Psychology Commons^™

Improving Oral Reading Performance: A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Reading Interventions, Allison Morris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reading can be considered as the most fundamental skill learned in a person's life. It lays the foundation for later success in academics, vocational pursuits, and life. Because of reading's importance in everyday life, the search for effective reading interventions for those experiencing reading difficulties is continual. A single-subjects design was used to examine the overall effect of two reading interventions, listening previewing and folding-in, on oral reading performance. Nine regular education third-grade students served as subjects in the present study. Results indicated that neither the listening previewing procedure nor the folding-in technique were particularly successful at improving oral reading …

The Perception Of Ordinal Depth Relationship From Static And Deforming Boundary Contours, Shane Raines

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous investigations of the perception of 3-D shape from deforming boundary contours have focused on judgments of global shape (Cortese & Anderson, 1991), judgments of rigid vs. nonrigid motion (Norman & Todd, 1994), and object recognition (Norman, Dawson, & Raines, 2000). Raines and Norman (1999) provided the first study demonstrating that deforming boundary contours could support the accurate perception of local 3-D surface structure. The present set of experiments extend the Raines and Norman study by further investigating whether the distance from the boundary contour or the amount of overall boundary deformation affect the human ability to make local judgments …

A Survey Of Minority Students Who Use Retention Program Services At A Predominantly White Institution, Jamalya Luney

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This researcher seeks to examine the characteristics of those minority students, at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI), who frequently use retention program services versus those who do not frequently use retention program services. Frequent use of retention program was considered to be every other week or more. Infrequent user of retention program was considered once a month or less often. Data analysis revealed many similarities between the groups relating to grade point average (GPA), marital status, and housing status. Despite the similarities between the groups, there were some differences, although not significant. The mean age of the frequent users was …

Dynamical Systems And Mating Decision Rules, Douglas T. Kenrick, Norman P. Li, Jonathan E. Butner

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Dynamical simulations of male and female mating strategies illustrate how traits such as restrictedness constrain, and are constrained by, local ecology. Such traits cannot be defined solely by genotype or by phenotype, but are better considered as decision rules gauged to ecological inputs. Gangestad and Simpson's work draws attention to the need for additional bridges between evolutionary psychology and dynamical systems theory.

The Role Of Death Qualification In Venirepersons' Evaluations Of Aggravating And Mitigating Circumstances In Capital Trials, Brooke M. Butler

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Death qualification is a part of voir dire that is unique to capital trials. Unlike all other litigation, capital jurors must affirm their willingness to impose both legal standards (either life in prison or the death penalty). Jurors who assert they are able to do so are deemed "death-qualified" and are eligible for capital jury service; jurors who assert that they are unable to do so are deemed "excludable" or "scrupled" and are barred from hearing a death penalty case. During the penalty phase in capital trials, death-qualified jurors weigh the aggravators (i.e., arguments for death) against the mitigators (i.e., …

Educational Standards In A Democratic Society: Questioning Process And Consequences, Harriet K. Cuffaro

Child Development Institute Research and Resources

No abstract provided.

Typologies Of Teachers In Florida Tobacco Use Prevention Education (Tupe) Programs, Jessica E. Barr

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study described teacher perceptions of TUPE program effectiveness in Florida in an attempt to determine whether teacher training or teachers' perceptions of tobacco norms may predict teacher amenability. A statewide survey provided information about how teachers' perceptions of program effectiveness are affected by variables such as: tobacco use norms, training variables, and classroom activities. Data were obtained from a telephone survey conducted in Florida as part of the Tobacco Pilot Project (TPP). The sample included 296 middle school teachers and 282 high school teachers as well as 193 middle school principals and 190 high school principals. Correlational and hierarchical …

Primate Numerical Competence: Contributions Toward Understanding Nonhuman Cognition, Sarah T. Boysen, Karen I. Hallberg

Sentience Collection

Nonhuman primates represent the most significant extant species for comparative studies of cognition, including such complex phenomena as numerical competence, among others. Studies of numerical skills in monkeys and apes have a long, though somewhat sparse history, although questions for current empirical studies remain of great interest to several fields, including comparative, developmental, and cognitive psychology; anthropology; ethology; and philosophy, to name a few. In addition to demonstrated similarities in complex information processing, empirical studies of a variety of potential cognitive limitations or constraints have provided insights into similarities and differences across the primate order, and continue to offer theoretical …

