Psychology Commons^™

The Role Of Familiarity And The Age-Based Double Standard In Evaluating Memory And Iadl Errors, Kristopher J. Kimbler, Ashley M. Escalon

Adultspan Journal

Research suggests that errors committed by older adults are viewed as more problematic than identical errors committed by younger adults. This study is the first to examine whether these age-based biases are found when evaluating social partners. The current study (N = 162) used a 2 X 2 (target age: young vs. old; familiarity: hypothetical vs. social partner) between-subjects design to assess the extent that familiarity influences the evaluations of errors committed by others. Findings suggest that age-based biases do not differ when evaluating social partners compared to hypothetical targets. Implications for counselors and other healthcare professionals are included.

Psychosocial Factors Promoting Personal Growth Throughout Adulthood, Masahiro Toyama, Heather R. Fuller, Joel M. Hektner

Psychology Faculty Research

Personal growth is essential in the lives of adults of any age and is associated with a variety of well-being outcomes. Building on previous research on psychosocial factors associated with personal growth, the present study aimed to investigate whether and how psychosocial factors (including working, generativity, positive interpersonal relationships, and spirituality) could affect aging adults’ personal growth longitudinally. Using three waves of Midlife in the United States data from adults with baseline ages of 20–75, two-level hierarchical linear modeling analyses were conducted to examine the effects of psychosocial factors as well as age and gender on levels and trajectories of …

Authentic Perspectives On Autistic Resilience: Implications For Schools And Society, Andrew Nelson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored resilience factors as identified by autistic adults with authentic lived experience. Historically, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been diagnosed using deficit models and criteria designed by outsiders with little input from the autism community. While risk of adversity is often high for those with ASD, scant research exists looking at the strengths, adaptive skills, and environmental factors contributing to the resilience of people with ASD. Autistic adults were interviewed (N = 10) to assess which internal and external risks and protections participants deemed important to their resilience. Responses were coded, analyzed, and compared to existing resilience data …

Familial Attitudes And Behaviors As Predictors Of Transgenderism, Angela Dawn Cockrell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Anonymous, retrospective data from 32 transgender and 3,337 cis-gender control participants were analyzed via logistic regression to examine the potential roles of parental attitudes and behaviors as well as familial status in the etiological chain leading to transgenderism. It was hypothesized that transgenderism may be predicted by negative parental attitudes toward sex and a lack of reciprocal parent-child nudity. Results indicated that transgenderism may be predicted by negative paternal attitudes toward sex, decreased maternal-child nudity, and absent fathers.

Development Of Moral Didacticism In Children: A Cross-Cultural Study, Sixtus Obinna Iwuji

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The use of folktales and fables in explaining the physical and spiritual worlds to children is cross-cultural, and precedes recorded history. Prior studies indicate a developmental process in children’s understanding of fables and folktales (Jose, D’Anna, & Krieg, 2005; Narvaez, Gleason, Mitchell, & Bentley, 1999). However, no known study has examined whether this developmental process is cross-cultural or culture specific. No known study also, has examined whether children as young as 6 years of age are aware that fables and folktales are non-historical. The present study fills these observed gaps by examining moral didacticism in children aged 6-11 years. The …

Emotional Intelligence And Team Cohesiveness, Myra M. Beam

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Emotional Intelligence is generally defined as encompassing the awareness and understanding of emotions. Emotional Intelligence also incorporates the application of this understanding to decision making, regulation, and self-management. Many theorists have shown that Emotional Intelligence has a significant positive impact on various aspects of teamwork. Today, more companies and organizations use teamwork to solve problems and complete tasks, so exploring elements that enhance teamwork would be beneficial.

This study was designed to support the notion that Emotional Intelligence is an integral part of teamwork. It was hypothesized that Emotional Intelligence has an impact on teamwork by making the team more …

Covert Behaviors Occurring In Childhood And Adolescence: Predictors Of Adult Sexual Orientation And Sexual Identity, Shelia Ramona Robinett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the influence pre-adulthood overt and covert same-sex sexual behaviors had on adult sexual orientation and the influence post-adulthood overt and covert same-sex sexual behaviors had on sexual identity in both women and men. Retrospective data were gathered via a computer-assisted self interview on 1281 non-transsexual female (age range 18-78) and 804 non-transsexual male (age range 18-84) participants for the outcome of sexual orientation and 1086 non-transsexual female and 692 non-transsexual male participants for outcomes of sexual identity. Same-sex romantic emotional attachment experience before adulthood predicted adult same-sex sexual orientation in both women and men. Such experiences occurred …

