples of undergraduates at Western Kentucky University. In the first study (N = 379), the internal consistency and factor structure of the NCS were examined, and the NCS was compared to the Achievement subscale of the Personality Research Form (Jackson, 1974) and the State-Trait Curiosity subscale of the State-Trait Personality Inventory (Speilberger, 1979). Also, the possibility of differences in “need for cognition” attributable to socio-economic status (i.e. the educational attainment of the subjects’ parents) were examined. The second study …

Intracerebral Injections Of Morphiceptin Into The Medial Preoptic Area Produce A Delay In The Initiation Of Male Rat Sexual Behavior, Leslie Matuszewich '90

Honors Projects

Behavioral experiments examined the role of morphiceptin in male rat copulatory behavior. Male copulatory behavior was recorded subsequent to bilateral injections of either 10, 500, or 1000 ng of morphiceptin into the medial preoptic area (MPOA) in sexually vigorous male rats. In the first experiment, all three doses of morphiceptin injected bilaterally into the MPOA produced a dramatic delay in the initiation of copulation. Both mount and intromission latencies significantly increased following injections of all three doses of morphiceptin when compared to saline injected controls. No other parameter was affected. In experiment 2, the inhibitory effects of morphiceptin on male …

Vocal Recognition Of Pups By Mother Mexican Free-Tailed Bats, Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana, Jonathan P. Balcombe

Sentience Collection

The ability of Mexican free-tailed bat mothers and pups to recognize vocalizations of their presumptive kin (pup isolation calls and mother echolocation calls, respectively) was tested using playbacks of recorded calls. Captive individuals were presented with calls of two bats, one presumptive kin and the other a stranger, from opposite sides of a circular wire arena. Response was determined by amount of time spent on each side of the arena, time spent in contact with a cloth bat model in front of each speaker, and number of separate contacts with each model. For the latter two measures, mothers showed a …

Ibotenic Acid-Induced Lesions Of The Medial Zona Incerata Decrease Lordosis Behavior In The Female Rat, Melissa Peterson '90

Honors Projects

In order to examine the role of the medial zona incerta in female sexual behavior, ovariectomized estrogen and progesterone treated female rats were tested for sexual receptivity following bilateral injections of the selective neurotoxin, ibotenic acid (3 ug/0.3 ul dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline) directly into the medial zona incerta. These injections produced a significant attenuation of lordosis behavior in highly receptive females when compared to saline injected controls (shams). This decrease in sexual receptivity was also reflected in a significant increase of rejections of male mount attempts. Additionally, the frequency of hopping, darting and ear wiggling was significantly decreased in …

School Of Psychology Master's Course Schedule Spring 1990, Nova University

CPS Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Representations Of The Self In Social Phobia: Vulnerability To Social Threat, Debra A. Hope, Ronald M. Rapee, Richard G. Heimberg, Mark J. Dombeck

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A revised Stroop color-naming task was used to test hypotheses derived from Beck’s cognitive theory of anxiety disorders which proposes that social phobics are hypervigilant to social-evaluative threat cues. Color-naming latencies for social and physical threat words were compared to matched neutral words for both social phobics and individuals with panic disorder. As predicted, social phobics showed longer latencies for social threat words, and panickers had longer latencies for physical threat words. Latency for color-naming social threat words correlated with self-reported avoidance among social phobics. These results are consistent with Beck’s notion of self-schemata which facilitate the processing of threat …

Dsm-Iii-R Subtypes Of Social Phobia: Comparison Of Generalized Social Phobics And Public Speaking Phobics, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope, Cynthia S. Dodge, Robert E. Becker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social phobic patients who fear most or all social interaction situations are labeled generalized social phobics in DSM-III-R. Thirty-five patients who met this criterion were compared with 22 social phobic patients whose fears were restricted to public-speaking situations. Generalized social phobics were younger, less educated, and less likely to be employed, and their phobias were rated by clinical interviewers as more severe than those of public-speaking phobics. Generalized social phobics appeared more anxious and more depressed and expressed greater fears concerning negative social evaluation. They performed more poorly on individualized behavioral tests and differed from public-speaking phobics in their responses …