Complexity, Age, And Building Preference, Thomas R. Herzog, Ronda L. Shier

Peer Reviewed Articles

The authors explore the role of complexity in the relation between building age and preference. Age was assessed as a categorical (via stimulus selection) and a continuous (via ratings of 64 color slides of urban buildings) variable. In either case, the authors replicated earlier research in showing that modern buildings were preferred over older buildings when building maintenance was not controlled, but when it was controlled, the relation reversed, and the older buildings were better liked. However, when a composite-rating measure of complexity was introduced, a somewhat different pattern emerged. Complexity interacted with rated age. The nature of the interaction …

Comparison Of Utah And Dodpi Scoring Accuracy: Equating Veracity Decision Rule, Chart Rule, And Number Of Data Channels Used, Stuart M. Senter, Andrew B. Dollins, Donald J. Krapohl, Department Of Defense Polygraph Institute Research Division

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The performance of scorers using the University of Utah and Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoD PI) physiological detection of deception chart evaluation rules were compared to discover if differences in laboratory-based decision accuracy rates are due to chart evaluation rules. Four scorers (two based at the DoD PI , two based at the University of Utah) evaluated the charts from 100 polygraph examinations (50 deceptive, 50 nondeceptive). We attempted to isolate scorer ability by equating the rules for making veracity decisions, number of charts used, and number of data channels considered. There was no evidence, when these variables were …

The Upward Pygmalion Effect In The Organization, Lei Wang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined the upward Pygmalion effect from the subordinate to the supervisor. One hundred and sixty-one undergraduate participants assumed the role of a supervisor and were randomly assigned to one of nine experimental conditions representing different levels of expectations and performance feedback. Participants then completed questionnaires designed to measure self-efficacy and the performance effort level of the supervisor. The result of the study failed to support the hypotheses that positive subordinate expectations would improve supervisors' self-efficacy level and that negative subordinate expectations would have little impact on supervisors' self-efficacy level, but succeeded in supporting the hypothesis that supervisors' performance …

Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation, And Behavior In Majority And Minority Groups, Suzanne Hillin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The influence of authoritarianism, social dominance, and ingroup identification on ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination in a minimal group paradigm were investigated in this study. Possible effects of majority and minority group size interactions with these constructs were also examined. It has been previously shown that right-wing authoritarianism (Altemeyer, 1981) and social dominance orientation (Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994) influence ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination in Tajfel's (1978) minimal group paradigm (McFarland & Ageyev, 1992; Perrault & Bourhis, 1999; Sidanius, Pratto, & Mitchell, 1994). Majority and minority group status also influence behavior in minimal groups (Gerard & Hoyt, 1974; …

The Political Personalities Of 2000 U.S. Presidential Candidates George W. Bush And Al Gore, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of indirect psychodiagnostic assessments of the political personalities of Texas governor George W. Bush and U.S. vice president Al Gore, putative Republican and Democratic nominees in the U.S. presidential election of 2000, from the conceptual perspective of Theodore Millon.

Information concerning George W. Bush and Al Gore was collected from published biographical and autobiographical accounts and political reports in the print media, and synthesized into personality profiles using the second edition of the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with Axis II of DSM–IV.

The …

Group And Individual Treatment Of Compulsive Hoarding: A Pilot Study, Gail Steketee, Randy O. Frost, Jeff Wincze, Kamala A.I. Greene, Heidi Douglass

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Treatment of compulsive hoarding has rarely been described in the literature, apart from standard treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder of which hoarding is thought to be a subset. This paper presents preliminary findings from seven patients treated with cognitive and behavioral interventions derived from Frost and Hartl's (1996) theoretical model of hoarding. Six clients attended 15 group treatment sessions over 20 weeks plus individual home treatment sessions and one client received 20 weekly-sessions of individual treatment only. After 20 weeks, treatment resulted in noticeable improvement in several hoarding symptoms for five of the seven patients, especially reduction in excessive acquisition …

Vocabulary Growth In Late Talkers: Lexical Development From 2;0 To 3;0, Leslie Rescorla, Jennifer Mirak, Leher Singh

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Vocabulary growth from 2;0 to 3;0 was studied in 28 late talkers using expressive vocabulary inventories reported bimonthly on the Language Development Survey (LDS). Group milestones were 18 words at 2;0, 89 words at 2;6, and 195 words at 3;0. A sub-group of 11 children (Group I) showed a rapid vocabulary spurt between 2;2 and 2;8, reached the 150-180 word mark by 2;6, and attained the LDS ceiling of about 300 words by 2;10. In contrast, the 17 children in Group 2 still had a mean vocabulary of fewer than 30 words at 2;6, had less of a vocabulary spurt …

Workshop To Identify Critical Windows Of Exposure For Children's Health: Neurobehavioral Work Group Summary, Jane Adams, Stan Barone Jr., Anthony Lamantia, Rossanne Philen, D. C. Rice, Linda Spear, Ezra Susser

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Summarizes the deliberations of a work group charged with addressing specific questions relevant to risk estimation in developmental neurotoxicology. Importance of multiple factors addressing critical windows of exposure on neurological function; Role that compensatory mechanisms play in the manifestation of the effects of developmental exposures.

