Psychology Commons^™

A Punishment-Free, Toilet-Training Protocol For Children With Developmental Disabilities, Chelsea Lynn Pearsall

All Master's Theses

The present investigation adapted a behaviorally-based toilet-training protocol for use with two male children with developmental disabilities. Positive practice and verbal reprimands were eliminated, and reinforcement, scheduled sits, and a urine alarm were utilized. Data were collected on the number of intoilet urinations, urinary accidents, and self-initiations. Results show that both participants exhibited significant improvement in their toileting skills and met the final success criteria rapidly. These results were maintained through follow-up. Implications for the elimination of punishment procedures in future toilet training protocols are discussed.

Passing Pains: Revenge, Retaliation, And Redirected Aggression In A New Light, Lixing Sun

Biology Faculty Scholarship

A review of David P. Barash and Judith Eve Lipton, Payback: Why We Retaliate, Redirect Aggression, and Take Revenge, Oxford University Press: New York, 2011, 209 pp., US$24.95, ISBN 019539514X (hardcover).

Two Field Studies Examining The Association Between Positive Psychological Capital And Employee Performance, James B. Avey, James L. Nimnicht, Nancy Graber Pigeon

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Business

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between psychological capital (comprised of hope, optimism, efficacy and resilience) and employee performance through multiple studies and methods of data.

Design/methodology/approach – The study included two samples in a large financial firm headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The employees' level of psychological capital were measured with the psychological capital questionnaire. Via regression, this was related to individual level financial performance data from the firm and manager rated performance.

Findings – As hypothesized, psychological capital was found to be related to employees' level of financial performance, referrals within the firm …

Animals In The Classroom: Implications And Implementation, Christen Lynn Robinson

All Graduate Projects

The role of animals in the classroom through Animal Assisted Therapy is examined. The benefits and risks are outlined and discussed. Specific measures to decrease related risks are given. A look at Animal Assisted Therapy from the perspective of the animal itself is also explored. Does the practice exploit animals? The research suggests that it depends upon the type of animal used. A Power Point presentation explaining the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy is provided. The target audience for the presentation is educators interested in implementing an Animal Assisted Therapy program within the school setting. The presentation clearly outlines the …

The Mediating Influence Of Role Stress On The Relationship Between Adult Attention Deficit And Self-Efficacy, Graeme H. Coetzer, Byron Hanson, Richard Trimble

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Business

Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AAD) and stress are pervasive and significant experiences with harmful consequences for both employees and organizations as a whole. This research study proposes a network of significant relationships between AAD, role stress, and self-efficacy. Adults who are experiencing the core symptoms of AAD (difficulties with task activation, concentration, effort, emotional interference, and accessing memory) are less likely to manage their role effectively and develop selfefficacy. The correlations between AAD and both role stress (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (r = -0.32, p < 0.01) were statistically significant, as was the correlation between role stress and self-efficacy (r = -0.44, p < 0.01). The Sobel test (Z = 6.57, p < 0.00) provides support for the hypothesis that role stress mediates the relationship between AAD and self-efficacy. A significant partial correlation between AAD and self-efficacy (r = -0.15, p = 0.02) remains after inclusion of the mediator (role stress), which limits the finding to partial mediation. Future research needs to draw samples from a variety of work situations.

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Sense Of Humor And Positive Psychological Capacities, Larry W. Hughes

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Business

The constructs of sense of humor (Lefcourt, 2002) and positive psychological capacities (PsyCap; Luthans, 2002a) have been heralded as important phenomenon within the growing field of positive psychology, especially within the organizational sciences. Additionally, a sense of humor has been found to be related to positive affective experiences. Leaders can develop followers' confidence, hope, optimism and resiliency for what Avolio and Luthans (2006) called sustainable, veritable performance. The hypotheses presented and tested here will advance the theoretical and empirical discussion of leadership in organizations by linking several emerging constructs of interest, both in academe and practice. This study marks an …

The Public Perception Of Enrichment For Captive Animals, Elizabeth Marie Webb

All Master's Theses

The effects of providing participants with educational information on enrichment as measured by the looking time at and ratings of zoo photographs were examined. One hundred and seventeen participants viewed photographs of zoo exhibits, 10 from each of the following categories: artificial exhibit with artificial enrichment, artificial exhibit with naturalistic enrichment, naturalistic exhibit with naturalistic enrichment, and naturalistic exhibit with artificial enrichment. Participants rated the photographs on exhibit aesthetic appeal, perceived animal happiness, and effectiveness of the enrichment. Pre- and posttest ratings of the importance of zoo roles were also collected. Results showed support for the hypothesis that participants provided …

