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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Development And Validation Of A Scale Of Subjective Well-Being For Cambodian Refugees , Gertha Anne Sicobo Jan 2008

Development And Validation Of A Scale Of Subjective Well-Being For Cambodian Refugees , Gertha Anne Sicobo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This is a study of the Subjective Well-Being (SWB) of refugees from Cambodia. A correlational study design composed of questionnaires was used to assess subjective well-being in a Cambodian population in the USA. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a newly constructed Scale of Subjective Well-Being for Khmer Refugees (SSWB-KR), to be used with Cambodian refugees living in the US. The scale is a 49-item, 4-pt. Likert -Type scale that was administered to a sample of 20 Cambodian refugees in Philadelphia, PA. It was administered along with three other measures, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), …


Relationship Between Self-Reported Lifestyle Habits, Social Support, And Physiological Factors Associated With Hypertension : A Biopsychosocial Investigation, Deborah A. Chiumento Jan 2008

Relationship Between Self-Reported Lifestyle Habits, Social Support, And Physiological Factors Associated With Hypertension : A Biopsychosocial Investigation, Deborah A. Chiumento

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between hypertension and related biological, psychological, and social variables among patients diagnosed with hypertension was investigated utilizing the biopsychosocial model. Fifty-four participants from one outpatient private medical office were administered a demographic form, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT), the Inventory for Cognitive Distortions (ICD), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results indicated that the participants' use of caffeine positively correlated with their high blood pressure readings. In addition, participants who reported having significant social support engaged in more health promoting behaviors. These findings were consistent with the hypotheses. Limitations …


Does Social Problem-Solving Moderate The Relationship Between Physical Functioning And Depression In Als Patients?, Melissa Dillon Horowitz Jan 2008

Does Social Problem-Solving Moderate The Relationship Between Physical Functioning And Depression In Als Patients?, Melissa Dillon Horowitz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disease that interferes with the normative functions of the upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Depression has been found across disease stages in some ALS patients, but not all. Investigations that examined the association between physical functioning and depression in ALS patients produced mixed findings. To date, the role of social problem solving has not yet been explored in the ALS population. Thus, the current study examined the relationship between social problem solving, physical functioning, and depression in …


Construction Of The Structured Assessment Of Functioning And Effectiveness-Revised (Safe-R) : Validation Against The Million Adolescent Clinical Inventory (Maci) And Against Other Clinical Measures In An Adolescent Residential Setting, John Girard Kuna Jan 2008

Construction Of The Structured Assessment Of Functioning And Effectiveness-Revised (Safe-R) : Validation Against The Million Adolescent Clinical Inventory (Maci) And Against Other Clinical Measures In An Adolescent Residential Setting, John Girard Kuna

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Adolescents present with various emotional and mental health problems when admitted to residential settings. Such problems increase the probability that these clients represent a safety risk to themselves, to peers and to treatment staff. Psychometric devices can best meet the complex needs for assessment when such instruments are easily administered, well constructed, and diagnostically accurate. However, the usage of psychological assessment instruments labors under growing restrictions by time limited health care delivery systems. With a concerted effort, the field of psychology must respond with a sense of advocacy and a realistic explanation for the value and utility of assessments devices. …


Teacher Self-Efficacy, Collective Teacher Efficacy, Automatic Thoughts, States Of Mind, And Stress In Elementary School Teachers, Robert W. Shambaugh Jan 2008

Teacher Self-Efficacy, Collective Teacher Efficacy, Automatic Thoughts, States Of Mind, And Stress In Elementary School Teachers, Robert W. Shambaugh

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between teacher self-efficacy, collective teacher efficacy, automatic thoughts, Balanced States of Mind (BSOM) model, and levels of stress in regular education elementary school teachers. A sample of 66 teachers from rural and urban south central Pennsylvania school districts completed the following questionnaires: Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS), Collective Teacher Beliefs Scale (CTBS), Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire - Revised (ATQR), Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI), and a demographic survey. A ratio of positive to positive-plus-negative automatic thoughts from the Balanced States of Mind model (BSOM) became the fifth variable. This study presumes that teachers have more stress today following …


Effect Of Statute Changes On Admission Trends At A New Jersey State Psychiatric Hospital , Monica Malone Jan 2008

Effect Of Statute Changes On Admission Trends At A New Jersey State Psychiatric Hospital , Monica Malone

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The impact of changes in New Jersey civil commitment laws on admission patterns at a New Jersey state psychiatric hospital was studied using an interrupted time series design. The target years were 1965, 1988, 1994, and 1998, years when significant changes in the commitment law took effect. The data studied were the total number of admissions per month. There were no significant changes in admission trends at any of the target dates. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.


Examination Of Health Adherence Behaviors And Cognitive Distortions In Patients With Chronic Illness , Clint C. Stankiewicz Jan 2008

Examination Of Health Adherence Behaviors And Cognitive Distortions In Patients With Chronic Illness , Clint C. Stankiewicz

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between health adherence behaviors and cognitive distortions among patients with chronic illness were investigated. One-hundred eleven participants from two outpatient medical clinics were administered the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT) and the Inventory for Cognitive Distortions (lCD), and the Health Adherence Behavior Survey was utilized to obtain demographic information. Results indicated participants who had a thinking style characterized by the use of cognitive distortions tended to engage in fewer health promoting behaviors. This finding was consistent with the predicted hypothesis. In fact, a significant correlation at the .05 level of -.173 was found between the ICD and the …


Effects Of Statin Medications On Health Related Behaviors, Stephen M. Timchack Jan 2008

Effects Of Statin Medications On Health Related Behaviors, Stephen M. Timchack

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study focuses on the psychological effects of statin medications. Specifically, this study examines the health related beliefs and behaviors that may be altered by the consumption of this fast acting class of life saving drugs. Although the statin class of medication generally produces favorable physiological results, as evidenced by reduced levels of serum cholesterol, and in some case increases in high density lipoproteins, the health related belief system and heath related behaviors may actually be altered in a negative fashion by engendering a sense of overconfidence; this in turn may alter beliefs and diminish the importance of adhering …


Pragmatic Language And Social Skills Functioning In Children Diagnosed With Asperger's Disorder, Donna Lee Toro Jan 2008

Pragmatic Language And Social Skills Functioning In Children Diagnosed With Asperger's Disorder, Donna Lee Toro

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Sixteen children with a diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder, as defined by the DSM-IV-TR (2000), were assessed using the following standardized measures: KBIT-2 (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2003), CASL (Carrow-Woolfolk, 1999), and SSRS (Gresham & Elliot, 1990). The purpose of the study was to determine whether the measurement of pragmatic language functioning is reliably associated with social skill performance in children with Asperger's disorder. Results indicated that the group mean composite index score of the CASL was in the average range for children with a standard score of 85 or higher on the KBIT -2. Group average scores for formal language functioning …