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Individual Differences In Lateralization Of Cognitive Processes: Type I And Type Ii Processors, Walter Berry Branch

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Recent research indicates that the two hemispheres of the human brain serve different functions when processing visual information. Specifically the left hemisphere, for most individuals, is specialized for an analytic or sequential type of processing and the right hemisphere is specialized for a holistic or gestalt type of processing. However this dichotomy is not always found, and it is hypothesized that individual subject differences may partially account for the somewhat inconsistent results in the research literature. The present study attempts to examine the effect of one individual difference dimension upon process lateralization . Subjects were classified into two types, Type …

Genetics, Eugenics, And Public Policy, George P. Smith Ii

Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Obesity Of Mentally Retarded Individuals: Prevalence, Characteristics, And Intervention, Jennifer E. Burkhart, Robert A. Fox, Anthony F. Rotatori

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Research on the prevalence, characteristics, and treatment of obesity of mentally retarded individuals within the context of research findings with the obese nonretarded population was selectively reviewed. According to the available literature, obesity is a prevalent problem in the retarded population, and there is a greater incidence among females than males. The literature also suggests that obese retarded subjects as a group can be distinguished from their nonobese peers by their physical condition, but not by their eating style or personality characteristics. Behavioral self-control strategies have been found to be effective in producing weight loss in obese retarded children and …

Recipients Of A Parents Supporting Parents Program: Commonalities And Concerns, Joyce Derhammer

Masters Theses

This descriptive study was one component of a research project conducted at a large medical center in the midwest. The purpose of this study was to identify common characteristics and perceived concerns, with their relationships, of a population of parents who had received a volunteer parents supporting parents (P.S.P.) service. This service was offered to new parents in an attempt to increase the potential for positive parenting.

Common characteristics found in this group of P.S.P. recipients were: married, first baby, mid-twenties in age, mentally and physically healthy with positive feelings about their own parents, their labor and delivery, and this …

How Does Familiarity Affect Visual Search For Letter Strings?, John H. Flowers, Doris J. Lohr

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Subjects visually searched for letter string targets consisting of either familiar English three-letter words (e.g., SEX) or featurally similar nonword trigrams (e.g., SFX). Distractor items were either words or nonwords and had varying degrees of feature overlap with the target among different blocks of trials. Search was facilitated by a word-nonword category distinction between target and distractors, particularly when target-noise feature overlap was high, but such facilitation consisted of slope reductions in an apparently serial, self-terminating search pattern as opposed to a "pop-out" effect.

A Moment In Human Development: Legal Protection, Ethical Standards And Social Policy On The Selective Non-Treatment Of Handicapped Neonates, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Selective non-treatment decisions involving severely handicapped neonates have recently come under renewed judicial and legislative scrutiny. In this article, the author examines the legal, ethical and social considerations attendant to the non-treatment decision. In Part II he discusses the predominant ethical viewpoints relating to this issue and proposes a new moral standard based on personal interests. Part III presents a survey of the jurisprudence relating to selective non-treatment decisions. Parts IV and V of this article provide a critical examination of the recently enacted Child Abuse Amendments of 1984, a federal legislative initiative designed to regulate treatment decisions relating to …

The Sex Variable And Reactions To A Peer With An Orthopedic Disability By First- And Second Graders, Virginia Lynn Ruark

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Prior research has indicated that people react differently to a person with a physical disability than to a person without a disability, and that these different reactions vary with age and sex. While paper-and-pencil measures of reactions to persons with a disability have questionable validity, actual face-to-face interaction studies have yielded inconsistent results on measures of interaction time, eye contact, physical distance, and impression formation. Moreover, few studies have been conducted in which children were used as subjects. The purpose of the present study was to assess the behaviors of first- and second-grade children when reacting to peers of the …

Retrieval From Semantic Memory An Analysis Of Facilitory And Inhibitory Priming Effects, Cynthia L. Imhoff

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present study was to replication Blaxton and Neely’s (1982) findings of facilitation from one semantically related prime and inhibition from four semantically related primes in a generation task, and 2) to determine if facilitation and/or inhibition are a function of the level to which the prime and the target are processed. Using Blaxton and Neely’s generation paradigm, subjects generated both primes and targets from the first two letters of words in response to a rhyme cue (nonsemantic task) and/or a category cue (semantic task). For the within-subject manipulations, subjects either generated one or four primes prior …