The Benefits Of Bibliotherapy: Textsets And Accompanying Guides For Students And Teachers, Angela Lee Maurina

All Graduate Projects

In this project, bibliotherapy (the use of literature in helping children cope with emotional problems or change) was investigated. Its history, with a specific focus on past and current uses in professional clinical and educational practice, was researched and outlined. In addition, a review of the psychological social and emotional needs and development of fourth through eighth graders ( early adolescence) was conducted. A summative argument supporting the use of bibliotherapy as a tool to meet the specific needs of early adolescents in the classroom setting was put forward. Limitations were noted. Upon completion of the research, an implementation guide …

School Climate: A Synthesis Of The Life Of The School, Peggy N. Jackson

All Graduate Projects

Research indicates that school climate is best understood through a combination of variables. The first set of variables includes physical climate, culture and organization, culture, group-relationships and psychological (individual) attitudes. The second set has many subsets of variables that also contribute to the climate of each individual school. These variables are interwoven and overlap to create the climate of a school. The primary purpose of this project was to compile a review of literature on school climate. This project will discuss the impact of school climate on the day-to-day operation of school.

Chimpanzee Signing: Darwinian Realities And Cartesian Delusions, Roger S. Fouts, Mary Lee A. Jensvold, Deborah Fouts

Anthropology and Museum Studies Faculty Scholarship

Truly discontinuous, all-or-none phenomena must be rare in nature. Historically, the great discontinuities have turned out to be conceptual barriers rather than natural phenomena. They have been passed by and abandoned rather than broken through in the course of scientific progress. The sign language studies in chimpanzees have neither sought nor discovered a means of breathing humanity into the soul of a beast. They have assumed instead that there is no discontinuity between verbal behavior and the rest of human behavior or between human behavior and the rest of animal behavior—no barrier to be broken, no chasm to be bridged, …

Social Skills Curriculum For Middle School Students At Risk, Eric Franz

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a social skills curriculum for an effective After School Program for students at risk. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature related to students at risk, motivational strategies, and alternative programs to assist them were reviewed. Additionally, on site visit to an actual program in the Yakima School District were conducted. At-risk students have a high potential for dropping out of school due to the lack of motivation and other factors. Students at risk live marginally outside of the socially excepted norm for adolescent youth. School systems need to have programs …

The Effects Of An Organizational Communication Intervention On Job Satisfaction In A Public Health Organization, Ann Kathleen Riley

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an organizational communication intervention on job satisfaction levels. Nineteen employees of a rural public health department served as the subjects of the study. Archival data was reviewed based on a pre and postjob satisfaction questionnaire administered to subjects in relation to a communication intervention. It was hypothesized that job satisfaction levels would increase as a result of an organizational communication intervention. Results of an independent !-test analysis for overall pre and postjob satisfaction scores did not support this hypothesis. Implications of the study and recommendations for future research are …

Using Bibliotherapy With Selected Developmental Concerns Of Middle School Youth, Dianne Keeling

All Graduate Projects

This project investigated literature related to the developmental concerns of middle school youth and the use of bibliotherapy. The purpose of this investigation was to gain a theoretical understanding of these developmental concerns and the related use of bibliotherapy as well as to discover instructional strategies for the use of bibliotherapy in the middle school classroom. The product of this investigation is a resource guide for the use of bibliotherapy with selected developmental concerns of middle school youth. A review of selected literature revealed that some developmental concerns of students at this age are adolescent changes, anger, drug/alcohol abuse, violence …

Introversion, Extraversion, And Humor, Tanna Marlane Boucher

All Master's Theses

The differences in behavioral expression of humor for introverts and extroverts was investigated, as well as the behavioral expression of humor and humor ratings of video clips containing sound versus those with no sound. Subjects were videotaped as they watched humorous clips in a room alone. The results indicated that there was no significant difference between introverts and extroverts in terms of their behavioral expression of humor. These findings are consistent with the literature on social aspects of humor in that people tend to express more humor in social groups than when alone. However, subjects did show significantly more behavioral …

