Psychology Commons^™

Vicarious Traumatization: An Examination Of The Effects Of Exposure To Traumatic Material In Child Abuse Counselors, Stacey A. Waller

Masters Theses

Counselors who deliver services to children who have suffered maltreatment confront on a daily basis horrific examples of human suffering inflicted on society's most vulnerable members. Such repeated exposure may put these professionals at risk for adverse psychological consequences, including vicarious traumatization (VT), which can include symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study examined the unique effects of providing trauma services to children on 34 counselors who work primarily with child survivors of maltreatment. While the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in this sample was low, respondents reported higher levels of depression and emotional exhaustion than found in …

The Relationships Among The Stimulus Functions And The Clinical Effects Of Methylphenidate In Children Diagnosed With Adhd, Emily K. Macdonald

Masters Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorder in the United States. Approximately 90% of children receiving pharmacological treatment for ADHD receive the stimulant methylphenidate (MPH). MPH is associated with positive effects across many behavioral domains, yet the mechanisms through which it exerts clinical effects have not been conclusively determined. MPH produces reinforcing and subjective effects, however it is not understood how these functions relate to clinical effects. The present study examined the relationship among several stimulus functions and the clinical effects of MPH. Participants were 5 children (aged 10-14) diagnosed with ADHD who were …

Do Safety Observers Perform More Safely As A Result Of Conducting Observations?, Alicia M. Alvero

Masters Theses

Behavior-based safety (BBS) is an effective approach to improving safety within organizations, and has been implemented across a wide variety of settings. The two major components of BBS are the observation process and the delivery of feedback. Literature on feedback is abundant, but experimentation and scientific evidence on effects of the observation process are nonexistent. Typically, supervisors or employees involved in BBS implementations conduct observations of other employees' behavior, but the effects of conducting observations on an observer's safety performance is not known. The present study was a first attempt at assessing these effects. A multiple baseline counterbalanced across two …

The Utility Of Functional Assessment Rating Scales: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Training On Teacher Rated Functions And Intervention Suggestions, Kari N. Anderson

Masters Theses

Recent federal legislation mandates the use of functional assessment in schools when a more restrictive placement is being considered. This same legislation also recommends the use of fue nctional assessment as best practice for use in special education decision making. Currently, there is a continuum of options of tools and methods employed in the functional assessment process, and a number of differing opinions of who should be involved in the process. Traditionally school psychologists have been designated as the lead person in this process. Teachers have demonstrated that they too can provide valuable information regarding the function of a student's …

Assessment Of Methylphenidate Sensitization Using A Two-Lever Drug Discrimination Procedure, Ann Marie Heidema

Masters Theses

The current study examined the effects of methylphenidate (MP) pre-exposure on the acquisition of cocaine discrimination in rats. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered either 10 mg/kg MP or saline for five consecutive days. Following this pre-treatment phase, animals were trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg cocaine-hydrochloride from saline using a two-lever fixed-ratio 20 (FR20) schedule of food reinforcement. Acquisition of cocaine discrimination, as indicated by the number of sessions to criterion, did not differ significantly between the two-pre-treatment groups (MP = 35.5 ± 2.4; SAL = 31.6 ± 2.3). Stimulus generalization tests were conducted with cocaine and methylphenidate using cumulative …

Date Rape: Assessment Of Facial Emg Arousal And Cue Recognition During Audiotaped Vignettes, Scott Walter Maieritsch

Masters Theses

Introduction

Date Rape

The issue of rape has long attracted considerable attention in the popular press. It has only been within the past three decades, however, that rape has captured the attention of the scientific community as a focus of study. Recent research has challenged the long held beliefs and stereotypes which have characterized the typical rapist as a stranger who violently attacks his victim in public places such as dark alleys and parking lots. There is mounting evidence that women are far more likely to be sexually assaulted by men whom they know, including friends, dates, and lovers (Russell, …

The Relationship Between Burnout And Personality Dimensions In Domestic Violence Staff, Kristi J. Flatter

Masters Theses

An exploratory study was conducted examining the relationship between burnout and personality dimensions. Sixty-nine employees from domestic violence agencies completed survey materials including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and a demographic and satisfaction questionnaire. A sample of domestic violence agencies was selected to participate from the state of Illinois using a directory listing all domestic violence agencies. Results suggested that symptoms of burnout occur both at a high and moderate (or average) level among this group of human service providers. Only one personal characteristic, age, was found to have a significant relationship with burnout. A …