Cross-Informant Agreement Among Parents And Children, Staci S. Mullins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rating scales are often used by school psychologists to assess for emotional and behavioral disorders in students. While one advantage of rating scales is that data can be collected and assessed from multiple informants, research has shown that agreement between multiple informants is usually low to moderate, with the lowest being between parents and youth. The Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) is a new multi- dimensional rating scale claiming to have moderate parent/youth agreement. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cross-informant agreement between youth and parents using the Conners CBRS and then compare the correlations from …

Effects Of Father Absence On Adolescent Depression, Sexual Attitudes, And Substance Use, Nicole M. Hurtack

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between father absence and depression, sexual attitudes, and substance use on adolescents. Data were collected from forty-nine high school students (28 males, 21 females) from ninth to twelfth grade from a private high school in Pennsylvania. The Beck Depression Inventory-II was used to measure levels of depression. A sexual attitudes and substance use, and family demographic survey were also administered. The results of this study provided no support for the hypothesized relationship between adolescent adjustment and father absence. Father absence did not significantly predicted sexual attitudes, depression or substance …

Attachment And Adolescent Psychopathology In A Correctional Setting, Lindsay A. Lounder

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It was the purpose of this research to better understand the role of attachments and related clinical issues in relation to the development of criminality in late adolescence. This study involves designs comparing the youth at a maximum-security correctional facility versus controls matched on demographic variables using the Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ). Within group data is also analyzed to study differences and similarities among the offenders. Significant differences were found between the offenders and control group on attachment classifications as well as other clinical scales. Offenders are more likely than controls to have insecure attachments to their mother, …

The Influence Of College Students’ Perception Of Parental (Or Primary Caregiver) Expectations On Coping Behavior And Adjustment In Early Adulthood, Jessica Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

While some research has examined how parental expectations affect educational achievement, there is very little known about how parental expectations affect the development of coping skills and adaptive and maladaptive psychosocial functions. Participants were asked to complete a measure of their abilities in academics, sports, leadership, honesty, responsibilities, among other things. Then, they completed a measure of what they perceived their parents’ expectations of those areas were. Lastly, they completed the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-College Self Report of Personality form as a measure of adaptive and maladaptive functioning. The goals of this study are to investigate 1) if participants' …

Variables That Influence The Quantity Of In-Home Services For Children, Adrienne A. Bean

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

There are many reasons in-home services are being implemented and having success with young children. Part of this success may be due to the practitioners’ access to the family and home environment. Previous studies have addressed the quality of these services; however, few studies examine how the quantity of services is dispersed and/or how quantity of services is related to various characteristics of, or surrounding, the child. This dissertation attempts to examine factors that may influence the amount of time practitioners are willing to spend in homes when children have comparable concerns or delays. Parental qualities, environmental conditions, and other …

Differences In Self-Esteem Between Genders: A Look At Middle School, Beth S. Michael

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Most theorists suggest that the developement of self-esteem is found through interactions and experiences. However, these experiences may greatly differ between males and females in early adolescence because of developmental differences between the genders. Socialization may also play an important role in the self-esteem differences between genders. Overall, males and females have different developmental levels at the middle school age. Early or late development may impact the adolescent's self-esteem. This study will examine the differences in self-esteem between genders in middle school adolescents.

The Relationship Between Juvenile Delinquency And Family Unit Structure, Angela D. Mullens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental absence and juvenile delinquency and to determine if a link exists between the two variables. Data was collected from male juveniles who were alleged to have committed status or delinquent offenses between 1996 and 2004. Each offense was categorized according to the family unit (e.g., intact, father only, mother only, etc.), offense type (e.g., underage consumption, petit larceny, breaking and entering, etc.), offense level (e.g., status misdemeanor, and felony), the victim (e.g., crimes against the person, crimes against property, etc.) and the juvenile’s age at the time the …

Measuring The Effect Of Wife Employment Status On First-Time Father Stress, Brad Petry

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis examines the important aspect of changing stress levels in first-time expectant fathers at six months of term prenatal (time one), at eight months of term prenatal (time two), and one month postpartum (time three). The changing stress level was measured in relation to the employment status of the wife during pregnancy. Stress levels were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Data used in this research was obtained by Dr. Robert Rodriguez for use in his doctoral dissertation. Changes in expectant father stress level in accordance to wives’ employment status were insignificant at time 1 (f = .159), …

