Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Vicarious Traumatization: An Examination Of The Effects Of Exposure To Traumatic Material In Child Abuse Counselors, Stacey A. Waller

Masters Theses

Counselors who deliver services to children who have suffered maltreatment confront on a daily basis horrific examples of human suffering inflicted on society's most vulnerable members. Such repeated exposure may put these professionals at risk for adverse psychological consequences, including vicarious traumatization (VT), which can include symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study examined the unique effects of providing trauma services to children on 34 counselors who work primarily with child survivors of maltreatment. While the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in this sample was low, respondents reported higher levels of depression and emotional exhaustion than found in …

The Relationships Among The Stimulus Functions And The Clinical Effects Of Methylphenidate In Children Diagnosed With Adhd, Emily K. Macdonald

Masters Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorder in the United States. Approximately 90% of children receiving pharmacological treatment for ADHD receive the stimulant methylphenidate (MPH). MPH is associated with positive effects across many behavioral domains, yet the mechanisms through which it exerts clinical effects have not been conclusively determined. MPH produces reinforcing and subjective effects, however it is not understood how these functions relate to clinical effects. The present study examined the relationship among several stimulus functions and the clinical effects of MPH. Participants were 5 children (aged 10-14) diagnosed with ADHD who were …

Do Safety Observers Perform More Safely As A Result Of Conducting Observations?, Alicia M. Alvero

Masters Theses

Behavior-based safety (BBS) is an effective approach to improving safety within organizations, and has been implemented across a wide variety of settings. The two major components of BBS are the observation process and the delivery of feedback. Literature on feedback is abundant, but experimentation and scientific evidence on effects of the observation process are nonexistent. Typically, supervisors or employees involved in BBS implementations conduct observations of other employees' behavior, but the effects of conducting observations on an observer's safety performance is not known. The present study was a first attempt at assessing these effects. A multiple baseline counterbalanced across two …

The Utility Of Functional Assessment Rating Scales: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Training On Teacher Rated Functions And Intervention Suggestions, Kari N. Anderson

Masters Theses

Recent federal legislation mandates the use of functional assessment in schools when a more restrictive placement is being considered. This same legislation also recommends the use of fue nctional assessment as best practice for use in special education decision making. Currently, there is a continuum of options of tools and methods employed in the functional assessment process, and a number of differing opinions of who should be involved in the process. Traditionally school psychologists have been designated as the lead person in this process. Teachers have demonstrated that they too can provide valuable information regarding the function of a student's …

Assessment Of Methylphenidate Sensitization Using A Two-Lever Drug Discrimination Procedure, Ann Marie Heidema

Masters Theses

The current study examined the effects of methylphenidate (MP) pre-exposure on the acquisition of cocaine discrimination in rats. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered either 10 mg/kg MP or saline for five consecutive days. Following this pre-treatment phase, animals were trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg cocaine-hydrochloride from saline using a two-lever fixed-ratio 20 (FR20) schedule of food reinforcement. Acquisition of cocaine discrimination, as indicated by the number of sessions to criterion, did not differ significantly between the two-pre-treatment groups (MP = 35.5 ± 2.4; SAL = 31.6 ± 2.3). Stimulus generalization tests were conducted with cocaine and methylphenidate using cumulative …

Date Rape: Assessment Of Facial Emg Arousal And Cue Recognition During Audiotaped Vignettes, Scott Walter Maieritsch

Masters Theses

Introduction

Date Rape

The issue of rape has long attracted considerable attention in the popular press. It has only been within the past three decades, however, that rape has captured the attention of the scientific community as a focus of study. Recent research has challenged the long held beliefs and stereotypes which have characterized the typical rapist as a stranger who violently attacks his victim in public places such as dark alleys and parking lots. There is mounting evidence that women are far more likely to be sexually assaulted by men whom they know, including friends, dates, and lovers (Russell, …