Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Acculturation And Age On Spiritual Well-Being Among Ethnic Chinese Church-Goers, Stephen T.C. Jang

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This research investigated the effects of acculturation and age on Spiritual Well-Being among ethnic Chinese church-goers. Subjects consisted of 169 ethnic Chinese church-goers and English readers ages 18 - 55 from four Chinese churches in the Northwest United States. The response rate was 93.9% of the 180 initially selected subjects.

The subjects completed a survey questionnaire that included demographic information, background information, and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB). The SWB consisted of two subscales: the Religious Well-Being (RWB) Scale and the Existential Well-Being (EWB) Scale.

born had significantly greater (_E.<.05) EWB than subjects who had lived in the U.S. 5 years or less. Age was significantly related to SWB and EWB; and subjects 26 years old or above had significantly higher SWB and EWB scores than subjects 18 - 25 years old.

Religious commitment, and importance of religion were related to greater …

A Comparison Of Interpersonal Behavior Traits And Spiritual Well-Being Among Eating-Disordered Patients And Medical Outpatients, Deborah B. Sherman

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

A diagnosed eating disorder sample was compared with a sample of medical outpatients on interpersonal behavior traits and spiritual well-being. Instruments used included the Interpersonal Behavior Survey and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. A demographic questionnaire was also administered to explore the relationship between demographic variables and the measures of interpersonal behavior traits and spiritual well-being. The sample included all Caucasian female subjects between ages 17-60, representing a range of financial conditions, educational levels, and marital status. Data analysis using an ANOVA with Scheffe post-hoc test demonstrated that the eating disorder inpatient group differed significantly from the medical outpatients in assertiveness, …

An Empirical Examination Of The Construct Validity Of The Spiritual Maturity Index, Rodney L. Cooper

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In order to do empirical research on religious constructs, various testing instruments have been developed. Yet, many of the instruments developed have not been empirically tested for construct validity to see if they are actually fulfilling their stated purpose. One such instrument which has been developed is the Spiritual Maturity Index. It was the purpose of this study to do an empirical examination of the construct validity of this instrument. Pastors and seminary students from the Conservative Baptist denomination participated in a study to assess the capability of the Spiritual Maturity Index (SMI) in distinguishing levels of spiritual maturity. Also, …

A Correlation Study Of Self Concept And Spirituality In Seminarians, Judith C. Colwell

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study investigated the relationship between self concept and spirituality among 55 adult male Master of Divinity students, all of what attended Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. It is one part of a larger research project which addressed the issue of psychological adjustment in seminarians (1'tleller, 1986; Neder, 1985; Powers, 1985). The sample was given a demographic questionnaire, a self concept scale, and three operational measures of spirituality. These were the Tennessee Self Concept scale (TSCS), the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB), the Spiritual Maturity Index (SMI), and the Religious Orientation scale (ROS) • The analysis of the data …

The Mascot Model Of Human/Companion Animal Interaction: Its Effects On Levels Of Loneliness And Depression Among Residents Of A Nursing Home, Mark E. Reed

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Pet-facilitated therapy has been hailed in recent years as an effective means of bringing about psychosocial benefits for elderly people in institutions. However, empirical investigations are relatively recent and more are needed.

The primary objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to conduct an empirically sound study of the mascot model of pet therapy, focusing specifically on its impact on levels of loneliness and depression among nursing home residents, 2) to identify the relationship between existential well-being and loneliness and depression, and 3) to address the use of pets to meet the social/emotional needs of humans from a framework of biblical …

The Mascot Model Of Human/Companion Animal Interaction: Its Effects On Levels Of Loneliness And Depression Among Residents Of A Nursing Home, Mark E. Reed

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Pet-facilitated therapy has been hailed in recent years as an effective means of bringing about psychosocial benefits for elderly people in institutions. However, empirical investigations are relatively recent and more are needed. The primary objectives of this dissertation were: .1) to conduct an empirically sound study of the mascot model of pet therapy, focusing specifically on its impact on levels of loneliness and depression among nursing home residents, 2) to identify the relationship between existential well-being and loneliness and depression, and 3) to address the use of pets to meet the social/emotional needs of humans from a framework of biblical …