Stereotype Beliefs, Contextual Age, And Knowledge Of Aging In The Elderly, Angela Walker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Stereotype beliefs, contextual ages, and knowledge on aging of independent and intervention-receiving elderly living in both rural and urban communities and institutions were examined in a convenience sample of 114 participants who were assigned to location and setting. Contextual age is defined as one’s quality of life in regard to environmental, social, and health factors. Participants’ acceptance of stereotypes about the elderly, contextual ages, and knowledge of aging was measured by questionnaires. Results indicated there were no significant differences regarding stereotype acceptance, contextual age, and knowledge of aging between rural and urban elderly. However, differences between community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly …

Gender Differences In Gross And Fine Motor Abilities In Preschool Aged Children In West Virginia, Kelly R. Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in gross and fine motor abilities in preschool aged children in West Virginia. Subjects consisted of 21 males and 16 females. Data was collected via the West Virginia Educare Initiative using the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs. Results of this study indicate that there are no significant gender differences in either gross motor or fine motor abilities in preschool aged children.

Detecting A Male's Attitudinal Change During The Course Of A Partner's Pregnancy Using The Index Of Marital Satisfaction, Melanie Ann Hummel

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty-one married men who were expecting their first child were tested in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy with the Index of Marital Satisfaction to see if the subjects experienced a significant drop in marital satisfaction during the course of pregnancy. Previous research has shown that couples’ marital satisfaction significantly declines after the birth of a baby, but little research has explored the male’s attitudinal change during the pregnancy itself. The current study found that there was no significant change in the subjects’ marital satisfaction from early to late pregnancy. A larger study with a sample more representative …

The Relationship Between Receptive Vocabulary And Letter Recognition, James Bennett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The West Virginia Educare Program has randomly chosen 150 children from 2 ½ to 5 years of age to participate in an academic readiness study. These children came from a 6 county pilot community program collaborative, including the counties of Cabell, Wayne, Monongalia, Roane, Upshur, Webster, and Summers. The Bracken-R, the PPVT-III, and Carolina Curriculum for Pre-Schoolers with special needs were used to assess all subjects. For this study, the letter recognition subset of the Bracken-R and the raw score of the PPVT-III were used to determine if a correlation exists between receptive vocabulary and letter recognition. This study found …

The Relationship Between Language Development And Self-Help Skills In Developmentally Delayed Infants And Young Children, Tammy M. Roberts

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The author explored the relationship between language skills and self-help skills in young children diagnosed as developmentally delayed. Twenty-eight children from the West Virginia Birth to Three Program at Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center in Princeton, West Virginia, were involved in the research. The data was analyzed using the Spearman r formula. The analysis found a strong positive relationship between language skills and self-help skills. The results indicated that developmental interventions need to be global and not delay-specific. Young children learn skills in the various areas of development concurrently. Recommendations for future research were made.

The Relationship Between Attention And Memory And School Readiness In West Virginia Preschoolers, Brenda Carol Parker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current study investigated the relationship between memory and attention and academic readiness in children between the ages of 2 ½ and 5. Forty-two preschool children were involved in the study and were selected from childcare centers participating in the Educare project in West Virginia. All subjects were tested with the Bracken and the Carolina Curriculum. The Bracken measured the academic readiness and the Carolina Curriculum measured memory and attention levels of the children. The results indicated a positive correlation between memory and attention and academic readiness. The findings supported the position that there is a positive correlation between mastery …

The Relationship Between Receptive Language Skills And School Readiness, Patricia Slack Hines

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between language and academic readiness. The current study included 56 preschool children. Specifically, 9 two year olds participated, 18 three year olds participated, 21 four year olds, and 8 five year olds participated. Twenty- three were female and twenty-three were male. Each child was administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT III), followed by both the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale – Revised or BBCS-R. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the standard scores of the PPVT III, and the …

The Relationship Between Social Skills And Language Acquisition In West Virginia, Stephanie Angel Childers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The interaction between social skills and language acquisition has been a topic of interest in recent years. Current research has suggested children with social deficits are at increased risk for language problems, and vice versa (Gallegher, 1999). As part of the West Virginia Educare initiative, children ages two and a half to five years were randomly selected and individually evaluated using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition and the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs to assess language comprehension and social skills. A Pearson Product Moment correlation on 42 study participants yielded a correlation of -.083 with a significance …

The Creative Writer: An Examination Of Early Childhood Environment, Psychopathology, And Personality Traits, Cynthia I. Hagan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The early childhood environment, the pathology, and the personality traits of non-eminent creative writers were compared to those of non-creative artists. The stated issues were examined using a thirty-item, forced choice questionaire. The results indicated that the non-creative writer group experienced more early childhood trauma than did the non-creative artist group. The findings are congruent with previous research and supports the position that early childhood environment plays a significant role in the development of creativity.