The Effects Of Gender And Parental Marital Status On Late Adolescent Risk-Taking, Jeff Daugherty

Masters Theses

Risk taking behavior among the adolescent population has increased in recent years putting America's youth in danger of many detrimental outcomes. Many adolescents currently engage in behaviors that represent health risks as well as those that are potential criminal risk. This study attempted to assess late adolescent risk-taking as a function of gender and parental marital status. Similarly, the self-esteem of late adolescent participants was also measured within the contexts of gender and family status. This study provides partial support for the idea adolescents with divorced parents engage in a significantly greater amount of risk-taking behavior than those with married …

Intuition: Theory And Application In Counseling And Psychotherapy, Neva S. Calvert

Masters Theses

This is a comprehensive literature review rendering over 300 references to articles, books, lectures, and websites that pertain to the subject of intuition and its relationship to human consciousness. The scope of this review includes (1) statistical overviews of intuition/intuitive-related websites, book publishing and professional documents; (2) overview of professional intuition/intuitive and counseling/psychotherapy-related documents; and (3) historical and current review of (a) women's, (b) children's, (c) religious, (d) delusional, (e) mathematical, and (f) scientific intuition studies. The author reviews intuition in relationship to (1) Husserlian phenomenology in modem science and psychology; (2) savant syndrome; (3) gaia theory and Native American …

Elementary Teachers And School Psychologists Actual And Ideal Role Perceptions Of The School Psychologist, Blake E. Martin

Masters Theses

Survey materials included original questionnaires utilizing categories proposed by Rechsly and Wilson (1997) and a job satisfaction scale utilized by Rechsly and Wilson (1995), and a demographic data sheet. Psychologists in Illinois (n=87) and Illinois K-6 elementary teachers (n=100) were surveyed as to actual and ideal roles and functions of the school psychologist. In addition school psychologists were questioned about job satisfaction. Results indicated a great deal of discrepancy between actual and ideal role from both the viewpoints of psychologists and teachers. Teachers also demonstrated little understanding of the actual role and functions of psychologists in the schools. Job satisfaction …

Differences In The Dreaming Style Of Schizophrenic And Non-Schizophrenic Subjects Based On Subscales Of The Dreaming Style Questionnaire, Larry Knopp

Masters Theses

The differences in dreaming style between 25 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia and 90 participants comprising a control group were examined. A Dreaming Style Questionnaire (DSQ), was administered to each participant. Nine subscales of the DSQ were used to explore differences in dreaming style between these two groups. A significant difference (p <.003) was found for the familiarity of characters subscales, showing those diagnosed with schizophrenia report that the characters in their dreams are unfamiliar to them. Trends were noted for the subscales assertiveness, low involvement, participation, and bizarreness. Information processing, function of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and dreaming style, were reviewed. It is concluded that dreaming style differences are found between the two groups. The significance of dream research is that innovative treatment methods for common mental health issues are being implemented and are proving to exhibit benefits to the recipient. Hopefully, research will shed some light on the etiology of mental health disorders resulting in better treatment methods.

A Component Analysis Of Nondirective Play Therapy, Jane E. Wilson

Masters Theses

We evaluated the effects of nondirective play therapy on the inappropriate play of three developmentally normal children with conduct problems . Specifically, we examined the effects of attention (contingent vs noncontingent) and the play environment (enriched vs impoverished) using a reversal design. Our goal was to isolate one of these two variables as the primary effective component of nondirective play therapy for a particular child. For two subjects, attention remained contingent upon inappropriate play across conditions and the play environment was manipulated. Inappropriate play increased for one of these participants in an impoverished environment. For the third participant, an actual …

The Effects Of Diagnostic Status, Assessment Information, And Intervention Type On Teachers' Acceptability Of Treatment Recommendations, Rebecca Hassell Fogarty