An Overview Of Bibliotherapy And Its Applications In The Elementary Classroom, Kerry Sue Abernathy

All Graduate Projects

Bibliotherapy has been used for many years as an aid to the healing process. The concept of using literature to promote mental health has been increasingly accepted as a valid therapeutic method in recent years. Bibliotherapy has, in the past, been used primarily with adults. This study will focus on recent developments to help children grow and develop a positive self-concept through literature. Book lists have been compiled from the many children's books available on the subjects of death and dying, illness, divorce, fears, handicaps, blended families, single parents, friendship, physical development, family relationships, attitudes and values, emotions and feelings, …

Parent Handbook For Surviving Adolescence, Kay Fuson

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to gather information for a parent handbook for Sterling Middle School, which spoke to the following issues: 1) general characteristics, 2) parenting skills, 3) communication, 4) study skills, 5) parent concerns, and 6) community resources. These six areas were determined with input from parents after looking at parent handbooks from middle schools across the state. Research was done in the area of adolescent development and material was compiled for a comprehensive handbook for parents of adolescents.

The Effect Of Different Approaches To Goal Setting On Goal Commitment, Eileen Mary Piersa

All Master's Theses

This study assesses the goal commitment generated by different approaches to goal setting. The participants were the directors, board presidents, staff, board members and volunteers of two non-profit organizations. One group explored their history as an organization, significant events and the impact of those events before carrying out the same goal setting process as the other group. Self-efficacy was measured before the exercise began. Goal commitment was measured after participants prioritized goals and selected subgoals on which to take action. The hypothesis that cognitively reviewing past history would lead to greater commitment was rejected. A second hypothesis that the self-efficacy …

Assessing Some Side Effects Of A Contingency Management Program, Charles M. Atkinson

All Master's Theses

This study applied a contingency management program to a single behavior while measuring multiple behaviors. Reinforcement was made contingent upon increased addition rate. The experimental group made significantly greater gains in addition rate. There was no significant difference in the gains made in subtraction rate, reading rate, reading comprehension, or classroom behavior. The study was limited by a small sample, six week time span, and the use of mentally retarded subjects to assess side effects of reinforcing an academic behavior.

Evaluation Of The Consistency Of Informants’ Reports For Children’S Ratings With The Progress Assessment Chart, Craig Allen Gilroy

All Master's Theses

Seven TMR, seven EMR, and seven regular pupils were rated on the P-A-C I by observers who viewed the children in their classrooms or by using parents and teachers as informants. Ratings were compared for consistency between groups and between raters by means of percent agreement figures and proportional t tests. Few significant differences were found between raters within groups. Significant differences were found in the majority of the cases when parent, teacher, and observer ratings of handicapped and regular children were compared.

A Case Study Of The Relationship Between Role-Taking Skills And Intellectual Development, Linda Suzanne Green

All Master's Theses

A series of thirteen role-taking and cognitive development tasks, taken from research done on Piaget's developmental theories, were presented to ascertain the relationship between refined role-taking skills and the level of intellectual development demonstrated by a child in Piaget's pre-operational phase (two to seven years).

The results indicated that a child in this age range is not able to remove himself from his egocentric position and utilize the concepts of decentering and reversibility in constructing a meaningful message. This would indicate a lack of role-taking skill refinement.

It was concluded that the use of this type of task series would …

The Effect Of An Increase Of A Mother's Complimentary Behavior On Her Child's Crying Rate And In-Task School Behavior, Mark Connot

All Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to decrease an eight year old boy's disruptive crying rate in his home by ignoring his negative behavior and selectively complimenting his acceptable behavior. A check in the boy's classroom was made to determine if a generalization effect or transference of positive behavior from the home occurred. Crying behavior in the home was reduced significantly. There was no observed significant change in school behavior.

The Effects Of Truth Table Pretraining And Intradimensional Variability On Rule Learning And Attribute Identification Tasks, Eric S. Gebelein

All Master's Theses

Ss were required to sort geometrical patterns into positive or negative instances. According to (a) an attribute identification problem (wherein one of three conceptual rules was given: Disjunctive, Conditional, or Biconditional) or (b) Rule learning problem (wherein the two relevant attributes were given: either yellow, triangle or blue, circle). Intradimensional variability for each condition was either five, seven, or nine levels. The Rule effect was the only significant source of variance even though performance did worsen as intradimensional variability was increased.