Memory Factors In Age-Related Differences In Simple Reasoning, Timothy A. Salthouse, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Deborah Mitchell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Adults in their 50s were compared with adults in their late teens or 20s in the accuracy of relatively simple reasoning decisions involving varying amounts of information. Because the magnitude of the age differences in decision accuracy was independent of the amount of information relevant to the decision, it was suggested that adults in their 20s and 50s do not differ in the effectiveness of integrating information across multiple premises. However, the 2 groups differed in the accuracy of trials involving only a single relevant premise, and thus it was inferred that 1 factor contributing to reasoning differences within the …

Cognitive Behavioral Group Treatment For Social Phobia: Comparison With A Credible Placebo Control, Richard G. Heimberg, Cynthia S. Dodge, Debra A. Hope, Charles R. Kennedy, Linda J. Zollo, Robert E. Becker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Forty-nine patients participated in a study comparing cognitive-behavioral group treatment (CBGT) for social phobia with a credible placebo control. CBGT consisted of exposure to simulated phobic events, cognitive restructuring of maladaptive thoughts, and homework for self-directed exposure and cognitive restructuring between sessions. Control patients received a treatment package consisting of lecture-discussion and group support that was comparable to CBGT on measures of treatment credibility and outcome expectations. At pretest, posttest, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, patients completed assessments that included clinician ratings, self-report measures, and behavioral physiological and cognitive-subjective measures derived from a behavioral simulation of a personally relevant phobic …

The Effects Of Decreased Uncertainty And Telescopic Versus Full Field Training On The Useful Field Of View, Lauren M. Jackson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The “Useful Field of View” (UFOV) is the entire area in which information can be gathered without moving the eyes or head (Ball, Beard, Roenker, Miller & Griggs, 1998). Previous research has demonstrated that the UFOV shrinks with age (Scialfa, Kline & Lyman, 1987; Plude & Doussard-Roosevelt, 1987: Ball et al., 1988). With decrement in the UFOV, everyday activities, such as driving and walking can be limited. If the area in which information is received is smaller, then objects seem to appear suddenly and here is little time to react to them. One example of an everyday activity that would …

Testosterone, Social Class, And Antisocial Behavior In A Sample Of 4,462 Men, Robin D. Morris, James M. Dabbs

Psychology Faculty Publications

Two hypotheses have been offered to explain the relation between testosterone and antisocial behavior in delinquent and criminal populations. One is that testosterone leads directly to antisocial behavior. The other is that a constellation of dominance, competitiveness, and sensation seeking associated with testosterone leads to either antisocial or prosocial behavior, depending upon an individual's resources and background. Analysis of archival data from 4,462 U.S military veterans supported the first hypothesis: Testosterone was correlated with a variety of antisocial behaviors among all individuals, however, socioeconomic status (SES) Proved to be a moderating variable, with weaker Testosterone-behavior relationships among high SES subjects.

Emotional Processing In The Treatment Of Simple Phobia: A Comparison Of Imaginal And In Vivo Exposure, Jeffrey E. Hecker

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Two groups of moderately snake phobic college students were given either imaginal or in vivo exposure treatment. The groups were compared on self-report and physiological measures of fear activation during exposure trials, as well as on within- and across-session habituation of fear responses. On these measures, as well as on treatment outcome, the two groups were found to be very similar. The results lend further support to the importance of the concept of emotional processing in understanding fear reduction processes. Differences in treatment procedure may be important only when one procedure facilitates emotional processing more than another.

The Early Motor Profile: Correlation With The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test Of Motor Efficiency1, Amy N. Spiegel, Kathleen M. Steffens, John E. Ryders, Robert H. Bruininks

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

A correlational study of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and the Early Motor Pro-file with 109 kindergarten children showed a significant relation between these two measures of mo-tor abilities. These results support use of the latter profile as a measure of motor development in preschool age children.

Effects Of Surgery On The Mental Status Of Older Persons. A Meta-Analytic Review, Arthur G. Cryns, Kevin M. Gorey, Marion Z. Goldstein

Social Work Publications

The data bases of 18 empirical studies were combined into one comprehensive data set and subjected to meta-analysis. The following trends were observed: (1) surgery has a significantly decompensating impact on the mental status of older persons, and the average effect size observed is modest (r = .37); (2) for all mental status measures included in the review (cognition, delirium and affect), effect size appears to be significantly moderated by patient age; (3) patient sex may be predictive of the kind of mental impairment that is most likely to occur within an older surgery population, with women manifesting a greater …

Optical Models Of Consciousness, Imants Barušs

Psychology

No abstract provided.