Comparative Psychology Commons^™

Individual Differences And The Effects Of Time Of Day And Interference On Memory, Keelon L. Hinton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Using the Wickens, Born, Allen (1963) release from proactive interference paradigm, subjects were tested at both a morning and afternoon period in hopes of observing the effects time of day, age, and interference have on working memory. 42 college students and 21 participants over the age of 65 first completed the Horne-Ostberg (1976) questionnaire for morningness-eveningness. While most younger adults were evening and neutral types, the vast majority of older individuals showed a stronger preference for earlier hours of the day. Recall results indicated that recall performance of older participants decreased from morning to afternoon, while recall performance of younger …

The Relationship Between Age, Years Of Service, Gender, Education, And Job Satisfaction Among Mental Health Professionals, Veria L. Hicks

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study explored the relationship between age, years of service, gender, education, and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Thirty subjects (15 males and 15 females) were involved in the study. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant relationship between age, years of service, gender, education and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Attitudes Of College Students Toward People With Disabilities, Doris M. King

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of college students toward individuals with disabilities. The instrument used was the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP), which was adapted to yield two additional scales. The words “mental illness” and “alcoholic” were substituted for “physically disabled”. The test was administered to undergraduate and graduate students in counseling and psychology.

Analysis of Variance was performed. The results showed a significant gender effect with females having more positive attitudes toward individuals with physical disabilities and mental illnesses. Both groups, males and females, had more positive attitudes toward individuals with physical disabilities …

A Holistic Approach To Managing Behavioral Issues With Persons With Mental Retardation In Extended Care Facilities, Darrell Lilly

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Providing long term care for individuals with mental retardation is one of the most difficult issues confronting mental health and extended care facilities. Inappropriate behaviors related to long term institutionalization present an exceptional challenge for those caring for persons with mental retardation. Applied Humanism emphasizes a holistic view of the person. It recognizes that encouragement, responsibility, the right of choice, and an understanding of human potential are important elements for helping mentally retarded persons develop socially appropriate behaviors. This study examined the principles of applied humanism in the management of inappropriate behaviors among mentally retarded persons in an extended care …

The Effects Of Anxiety Management And Study Skills Training On Test Anxiety In College Students, Karen Carter-Harvey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study measured the effects of anxiety management and study skills training on test anxiety in college students. Twenty-one college students from two sections of Introductory Sociology were involved in the study. The Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and exam scores were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test measures were obtained. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant difference on TAI scores or exam scores between the control and experimental groups. Recommendations for further research are given.

The Effects Of Color Contrast On Performance Of The Wais-R Digit Symbol Subtest, Wendell S. Francke

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Color contrast has been shown to aid in visual search tasks using electronic displays, while the research regarding the usefulness of color contrast in aiding visual search using a paper medium is mixed. The present study questions whether subjects’ performance will improve on a paper task where the search target is in high color contrast when compared with a task where the target color does not differ from the rest of the search field.

Thirty-nine adults with normal vision were administered two forms of the WAIS-R digit symbol subtest, one with low chromatic contrast and one with high chromatic contrast, …

Comparing Aggression Between Young-Adult And General Admission Patients In A State-Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Jill Kridle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Because of the inherent danger surrounding violence, aggression studies are particularly important for those working in a health care setting. A constant variable in aggression studies that poses many risk factors is age. This study examined characteristics of aggressors contained on state psychiatric hospital, located in West Virginia. Included on the unit was the neo-adult program and some general admission patients. The study evaluated all aggressors on the unit between September 1997 and August 1998. Comparisons were made to distinguish any possible differences or similarities between the two groups. The results indicated some differences relating to age of aggressor. Young-adult …

The Effect Of Music On Visuospatial Memory, James L. Mccracken

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Music was utilized in an attempt to enhance visuospatial memory. Twenty-eight individuals, who attended a United Methodist Church in southern West Virginia, were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. The experimental group was exposed to new age and classical compositions, counterbalanced for order effects. The new age and classical selections were of similar tempo and complexity. The control group received two relaxation periods, of a comparable length to the music presented to the experimental group. The 7/24 Spatial Recall Test was used to measure visuospatial memory. The measure was administered to each participant immediately after exposure to the music …

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, …

Religion And Coping With Chronic Illness: A Comparison Of Rural And Urban Communities, Christina Mullins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study compared 45 rural and urban families in their use of religion as a means of coping with the stress of a chronically ill child. Parents reported no differences between their actual use of religion as a means of coping. However, urban families were more likely to believe they should turn to their clergy for emotional support.

Comparison Of Three Different Investigative Interview Techniques With Young Children, Mary Chapman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Three programs for the testing of elementary school students' eyewitness testimonies were tested and compared. Three different types of investigative interviews were used. The first was the investigative interview currently in use by West Virginia Child Protective Services. The second was an interview procedure developed by Yuille et al. (1993) called the Step-Wise Interview. The third method was a modified version of the Step-Wise Interview, which included changes based upon recent literature. Students from developmental & experimental psychology classes were trained in one of the three techniques. First and second grade children first viewed a movie and were then interviewed …