Semantic Priming Effects The Roles Of Generation Processes And Association, Ellen Platonow

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Four groups of participants were tested in order to assess Blaxton and Neely’s (1983) suggestion that the nature of the processing (reading or generating) carried out on the primes and targets determines the degree of priming (facilitation or inhibition). Reading and generating were directly manipulated by the inclusion of a semantic adequacy check (Donaldson & Bass, 1980) designed to augment the “automatic” process of reading, and a speeded generation task designed to limit this check, thus equating generating to reading. Associate items were included to assess Lupker’s (1984) suggestion that the association between primes and targets (not their semantic relatedness) …

Dr. Robert J. Kegerreis Interview (2) Conducted On December 12, 1984 About The Boonshoft School Of Medicine At Wright State University, Robert J. Kegerreis, James St. Peter

Boonshoft School of Medicine Oral History Project

This is the second in a series of interviews with Wright State University President Dr. Robert J. Kegerreis. In this interview, Dr. Kegerreis opens with a discussion of his first priorities as the newly-appointed President of Wright State University, including his assumption of the responsibility for the promotion of a medical school at Wright State University. He goes on to examine the status of community support for a School of Medicine in Dayton at the time he became President and the opposition to Wright State University planning that was encountered when the proposals went to the Ohio Board of Regents. …

Dr. J. Robert Suriano Interview (3) Conducted On December 11, 1984 About The Boonshoft School Of Medicine At Wright State University, Robert Suriano, James St. Peter

Boonshoft School of Medicine Oral History Project

This is the third in a series of interviews with Dr. J. Robert Suriano, Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs of the Wright State University School of Medicine. In this interview Dr. Suriano focuses on the leadership of the School of Medicine, first focusing on the founding Dean, Dr. John R. Beljan, and his successor, Dr. William D. Sawyer.

Dr. Suriano then reflects upon those individuals who played key roles in the development of the School of Medicine.

Dr. J. Robert Suriano Interview (2) Conducted On December 5, 1984 About The Boonshoft School Of Medicine At Wright State University, J. Robert Suriano, James St. Peter

Boonshoft School of Medicine Oral History Project

This is the second in a series with Dr. J. Robert Suriano, Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs of the Wright State University School of Medicine. In the first part of the interview Dr. Suriano examines the functions of the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs and how these functions affect the medical student.

In the second part of the interview Dr. Suriano discusses the admissions philosophy of the School of Medicine and reflects on the extent of the integration of the School of Medicine into the university community.

The Effects Of Three Fixed Ratio Schedules Of Reinforcement On Stimulus Generalization, Michelle L. Gordon

Graduate Theses

The effects of three different schedules of reinforcement on generalization in rats were investigated. The rats were trained to bar press in the presence of a 2000 hz tone and then participated in tone/no tone discrimination training. Upon completion of discrimination training, the rats were assigned randomly to one of three groups, a FR 10 group, a FR 25 group or a FR 50 group. After seven days on these schedules, generalization testing was started. Six days of generalization testing were done with a 31.5 minute tape of 7 tones in a random sequence. The tones for which the subjects' …

Parenting Skills Of Primiparas As Correlated To Maternal Age, Kristine Grow Johnson

MSN Research Projects

A descriptive study was designed to examine parenting skills of primiparas and determine if parenting skills correlated with maternal age. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant difference between maternal age and scores as determined by the Parenting Skills Questionnaire and the Observation of Parenting Skills. Primiparas, ranging in age from eighteen to thirty-three, comprised three samples : ten in the eighteen to twenty-three age group, ten in the twenty-four to twenty-nine age group, and three in the thirty to thirty-five age group. Parenting knowledge and skills were assessed of subjects with infants three to seven days old. …

The Differential Effects Of Biobehavioral Feedback On Physiological Reactivity In Type A Coronary-Prone Males, Gary Michael Chavoya