Kidnaping Of Juveniles: Patterns From Nibrs., David Finkelhor, Richard Ormrod

Crimes Against Children Research Center

The kidnaping of children has generated a great deal of public concern, not to mention confusion and controversy. These crimes, from the kidnaping of the Lindbergh baby to the abduction and murder of Adam Walsh, have been some of the most notorious and highly publicized news stories of recent history, occupying a central place in the fears and anxieties of parents. Yet, an ongoing debate has raged over how frequently such crimes occur, which children are most at risk, and who the primary offenders are.

Mixing At Young Ages Reduces Fighting In Unacquainted Domestic Pigs, Anton D. Pitts, Daniel M. Weary, Edmond A. Pajor, David Fraser

Agonistic Behavior Collection

Under normal farming practices, piglets from different litters are often mixed around the time of weaning, and a high incidence of fighting and minor injuries often occur. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of age on the incidence of fighting in piglets mixed before weaning, at different ages between 5 and 26 days. We found no significant relationship between age and the likelihood that a pair of piglets would fight during the first 75 min after mixing. However, the duration of the first fight observed increased from 101±38 s at 5 days to 621±278 s at …

Positivity And The Construction Of Life Satisfaction Judgments: Global Happiness Is Not The Sum Of Its Parts, Ed Diener, Christie N. Scollon, Shigehiro Oishi, Vivian Dzokoto, Mark Eunkook Suh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The present study investigated how reports of satisfaction with specific versus global domains can be used to assess a disposition towards positivity in subjective well-being reports. College students from 41 societies (N = 7167) completed measures of life satisfaction and ratings of global and specific aspects of their lives. For example, participants rated satisfaction with their education (global) and satisfaction with their professors, textbooks, and lectures (specific). It was hypothesized that global measures would more strongly reflect individual differences in dispositional positivity, that is, a propensity to evaluate aspects of life in general as good. At both the individual and …

Criminal Appearance And Legal Decision-Making, Marisa Evelyn Collett

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found that people are able and willing to assess whether an individual is a criminal or a non-criminal based on facial observations. What has not been looked at is whether an attribution of criminality could influence decisions as verdict choice, culpability, or punishment severity. The present study examined the effects of target photos that depicted pre-determined “bad guys” and “good guys” on legal decision-making. Participants viewed a case file of an armed robbery and attempted murder. Half the participants viewed a photo of a defendant who was previously deemed a “bad guy” and the other half a …

The Classroom As Community: Ideas From An Early Childhood Teacher, Jeannette G. Stone

Child Development Institute Research and Resources

I have based my views on my l953-97 experiences as a preschool teacher, administrator, and consultant—in cooperative preschools, Head Start programs, a college lab school, and child day care centers, including special education classrooms. Children in these settings have come from diverse economic and ethnic homes and neighborhoods. Staff members in centers for severely disabled children, as well as those with extremely limited budgets, may feel that particular realities prevent their adoption of some practices described here—such as class trips or purchase of quality materials, which can be expensive. I know how some teachers have to modify their programs for …

Teens' Use Of Traditional Media And The Internet, Carrie La Ferle, Steven M. Edwards, We-Na Lee

Temerlin Advertising Institute Research

As the teen market segment expands and spending power increases, advertisers are cognizant of the importance in understanding traditional and emerging media trends in reaching this new generation of consumers. Increasing penetration of the internet at home and at school encouraged the authors to examine teens' relationships with media. Time allocation across media and the needs fulfilled by each medium were investigated. The study further explored how the internet, given its ability for two-way communication, stacks-up against interpersonal communication sources. Influences of gender and home access to the internet were analyzed, as were the methods teens use to learn about …