Generalized Expectancy And Athletic Performance, Terry Lee Paddon

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Rotter's (1966} locus of control concept has been used to validate the belief that "athletics builds character." Internality is defined as the belief that reinforcement follows or is contingent upon one's own behavior. Externality is the belief that reinforcement is controlled by forces outside oneself, and independent of one's own actions. Previous authors have suggested that athletic participation fosters the development of an internal locus of control. Results have been inconclusive. The goal of this study was to investigate the range of scores on the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale among female professional golfers. It was hypothesized that locus of …

Predictors Of Spiritual Well-Being Among Full-Time Youth For Christ/Usa Staff Members, David E. Clarke

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Due to the vital role spiritual health plays in the job performance of religious youth workers, there is a need to adequately predict this quality in this group of professionals. Spiritual well-being is a construct with support in the literature which can be used to objectively measure the internal, subjective condition of spiritual health. The purpose of this st~1dy was to identify one set of specific, commonly occurd.ng variables which in linear combination would adequately predict the spiritual well-being of fulltime Youth for Christ/USA staff members. The target sample consisted of 350 full-time YFC/USA sta.tf members whose names were drawn …

Commitment To Spouse And God: The Relationship Among Measures Of Marital Commitment And Spiritual Maturity, Robert F. Pramann Jr.

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Marital commitment is increasingly becoming a research focus of many social science researchers. However, to date the research is plagued by the isolation in which definitions and measures were developed/used, the use of divergent theoretical and operational definitions of commitment, and the paucity of psychometrically sophisticated research instruments. In addition, the relationship between religious belief and marital functioning, once well substantiated, has more recently been neglected. The present research addresses these problems. First, the relationship of the social sciences and theology is discussed. Second, the significance of marital commitment is reviewed. Third, a transdisciplinary definition of commitment is developed. Fourth, …

The Relationship Between Religious Beliefs/Attitudes And Psychopathology In An Evangelical Seminary Sample, Eric E. Mueller

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study sought to measure the relationship between religiosity and psychopathology in an evangelical seminary. A sample of 55 randomly selected male Masters of Divinity students was selected from the first through third year classes at a prominent evangelical seminary during the spring quarter of 1984. This study was one facet of a larger research project which addressed adjustment in this seminary population from different perspectives (Neder 1985; Powers 1985). The sample was given a demographic questionnaire, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and three measures of religiosity. These were the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB), the Spiritual Maturity Index (SMI), …

The Correlations Among Ambivalence, One's Concept Of God, And Spiritual Well-Being As Measured On Two Diverse Religious Groups, Gregory G. Lewis

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study investigated the correlation among measures of concept of God, ambivalence, and spiritual well-being in members of a Baptist General Conference and a Unitarian Universalist Association congregations. Ambivalence is considered to have three manifestations; the simultaneous expression of opposite affect, emotional constriction, and indecision. While this condition is assumed to be present in several crucial developmental stages, and is especially apparent in relation to one's parents, this study argues through psychological and Biblical data that there is also an unrecognized ambivalence in relation to God. Parental ambivalence influences one's relationship with his or her parents and also influences one's …

The Relationship Between Individual Differences In Imaginal Ability, Christian Imaginal Frequency, And Christian Spirituality, Michael R. Bressen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The relationship between the constructs of imaginal ability (vividness and control), Christian imaginal frequency, and Christian spirituality (well-being, maturity, and experience) was investigated. Eighty randomly sampled students from a private Bible college participated in the study. The measures used were the Sheehan (1967) shortened version of the Betts (1909) Questionnaire of Mental Imagery, the Gordon (1949) Test of Visual Imagery Control, updated by Richardson (1969), Ellison and Paloutzian's (Ellison, 1983) Spiritual Well-being Scale, Ellison's (Ellison, Rashid, Patla, Calica & Haberman, 1984) Spiritual Maturity Index, Hood's (1975) Mysticism Scale, and the Christian Use of Imagery Inventory that was specially designed for …

