Digital Commons Network^™

Occupational Stress, Coping Styles, And Social Resources, Wayne L. Hill

Theses : Honours

Researchers in the stress and coping field have developed a variety of "stress and coping" models to explain the interaction between stressors, social resources, coping styles, and distress symptoms (Edwards & Baglioni, 1990). The present study examined three models to explain the relationship between the variables: direct effect, buffering effect and mediating effect. This study examined effective and non-effective coping styles at work: accommodation, change, avoidance, devaluation, and symptom management. Data were collected on 120 white collar workers' state of mental exhaustion, somatic symptoms, role stressors, coping styles, and perceived social support. The utility of the three models was examined …

Differences In Attitudes About Amphetamine Held By Adolescents Who Do And Do Not Intend To Use The Drug, K. Davies

Theses : Honours

An SEU measure was constructed to test the relationships between adolescents' combined expectations and values of possible outcomes of amphetamine use and intention to use the drug. The structure of the measure was then examined using Principal Components Analysis. Two orthogonal subscales were identified representing desires for the positive outcomes and fears of negative outcomes. Tukey's HSD analysis of pairwise means indicated that the two subscales were differentially effective in distinguishing participants with high, moderate and low levels of intention to use amphetamine. Participants with high levels of intention differed significantly from participants with low or moderate intention in their …

Development And Evaluation Of The Cardiac Exercise Health Belief Scale, Virginia R. Mcginn

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to develop and evaluate the Cardiac Exercise Health Belief Scale (CEHBS) which is based on the Health Belief Model. The CEHBS focuses on the concepts of benefits and barriers. Ninety post cardiac event subjects, 69 males and 21 females, were recruited from two Michigan hospitals during their hospital stay. The CEHBS was mailed to subjects six to eight weeks following discharge.; Cronbach alpha for the CEHBS benefits subscale was.90 and for the barriers subscale was.84. Content validity was established by expert review. During factor analysis all items did load on factors related to the …

Integrating Low- And High-Level Skills In Instructional Protocols For Writing Disabilities, Virginia W. Berninger, Robert D. Abbott, Diane Whitaker, Leihua Sylvester, Susan B. Nolen

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Twenty-four children with writing problems were given instruction in handwriting automaticity, spelling strategies, and the composing process (plan, write, review, revise) in 14 one-hour individual tutorials during the summer between third and fourth grade. Half the children (8 boys, 4 girls) received extra practice in composing, while half the children (8 boys, 4 girls) received special training in orthographic and phonological coding. Hierarchical linear modeling of growth curves was used to compare the treatment groups to a non-contact control group (10 boys, 5 girls) on a standard battery at pretest, midtest, posttest, and the two treatment groups with each other …

A Meta-Analytic Review Of Self-Esteem And Self-Concept Interventions: Implications For School-Based Interventions, Margaret Haney

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Self And (M)Other In Patrick White's Fiction : An Object Relations Approach, Mary C. Lloyd Da Silva

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis offers a new interpretation of Patrick White's novels, using Object Relations psychology. Object Relations psychology differs from Freudian psychology in that it shifts the focus of attention from notions of the Oedipal conflict and repression to issues of nurturing and relationships. This study charts the development of the Whitean protagonist across a selection of novels. The focus of my thesis is White's developing protagonist, and no attempt is made to offer a psychological profile of Patrick White himself. The thesis first surveys a representative sampling of existing critical material. It then defines the theoretical framework of the study …

Teachers' Role In The Development Of Children's Metamemory And Strategy Knowledge: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of American And Singaporean Elementary School Teachers, Sony Hoe

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Causal Attributions For Teen Problem Drinking, Barbara J. Seatter

Dissertations and Theses

Teen problem-drinking is a pervasive problem in our society. Teens with drinking problems utilize treatment centers and then return to school attempting to stay sober. However, many return to affiliate with problem drinkers instead of with non-drinkers, and risk for relapse is high. One explanation may be that teens without drinking problems do not accept teen problem drinkers into their peer group due to negative reactions toward problem drinkers. One way to examine their attitudes is to examine differences between teen problem drinkers and non-drinkers regarding causal attributions. Attribution theory proposes that various attributions will elicit different emotional reactions and …

The Writing Response In Studies Of Topography-Based And Selection-Based Verbal Behavior, Osborn Cresson

Dissertations

The position taken in this paper is that the observable world is the only one needed in our analysis, that behavior is a reaction to the environments in which it occurs, and that language is more behavior that can be studied effectively as a dependent variable that varies as a function of independent variables manipulated by the experimenter.