Masters Theses

This study explored the effects of diagnostic status, assessment information and intervention type on teachers' acceptability of treatment recommendations in an analog procedure. Teachers from both a suburban and a rural school district read one of eight vignettes that varied diagnostic status (ADHD vs. no diagnosis), assessment information (traditional vs. functional), and intervention type (behavioral vs. pharmacological). Teachers' ratings of treatment acceptability were examined as a function of diagnostic status, assessment information and intervention type. Results indicated a significant main effect for assessment information, with the traditional method rated as more acceptable than the functional method, and a significant main …

The Relationship Between Neurotic Perfectionism And Symptoms Of Eating Disorders In College-Age Women, Valerie L. Devillez

Masters Theses

This study was designed to examine the relationship between neurotic perfectionism and symptoms of eating disorders in college-age women. There is minimal published research addressing this relationship, and only one study has been conducted in which eating-disordered subjects were compared to non-eating-disordered subjects. Sixty-five female participants completed survey materials including the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the Neurotic Perfectionism Questionnaire (NPQ.) Participants were recruited from the Pavilion, the Eastern Illinois University Counseling Center, and from introductory psychology classes at Eastern Illinois University. Results suggest that there is a direct relationship between neurotic perfectionism and symptoms of eating disorders in college-age …

Current Trends In Psychological Testing, Kimberle L. S. Crawford

Masters Theses

Discussions about the adequacy of psychological measurement and assessment can quickly become controversial therefore; I expect some strong reaction to portions of this manuscript. Debates about the usefulness of criticism of psychological testing are longstanding: Even early psychologists such as Cattell and Jastrow disagreed on this issue. To be clear, I do not believe that use of contemporary tests should cease. I share the view that "psychological tests often provide the fairest and most accurate method of making important decisions" (K. R. Murphy & Davidshoffer, 1988, p. xii).

My first purpose, then, is to provide a historical survey of relevant …

Effects Of Guided Compliance On The Disruptive Behavior Of Two Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Nicole L. Weber

Masters Theses

The current study attempted to determine the effects of the environmental manipulations of partial task instruction, whole task instruction, and guided compliance on the disruptive behavior of two students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The participants included two elementary-aged students diagnosed with ADHD who were referred by their parent or legal guardian to a university-based summer assessment program. A functional analysis established that the disruptive behavior of both participants was motivated by contingent peer attention. Students were exposed to treatment conditions consisting of whole versus partial tasks as well as the guided compliance. While a single subject multi-element …

Male Sexual Behavior: Revisiting The Eiu Sexual Experience Survey And Report, Justin W. Freeman

Masters Theses

The EIU Sexual Experiences Survey of 1989 was given to 1693 Eastern undergraduate students in order to determine the incidence rate of sexual assault on campus. The survey report consisted of descriptive findings only, leaving future correlational research to answer any questions that remained. This study designated 664 male survey respondents with the Illinois legal classification system, and analyzed the demographics of the men surveyed to find any correlational relationships. No meaningful correlational relationships were found across the conditions of perpetrator and non-perpetrator for the male survey respondents.

Cognitive Complexity Of Heterosexual Arguments On The Civil Rights And Liberties Of Homosexuals, Kristopher Michael Goetz

Masters Theses

This study examined how heterosexuals argue about the civil rights and liberties of homosexuals and how various factors interacted in determining how complex heterosexuals' arguments are about two issues; the freedom of homosexuals to express their sexual orientation in public and the status of same-sex marriage. The factors examined were: value conflict (conflict in values experienced when dealing with an issue), issue familiarity (knowledge of the pros and cons of an issue), and perceived status (the perception that one's views are shared by most people or by only a few).

The value conflict experienced by the participants was assessed when …

Prevalence Rates And Factor Analysis Of Dsm-Iv Specific Phobia Types, Sarah P. Kerrick

Masters Theses

The Object and Situation Anxiety Survey (OSAS) was factor analyzed in a sample of 288 undergraduate participants. The OSAS is directly derived from DSM-IV (1994) criteria for specific phobia using the 5 diagnostic criteria across the 4 DSM-IV (1994) phobia types (animal, natural environment, blood-injection-injury, and situational), plus social phobia. Five reliable factors were derived from the OSAS that included each of the DSM-IV (1994) phobia types and social phobia. Prevalence rates for each phobia type were as follows: animal type (2.1%), natural-environment type (3.5%), blood-injection-injury type (6.6%), situational type (2.4%), and social phobia (8.7%). The prevalence of any type …