The Effects Of Early Childhood Sexual Abuse On Substance Use Among Adolescent Females Housed In An Emergency Shelter, Randa Bahmed

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research studied the effects of childhood sexual abuse on substance use in adolescent females. Eighty females from The Cherry Hill Shelter located in Daniels, West Virginia were involved in the research. This research involved a between-subjects random design. The data was analyzed using the chi-square technique. Race, history of sexual abuse, history of substance use, and residence were involved in the analysis. The results of the chi-square technique indicated that early childhood sexual abuse and substance use among adolescent females are independent of each other. Recommendations for future research were made

Macarthur Story-Stem Battery And Gender Differences, Gina Arnett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In this study the MacArthur Story-Stem Battery (MSSB; Bretherton, Oppenheim, Buchsbaum, Emde, & The MacArthur Narrative Group, 1990), an assessment tool that examines childrens’ ability to cope with conflict laden situations, was used to study gender differences in avoidance and aggression. Forty-three children (22 girls, 21 boys) participated in the third phase of a longitudinal study when they were between 7.5 and 8 years old (mean = 7.8). Results showed that males scored significantly higher than females on the variable of aggression in their story completions on the MSSB; however, gender differences for avoidance, while in the hypothesized direction, did …

The Snijders-Oomen Non-Verbal Intelligence Test 2 1/2-7-Revised And The Final Grade Point Averages Of First, Second And Third Grade, Combined: A Predictive Validity Study, Janice Blake

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to compare the actual achievement of 28 students from the Appalachian area over a three year period with their scores on the SON-R to assess if the instrument is a valid predictor of classroom achievement among culturally impaired youth. The subjects were 11 boys and 17 girls ranging from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, lower-middle class backgrounds, and middle-class backgrounds. Correlation of the SON-R raw score with GPA was moderate at .54 and significant at the .01 level. Correlation of SON-R Subtest scores with GPA were moderate for Mosaics (r= . 47, p< 05), Categories (r= .51, p< 01) and Patterns (r= .54, p< 01).

Peer Evaluation: Design And Implementation Of The Peer Evaluation Format, Christopher F. Nichols

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The following study examined the feasibility of using peer evaluation at a behavioral health center for assessing employee attitudes regarding the company’s appraisal process. A total of 30 subjects, both male and female, were chosen from a single department to pilot the peer evaluation. Subjects were surveyed in order to assess attitudes toward the process prior to participation. An outside corporation was chosen to assist in the selection of peer evaluation questions as well as compiling final ratings of each participant. A post peer evaluation survey assessed attitudes upon completion of the peer evaluation. Responses were averaged and percentages analyzed …

A Study Of Self-Esteem Comparing Special Education With Regular Education Students During The Middle School Years, Debra A. Davis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare differences in levels of self-esteem between special education students and a control group of normal students. One hundred sixty-two fifth- through eighth-grade students from Doddridge County Middle School, West Union, West Virginia, were assessed by teachers using the Self-Esteem Index. The students were initially divided into two groups according to their placement in the regular or the special education programs. There was a total of 81 students in each of the groups. The configuration of each group was as follows: 24 learning-disability students, 14 behavior-disorder students, 16 gifted students, nine speech/language-disorder students, …

Referral Information Preferences In The West Virginia Vocational Rehabilitation Program, Donald George Auer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Public Law 565 in 1954 affected the placement activities provided for the handicapped by State Employment Security (ES) agencies following vocational rehabilitation services rendered by State Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) agencies. Problems relating to standardization and uniformity in referral transmittals of handicapped persons between the two agencies would be expected to arise. With effective and sustained employment of clients following placement service a mutual goal of both agencies, it is important that each group should agree to basic psychological, vocational, social, educational and medical referral items and methodology involved. A study of this type was published in 1958 by the Industrial …