Our goal was to study topography-based and selection-based verbal behavior with emphasis on the writing response and then to produce a report that would serve as a guide for other students of behavior and environment.

Sixteen undergraduate college students participated in 115 …

Psychosocial Determinants Of Age-Appropriate Immunizations Of Infants In Norfolk, Virginia, Hoda Youssef Atta

Health Services Research Dissertations

This study represents an investigation of psychosocial factors affecting age-appropriate immunizations of infants in Norfolk, Virginia. A household survey was conducted in Norfolk, Virginia, from 4/93-8/93, to assess immunization coverage of children 12-30 months of age. This survey included a total of 389 children in the target age range. A subset of 201 mothers were randomly selected and reinterviewed to assess their knowledge and attitudes and the relationships of these factors to age-appropriate immunizations at 12 months of age. Sixty-two percent of children were not age-appropriately immunized at 12 months of age. Almost all mothers (99%) considered vaccines to be …

Psychological Type And Preferences In The Academic Environment, Jeannine A. Duncan, Pamela J. Powers

Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses significant relationships between the components of an individual's psychological type and cognitive style, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and preferences within the academic environment, as indicated on the Educational Style Survey (ESS). The areas within the academic environment which were addressed include classroom configuration, subject matter difficulty, student's study strategy, testing method preferences, amount of student/faculty interaction, and adaptability to academic stress. The sample consisted of 695 Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) graduate students in the School of Logistics and Acquisition Management (1985-93) who completed the MBTI and the ESS. The analysis utilized …

Books Received And Book Notices, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Book Listing for the Vol 17, No 3 Edition of the Pacific Studies Journal

Children's Conception Of The Social And Moral Dilemmas Associated With Drug Use, Nancy Lynn Thayer

Dissertations and Theses

The use and abuse of drugs among adolescents and adults has prompted a renewed national concern about drug abuse. Educational programs have attempted to provided factual information and create negative attitudes about drug use so that students will decide not to use drugs. Studies have revealed, however, that the drug programs have not been effective in reducing drug use.

The present research addresses two primary questions: 1) Are there developmental differences in young persons' perceptions of social and moral dilemmas associated with drug use? and 2) Are gender and race associated with social and moral reasoning about drug use?

Semi-structured …

Women Who Worship Alone: The Relationship Between Marital Status And Loneliness In The Church, Judith Ann Schwanz

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the relationship between marital status, network density, and loneliness for women in the church. Participants were 144 women from several churches of the same Protestant denomination. They responded to a questionnaire which included the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and measures of the importance of the church as a social support to the individual. A one-way analysis of variance revealed that the married women who worship alone reported significantly higher levels of loneliness than did single women.

A Descriptive Study Of Offenders Sentenced To Special Alternative Incarceration From 1988-1990 In Kalamazoo County, Sherri Deboef Chandler

Masters Theses

This is a descriptive study of the first two-year cohort of offenders sentenced in Kalamazoo County to Special Alternative Incarceration (SAI). Data were compiled from the Kalamazoo County Probation Department records which indicated 84 young men were sentenced to SAI from its inception in 1988 to 1990. Data were gathered on these offenders spanning 1988 to 1992. Successful graduation from SAI, completion of the probationary period, and recidivism were compared to offense, race, SES, education, employment, and other variables. The data of this group were also compared to national data of those sentenced to Special Alternative Incarceration programs. This group …

Youth's Perceptions Of Social And Cultural Dimensions Of Drug Use, Brett Joseph Casper

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores youth's perceptions and understanding of the social phenomenon of drugs in our society. Sixty-four students (32 fourth graders and 32 eleventh graders), selected from schools in the Portland Public School District participated individually in a one hour interview where they responded to open ended questions that probed for their perceptions of drug use. Participants were also asked to describe their feelings regarding anti-drug messages they view in the media and their comments regarding the "Just Say NO" program. The tape-recorded interviews were transcribed and half were used to develop a code that captured recurring themes in the …

Verification Of The Number Of Factors In The Mmpi -A With Adolescent Females, Kristina M. Kays

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) was factor analyzed using the adolescent female normative sample. A Maximum Likelihood (ML) factor analysis with an oblimin rotation produced both a 4-factor solution and a possible 8-factor solution. However, anaylsis of the eigenvalues and the Scree test plot indicated a 4-factor solution obtained the best data fit.