Intradimensional Variability With Numbers And Alphabetical Letters In Conceptual Rules, Thomas Henry Clayton

All Master's Theses

Subjects were assigned to bidimensional rule problems that contained either 5, 10, or 15 levels of intradimensional variability. The stimuli consisted of numbers and alphabetical letters. There were no performance differences by either males or females when the number of levels within each rule was increased. There was a significant difference in performance among the three rules (disjunctive, conditional, and biconditional), however, the conditional was more difficult than the biconditional which is inconsistent with earlier research.

Operantly Conditioning A College Student's Study Behaviors, Norman L. Culbertson

All Master's Theses

A 20 year old, male, sophomore college student, who was considered an underachiever, was confined to a laboratory study room for a specified number of observed hours during a period of three weeks. An attempt was made to operantly condition increased study behaviors by the E's control of study break reinforcers. The experiment consisted of three phases, conditioning, reversal, and reconditioning. Statistical results showed that when reinforced in this manner for study behaviors, the S significantly increased his amount of study time and number of pages read. It was concluded that (1) operant conditioning procedures could be used successfully to …

False Physiological Feedback And Acceptance Of A High Fear Message, Michael T. Gray

All Master's Theses

This paper presents an attempt to differentiate between the drive reduction and parallel response theories as explanations of results obtained in fear communication research.

Forty-eight subjects were divided into four equal groups and while listening to a high fear message, three groups received false GSR feedback. The fourth group (control) received no feedback. The results failed to differentiate between the two theoretical models and also failed to support findings of an earlier study which used similar feedback techniques.

It was concluded that further research using false feedback techniques needs to be done.

A Comparison Of Verbal And Geometric Stimuli In Concept Learning, Robert William Greenway

All Master's Theses

Subjects classified stimulus patterns into positive or negative instances of the concept according to either an attribute identification (AI) problem or a rule learning (RL) problem. Four types of stimulus materials were used: verbal stimuli (V), geometric stimuli (G), or two combinations of these modes, verbal geometric (VG) or verbal colored (VC). The only main effects that were significant were the Type of rule and Type of problem. Some interactions were obtained between these factors and the stimulus mode employed.

Solution Shift Performance Of Low Functioning Children, Kathleen L. Levell

All Master's Theses

Retarded children of two intellectual levels were assigned to reversal (R) or nonreversal (NR) shifts in a concept learning task. High children had previous practice with the stimulus attributes while the low children did not. The effects of overtraining on the original problem led to more rapid R solutions for both groups while overtraining prior to the NR shift yielded equal levels of performance for both groups of children.

Results were interpreted within the framework of mediation theory.

The Effect Of A Learning Skills Course Including Group Counseling On Low Achievers In The Community College, Paul E. Borg

All Master's Theses

A Learning Skills course consisting of study skills, goal direction, and self-understanding was tested among volunteer community college low achievers. Treatment integrated didactic, group discussion, and affective experiences in 18 hour-long sessions. Nineteen subjects received treatment; 25 subjects formed a matched control group; and 41 non-volunteers formed two additional control groups. An apparent trend toward GPA improvement was noted for all groups, but all measurements on GPA and a study survey were non-significant.

Experimenter Bias Effect At Varying Levels Of Motivation, Leslie Marie Slade Gray

All Master's Theses

This study examined the effects of experimenter motivation upon the experimenter bias effect on a person perception task. It was hypothesized that the experimenter bias effect would decrease as reward and threat of punishment increased.

Thirty-five experimenters were randomly assigned to five treatment groups including a control group, two reward groups, and two punishment conditions. Each experimenter administered the photo task to two subjects. The results failed to support the experimental hypotheses.

Interest, Achievement And Personality Differences And The Direction Of Lateral Eye Movement, Frances Irene Lewis

All Master's Theses

An eye movement identified as being related to personality and achievement differences in individuals was investigated. Subjects were 116 college freshmen who were classified as right or left movers on the basis of the direction their eyes moved laterally during reflective thought. The classifications were correlated with variables of sex, eye dominance, handedness, personality and achievement scores. Findings indicate significant correlations for left handed subjects on Economic and Political scales and Verbal achievement but no significant correlations for right handed subjects.