The Jesness Inventory As A Predictor Of Firesetters From Non-Firesetters Among Children 8-18: A Discriminant Analysis, David C. Waller

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Jesness Inventory and several demographic variables were evaluated using linear discriminant analysis to explore the major question: Can the Jesness Inventory scales accurately discriminate and then classify firesetters and non-firesetters? Psychiatric hospital records of children ages 8-18 were reviewed at two hospitals from August 1983 to October 1985. Twenty-five patients who had engaged in firesetting behavior and a comparison group of fifty-one hospitalized non-firesetting children who had taken the Jesness Inventory during their hospitalization were selected for the study. Three linear discriminant analyses were run. The major finding was that the Jesness Inventory was unable to satisfactorily classify firesetters …

Christian And Non-Religious Sociopaths Compared: Self-Concept, Locus Of Control, Guilt, And Quality Of Religious Experience, David W. Agnor

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Criminal sociopaths frequently claim commitment to Christianity, a religion which philosophically is counter to a sociopath's world view. Ascertaining whether or not religious commitment is a variable relevant to corrections is confusing in light of a lack of research which addresses this problem. In this study 25 non-religious and 27 orthodox Christian male sociopaths, inmates from Oregon State Penitentiary, were administered the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, the Rotter Internal/External Locus of Control Scale, and the Mosher Forced Choice Guilt Scales. To gather data on the religious experience of the sociopath, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scale, and the …

Interpersonal Behavior Traits, Spiritual Well-Being And Their Relationship To Blood Pressure, David B. Hawkins

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study explored the relationship of interpersonal behavior traits and spiritual well-being to blood pressure. Using the Interpersonal Behavior Survey, the study correlated interpersonal behavior traits with bl0od pressure levels. Additionally, using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the study evaluated the correlation between spiritual well-being and blood pressure levels. It was found that blood pressure was unrelated to assertiveness in this sample, which consisted of 88 patients in a medical out-patient clinic. Assertiveness, however, was found to be positively correlated with spiritual well-being. Both are seen as being important aspects to quality of life. Aggression expressed in a passive manner was …

A Biblical View Of Psychology: A Commentary, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Piaget And Parables Assimilated: A Response To Cole, James D. Foster, Glenn T. Moran

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Dick T. Cole's critique of our integration of Piagetian learning theory and Christ's parabolic method focuses on two primary concerns. The first concern is that the Bible should not be used as data, and the second that current psychological concepts cannot be meaningfully related to biblical times. In response to these concerns it is argued that the parables are recorded lessons and not theological concepts as Cole suggests, that the underlying structure of biblical lessons is relevant to modem learning theory, and that cultural specificity does not hinder the learning process but rather is an essential part of it.

Review Of Chesney & Rosenman's "Anger And Hostility In Cardiovascular And Behavioral Disorders," Lynch's "The Language Of The Heart," & Mostofsky And Piedmont's "Therapeutic Practice In Behavioral Medicine", Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Humanistic Psychology And Christian Thought: A Comparative Analysis, Doreen J. Dodgen, Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The relationship between psychological humanism and Christian thought is explored and critically evaluated. Three tenets of humanistic psychology are considered from a Christian perspective. Areas of compatibility include emphases on human experience, social justice, personal responsibility, and dignity of humankind. Areas with less compatibility include different assumptions about supernaturalism, and a qualified view of the goodness ofhwnan nature from a Christian perspective.

How Do Teachers Teach Memory Skills?, Barbara Moely, Silvia Hart, Kevin Santulli, Linda Leal, Terry Johnson, Nirmala Rao, Elizabeth Burney Hamilton

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Research on teachers' efforts to influence the ways in which children approach memory tasks and understand and regulate their own memory processes has been limited, possibly because of the restrictive views of memory held by cognitive theories that have previously guided research efforts. A more complex perspective on the memory skills that develop over the elementary school years has been elaborated by developmental psychologists and information-processing theorists, but their work has had limited influence on either teacher-training practices or research in teaching. In order to begin to apply this newer perspective to an understanding of classroom teaching processes, research needs …