Factor 1 identified a general sense of maladjustment characterized by anxiety, depression, and physical complaints. Factor 2 distinguished features of social introversion, obsessive thoughts, and depression . Factor 3 described features of unusual behavior, thought disorders, and social deviance. Factor 4 reflected the need for control …

A Study Of The Attitudes Of Psu Students Toward Capital Punishment, Charles L. Hunsaker

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes Pittsburg State University students held toward the debatable and controversial topic of capital punishment. A total of 154 Pittsburg State University students were selected from eight different classrooms on campus to take part in this study. Each student was requested to fill out a questionnaire which was distributed in each class.

Results of the study showed that the majority or 77 percent of Pittsburg State University students approved of the death penalty. The students who disapproved totaled 22 or 14 percent of the total population of 154. There were 14 …

Incongruity And The Evocation Of Great Knowledge In The Chuang-Tzu, Philippe L. Gross, S. I. Shapiro

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

No abstract provided.

Violence Prevention In The Schools, Deborah B. Prothrow-Stith

New England Journal of Public Policy

Violence and its consequent injury and death represent a major health problem in this country. The United States has one of the highest homicide rates in the industrialized world: ten times higher than that of England and twenty times higher than that of Spain. Fatalities from violence represent only the tip of the iceberg: nonfatal intentional injuries occur as many as one hundred times more frequently: assault and intentional injuries identified in medical studies can be four times those reported to the police, suggesting that medical institutions are a primary site for identification of individuals with violence-related problems. Violence and …

Math Anxiety, Coping Behavior, And Gender, Sandra Joy Grossmann

Dissertations and Theses

Non-math majors enrolled in lower-division math courses at an urban university were surveyed on their math attitudes, coping behaviors, and math anxiety (MATHANX). The Revised Ways of Coping Checklist (RWCC), Revised Math Anxiety Rating Scale, and other questions were presented to 30 men and 32 women.

Hierarchical regressions showed that after controlling for attitudinal covariates, emotion-focused coping behaviors (EMOTFOC) were strongly associated with MATHANX (F(5,54)=18.66, p < .0001), but problem-focused coping behaviors (PROBFOC) were not. The RWCC subscale most highly correlated with MATHANX was Wishful Thinking (r = .70, p < .0001). Ss were then dichotomized on PROBFOC and EMOTFOC, providing four behavioral groups. An ANCOVA controlling for attitudinal covariates showed behavioral group membership significant with respect to MATHANX (F(3,58)=6.07, p < .001), and an ANOVA revealed that students who reported high EMOTFOC coupled with low PROBFOC experienced the greatest MATHANX (F(3,58) = 12.66, p < .0001).

Males and females reported virtually identical MATHANX (M=36.30 for males, 36.44 for females), and the only significant gender difference was for avoidance coping, which was used more by males (F(1,60) = 5.43, p < .03]. Results from this study suggest that fewer gender differences may exist in MATHANX and coping than have been found in the past. Additionally, this study identifies the need for future research to determine whether EMOTFOC is the behavioral component, or one of the determinants, of math anxiety.

The Effects Of Type Of Child Care Arrangement And Satisfaction With Care On Employee Job Satisfaction And Absenteeism, Hanh Hong Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the effects of different types of child care arrangements (i.e., care by relatives; care by nonrelatives; self-care by child; and care by day care centers) and satisfaction with care on employee absenteeism and job satisfaction. A 53% response rate was obtained from a questionnaire administered to 501 classified staff employees at Portland State University. Only responses from employees with children under the age of 18 living at home were used. Eighty-six employees met this selection criterion.

It was hypothesized that parents using self-care by child would have the highest absences, followed by parents using day care centers, …

Impact Of Goal-Setting On Motivation As Affected By The Joint Influence Of The Attributional Dimensions Of Causality, Stability, And Control, Nancy Davis Hodges

Dissertations and Theses

A systematic, empirical study conducted in eight hospital operating rooms found that employees often select opportunity-dependent goals. These goals are self-set or chosen by the individual, but the opportunity to perform the goal chosen is dependent on others. For example, "learn to circulate on total joint surgeries" is a self-set, opportunity-dependent goal. The individual must be assigned to that job. It was found that when this type of goal is chosen and the individual is not given the opportunity to perform it, the individual attributes the failure to external causes. This failed opportunity-goal type was significantly related to lower motivation, …

Reporting On Risk: Who Decides What's News?, William Lanouette

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Lanouette argues that risks alone do not command national media attention; their implications must first be framed by broader national issues.