Dissertations

The concept of Type A coronary-prone behavior underscores the unique relationship between a specific constellation of biobehavioral events and the pathogenesis of coronary illness. The principle purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether exaggerated arousal in Type As could be successfully modified as a function of biobehavioral feedback. Twenty-seven males with minimum JAS A-B total scores of 75% were initially exposed to two conditions of behavioral challenge emphasizing time pressure and competition stress. Results indicated that both types of challenge were associated with significant increases in multiple indices of autonomic arousal (multi-site EMG, skin temperature, pulse rate, systolic …

Screening For Hereditary Medullary Cancer In Denmark, Kristian Emmertsen

Henry Ford Hospital Medical Journal

Screening of first-degree relatives of patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) gave normal values of pentagastrin-stimulated serum calcitonin and 24-hour urinary catecholamine levels in the relatives of 18 of 22 patients. This result is considered to be valid evidence for sporadic MTC. Absence of C-cell hyperplasia maybe another indication of sporadic MTC. Four hereditary MTCs were represented by one fully expressed MEN-2B patient without affected relatives, one fully expressed MEN-2A case in one family, and two first cousins with MTC as the only MEN-2A lesion in another family. Fourteen relatives of the MEN-2A patients had elevated serum calcitonin levels, and …

Back Matter

Henry Ford Hospital Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Editor's Introduction To The Special Issue "A Sociology Of Survivors: Post-Traumatic Shock Syndrome", Dennis L. Peck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

It is estimated that between 500,000 and 1.5 million Vietnam veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the nature of which includes sociological and psychological manifestations. However, despite past research efforts, an adequate understanding of the social consequences of PTSD and its effect upon veterans and their families remains largely unexplored.

Post-Traumatic Stress And Attributions Among Incest Family Members, Inger J. Sagatun

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper presents a discussion of the relationship between attribution models of self-blame and coping strategies among members of incest families. The findings suggest that incest victims are more likely to experience prolonged post-traumatic stress than are offenders and their spouses. The argument is made that by focusing on individual adjustment, therapy programs may be neglecting the interactive effect of attributions made by other family members, the legal system and outside observers. The author concludes by suggesting that a sociological model in which the relationship between social reactions to incest and attributions is addressed would enhance the effectiveness of self-help …

Digest Of The Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine (Winter 1984-1985), Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Digest

The Winter 1984-1985 issue of the Digest of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine includes the following articles:

• Founders Day/ Alumni Weekend
• Portrait of a President
• Highlights of Founders Day/Alumni Weekend
• Galen S. Young, Sr., DO
• Reunions and Reminiscences
• Sherman Leis, DO
• News from the OMCP
• News from the Alumni Office
• Faculty Notes
• Alumni News Briefs
• In Memoriam
• Coming Events

Grief And The Treatment Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Charles P. Flynn, Alexandra Teguis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The effects of grief and grief-repression are described as being critical aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Qualitative interview and extant program material are utilized to assess the role of grief in the PTSD syndrome, and a program that incorporates grief-related therapy is described. Implications of grief-related therapy for the treatment of PTSD are also discussed.

A Comparative Analysis Of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome Among Individuals Exposed To Different Stressor Events, John P. Wilson, W. Ken Smith, Suzanne K. Johnson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The purpose of the present study was to compare post-traumatic stress syndrome among persons involved in nine different stressor events: combat in the Vietnam War; rape; serious life-threatening events; divorce; the death of a significant other; critical, near fatal illness of a significant other; family trauma; multiple traumatic events; and no stressful event. To assess the severity of the symptoms which define post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Impact of Event Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Stress Assessment Scale for PTSD from the Vietnam Era Stress Inventory (Wilson & Krauss, 1980) and the Sensation Seeking Scale were administered to the …

Caring For The Sick Poor: The State Almshouse At Bridgewater, 1854-1887, Lucille O'Connell

Bridgewater Review

The number of helpless poor in Massachusetts increased during the period of the 1840s, and the problem was greatly magnified by Irish immigration to the United States. Too large a problem to be solved on the local level, the Board of Commissioners of Alien Passengers recommended, in 1852, that the State establish three almshouses. Accordingly, the institutions were established at Bridgewater, Monson to the west, and Tewksbury to the north of Boston, and were opened in May 1854. By the end of the first year the number of inmates far exceeded expectations.