Testing Lay Intuitions Of Justice: How And Why?, Paul H. Robinson

All Faculty Scholarship

When John Darley and I wrote Justice, Liability, and Blame: Community Views and the Criminal Law, our goal was not to provide the definitive account of lay intuitions of justice but rather to stimulate interest in what we saw as an important but long-term project that would require the work of many people. Having this American Association of Law Schools program is itself something toward that end and for that we thank Christopher Slobogin and Cheryl Hanna. In this brief introduction to the Symposium, let me set the stage by doing four things. Part I of this Article summarizes the …

Cultural And Developmental Comparisons Of Landscape Perceptions And Preferences, Thomas R. Herzog, Eugene J. Herbert, Rachel Kaplan, C. L. Crooks

Peer Reviewed Articles

The authors compared several Australian subgroups and American college students on their preferences for Australian natural landscapes. Preference correlations across groups were generally high, with the correlations for Australian adults somewhat lower. Factor analysis yielded six perceptual categories: Vegetation, Open Smooth, Open Coarse, Rivers, Agrarian, and Structures. Both the Australian and American samples liked Rivers best and the Open categories least. Only the Australians included willow trees in the Agrarian category. The Australians liked the settings overall better than the Americans. Among the Australians, primary students liked the settings most, secondary students least; aboriginal college students liked the settings better …

Are The Cognitive Processes Underlying Practical Intelligence Redundant With Those Underlying Traditional Intelligence, Shari Rauscher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

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Impact Of Employee Performance And Job Status On Perceptions Of Sexual Harassment, Charla Arnold

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Once unnoticed and unreported, sexual harassment claims have risen dramatically within the last two decades. Although guidelines published by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1980 provided a definition of sexual harassment, researchers continue to examine variables affecting individual perceptions of sexual harassment. Contextual factors impacting the labeling of sexual harassment include the type and severity of the harassment, the ambiguity of the sexually harassing behaviors, and gender differences in perceptions of sexual harassment. The present researcher examined the impact of employee performance and employment status on perceptions of sexual harassment. Results indicated that female participants were more likely than …

The Effects Of Interviewer Self-Monitoring On Male Appearance Discrimination In Employment Decisions, Charles Mcdowell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research examined the effects of appearance discrimination toward men as regards employment decisions and the extent to which the degree of interviewer selfmonitoring influences these decisions. Past research has indicated that discrimination does indeed occur for women, but no empirical research has been conducted on male discrimination in which hair length has been manipulated. Specifically, length of hair (shoulder length, approximately 1 inch, and balding) was manipulated for potential job applicants. These conditions were examined across different types of jobs (traditionally conservative, neutral, and traditionally liberal). Several hypotheses are offered, with most focused on the concept that those scoring …

Anxiety And Efficacy: Are They Related To Students' Choice Of Major?, Camille Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research suggests that anxiety characteristics play a role in determining the courses students choose in college. Other research suggests that efficacy may play a similar role as well. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety and efficacy and choice of major for English and mathematics majors. Ninety-nine undergraduate and graduate students from Western Kentucky University (49 males and 50 females) participated in the study. All participants were officially declared mathematics (or mathematics-related, i.e., computer science) or English majors. Instruments included a measure of mathematics anxiety, mathematics efficacy, writing efficacy, writing anxiety, facilitating anxiety, debilitating …

United States And Indonesian Children's Reports Of Intimacy In Their Same-Sex Friendships: Gender, Developmental, And Cultural Differences, Andrea M. Fosco '00

Honors Projects

Intimacy is one of the primary factors that distinguishes close friends from distant friends and acquiantances. Since intimacy is considered an important aspect of peer friendships, researchers have begun to explore and understand intimacy in greater detail. Intimacy in same-sex peer friendships was assessed in the present study by interviewing fifth graders and eighth graders from Indonesia and the United States. Self-disclosure, emotionally centered behaviors, and activity centered behaviors were included in the present study's conceptualization of intimacy. Gender, developmental, and cultural differences were found in the results. Females mentioned more emotionally centered behaviors in their descriptions of their friends …

Psychosocial Effects Of A Parent-Child Communication Activity On Siblings Of Children With Autism, Caryn Terril '00

Honors Projects

The goal of the project was to decrease the worries of siblings of children with autism through a parent-child communication activity. Other goals of the project were to increase the accuracy of the parent's perception of the child's worries and to increase the quality of parent-child autism specific communication. The perceived effectiveness of the intervention as well as general family communication were also explored. Participants were be recruited through school districts and support groups serving families of children with autism. 15 parents and 16 siblings of children with autism, between the ages of6 1/2 and 13, participated in this study. …