Inhalant Abuse In The Pacific Islands: Gasoline Sniffing In Chuuk, Federated States Of Micronesia, Mac Marshall, Rocky Sexton, Lee Insko

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Effects Of Irreversible Dopamine Receptor Inactivation In The Preweanling Rat: Assessment Of The Receptor Reserve Hypothesis, Suzanne L. Reid, Sanders A. Macdougall

Modern Psychological Studies

EEDQ is an irreversible receptor antagonist that eliminates the dopamine (DA) mediated behaviors of adults rats. In contrast, EEDQ does not seem to affect the DA mediated behaviors of preweanling rat pups. One explanation for this age dependent difference is that rat pups may have a DA receptor reserve, not available to adults, which is sufficient to mediate behavior. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether a Di and D2 receptor reserve exists in preweanling rats. A total of 96, 17-dayold rat pups were injected with EEDQ (7.5 mg/kg) or its vehicle immediately after being trained …

Advertising Preferences When Presented With Various Ad Stimuli: The Impact Of Stereotypical Versus Non-Stereotypical Advertising, Jodi L. Bremer

Modern Psychological Studies

Past research has shown that the preferences for different types of advertising shift as social attitudes change. Whereas in the past people preferred advertising portraying men and women in gender-stereotypical roles, today's more liberal social attitudes seem to reflect a trend for people to prefer ads depicting those men and women in non-stereotypical gender roles. In the current study, 30 university students were tested for their preferences among stereotypical, nonstereotypical and neutral ads. Stimuli were 30 magazine advertisements, 10 each of the three types of ads, rated on a five point like-dislike scale, with higher scores reflecting greater ad appeal. …

Recognition Of Facial Expressions By Socially And Emotionally Disturbed Children, Janice E. Bollman

Modern Psychological Studies

Twenty-two children, 18 boys and 4 girls, classified as socially and emotionally disturbed (SED) were compared with 19 children, 6 boys and 13 girls, without social and emotional disturbances on their ability to match pictures depicting six basic emotions (as identified by Ekman and Friesen, 1975) which were accompanied by a story about that emotion. The children were matched by chronological age ranging from 8.1 to 12.4 years of age. A difference between the two groups was noted and was significant at the .04 level for a one-tailed test. A Tukey test of pairwise comparisons was also performed and a …

Mother-Daughter Olfaction Identification, Linda N. Johnson

Modern Psychological Studies

Research was undertaken to see if it is possible for females to identify their mother or daughter by olfactory cues alone. Twenty-two females, 11 daughters and 11 mothers, participated in the experiment. Mothers ranged in age from 37 to 46 and daughters ranged in age from 11 to 21. Each subject was blindfolded and asked to smell (hairline level) the necks of two different individuals. The individuals consisted of one relative (a mother or a daughter) and one control subject. Each subject, of course, was asked to identify her relative. Seventeen of the 22 subjects correctly identified her relative (p < .01, 2-tailed binomial test). A second experiment was administered to determine if subjects could correctly distinguish between cotton pads that had been placed, for the duration of experiment one, under the arm of another subject and under that of a relative. Fifteen of the 22 subjects correctly identified the cotton pad of their relative, (p <.05, 2-tailed binomial test). The null hypothesis that there would not be a statistically significant difference in the number of females able to recognize their mother or daughter and those who could not was rejected.

Persuasive Impact Of One-Sided Videos On Reasoning About Abortion, Suzanne M. Dodd, Andrea Bailey Sims, Stephen E. Buggie

Modern Psychological Studies

A study was conducted to assess the volatility of college students' reasoning about abortion. It is widely believed that individuals' views on this controversial issue have crystallized and are resistant to persuasion. The study investigated the persuasive impact of an opposing argument on subjects' current beliefs on the abortion issue. Thirty-three unpaid students of either gender at a private liberal arts college were shown a one-sided video on abortion presenting either the pro-life argument or the pro-choice argument. Subjects were Christians of various denominations. Abortion attitude was measured before and after the video using the Reasoning About Abortion Questionnaire (Parson, …