Process Theory: A Reliability And Validity Study, Barbara Pritchard Nash

Dissertations

Process Theory is a new personality/diagnostic system designed by Dr. Taibi Kahler. It is described in detail and compared to other such systems in the psychological literature. A study was conducted to determine the system's interdiagnostician reliability, inter-measure reliability, external validity, and convergent validity with Millon's Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). Forty subjects, 20 normal and 20 clinical, were interviewed on tape. The tapes were assessed by three expert diagnosticians. The normal subjects were given the Personality Pattern Inventory (PPI), which is the Process Theory personality test. The clinical subjects were given the MCMI. Interdiagnostician reliability was assessed among the three …

Using Group Psychotherapy For Enhancing Late Adolescent Selfconcept: Comparing The Effects Of Hypnosis And Rational-Emotive Therapy, James J. Buldas

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether university students, classified as late adolescents, could enhance their self-concept as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) Total Positive Score. Seven hypotheses which stated the null relationship between self-concept enhancement and the treatment modalities of hypnosis and rational-emotive therapy, when compared over an eight week period of time were derived. A review of the literature showed that the belief that low self-concept is etiologic in psychopathology is widespread in the clinical literature.

A sample of university students enrolled in Psychology 100 (N = 54) were pre, post and follow-up tested …

The Therapeutic Use Of Hope, Bonnie Lee Timmer Aardema

Dissertations

Hope is a fundamental element of human behavior which activates, shapes, and sustains psychological development. The literature presents hope as a significant nonspecific factor in psychotherapy; however, the specific use of hope is not examined. There has been little exploration or specification of the characteristics, dynamics, and effects of hoping on individual psychology. The author examines hope as a psychological construct and presents a theory of hope development, loss, and distortion, and a model is presented for the therapeutic use of hope in counseling and psychotherapy.

The author draws from the philosophical, eschatological, and psychological literature concepts regarding the characteristics …

Adult Age Differences In Recall And Reading Times For Prose, Dee Rene Ramsel

Theses and Dissertations

One strategy used by good college-age readers is to spend additional time viewing or reading information which is relevant to their goals or purpose in reading. Additional viewing time of goal-relevant information then presumably leads to superior retention of this information, at the expense of information which is irrelevant to the reader's goals. One way to detect different strategies used by younger and older readers is to measure how much viewing time readers allot to goal-relevant information and how much of this information is recalled. Relevant information can be designated as that material which contains answers to previously-memorized questions or …

A Study Of Treatment Effects Of Short-Term Hospitalization, Sherwin R. Van Klompenberg

Masters Theses

This research addressed the effects of short-term multifaceted inpatient treatment programs upon the severity of depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory.

The study was designed as a pre-post test using the Correlated t Test to analyze the results. The descriptive analysis describes what is presently taking place in a short-term hospital facility. The treatment staff indicated which treatment modalities should impact specific items on the Beck Depression Inventory. The data analysis supports the hypothesis that short-term multifaceted inpatient treatment will have a positive treatment effect upon depression. Statistical analyses were also conducted upon various population subgroups.

The treatment …

Occupational Stress And Depression Among Vietnam Veterans, Christian Ritter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An exploratory analysis was conducted to assess the effect of exposure to a distal source of extreme trauma on current levels of depression. The purpose of this study was to assess the nature of the relationships among: (1) exposure to the extreme stressor of combat in Vietnam; (2) persistently difficult life conditions; and (3) psychological distress. The impact of various stressors on current psychological distress is evaluated in light of the mediating influence of personal coping resources. Findings suggest that exposure to combat has neither a direct nor an indirect effect on current levels of depression. Exposure to combat was …

Post-Traumatic Stress And Life-Destructive Behavior, Dennis L. Peck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Results of content analysis of investigative reports and suicide notes illustrating the association between traumatic stress and life-destructive behavior are reported. A breakdown of interpersonal relationships and the inability to adapt to situational arrangements over which they lack control are shown to be factors critical to understanding committers' motivations to suicide.