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Integrating Self-Concept Theory Into A Model Of Loneliness, Joy M. Tassin '99

Honors Projects

This study utilized the Brewer and Gardner (1996) theory of self-concept and related it to previous theories of loneliness. Seventy participants were cued by stories (primes) to put them in a mind-frame that focused on one level of self. The levels used were the interpersonal level and the collective level. In addition, a control group was used. The collective level of self is the way in which individuals think of themselves within a group. The interpersonal level is the way they think about themselves within an intimate relationship. Loneliness was then measured using both the SELSA and the UCLA loneliness …

Voluntary Versus Involuntary Runaway Youth: Basic Demographics, Characteristics And Family Relations, Darcia A. Colburn '99

Honors Projects

There is an increased concern that youths are leaving home earlier than ever. According to the National Network for Youth, 38% of runaways are under the age of 14. Clinicians, as well as researchers, who have worked with the population of runaway youth recognize that there are two distinct groups (i.e., voluntary and involuntary). Previous research has largely neglected the difference between those youths who have left home on their own initiative (voluntary) and those youths who were forced to leave their home (involuntary.) I hypothesized that involuntary youth will predominantly male and older in age. I examined a number …

Management Of Change In The Irish Construction Industry, Louis Gunnigan

Masters

Ireland is changing and this change is nowhere more apparent than in the rapidly growing construction industry. The industry is being forced to change at an unprecedented pace. This thesis sets out to develop a framework on which construction organisations can approach and manage change.

It examines the issues that will cause change, reviews the available literature to find how change can be managed and controlled, and develops a model for guiding change programmes in the construction industry. The model is tested against three case studies, the first two of which are concerned with finding increases in efficiency and demonstrating …

Leadership In Student Organizations: Do Women And Men Lead Stereotypically?, Jennifer Cullen Danielson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Men and women are believed to vary along stereotypical male and female leadership behaviors (Cann & Siegfried, 1990; Eagly & Johnson, 1990). Stereotypic leadership behaviors for men are defined as task and goal oriented behavior, whereas for women, it is interpersonal or social behavior. The present study explored the leadership behavior of male and female students in student organizations at a mid-western state university. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI; Posner & Kouzes, 1988) was used to assess leadership behavior in the student organizations. The leaders of 100 student organizations, 50 males and 50 females, were contacted and asked to fill …

The Reasons For Living Inventory For Adolescents (Rfl-A) : Validation In Three Adolescent Populations, Joe S. Rich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study is intended to examine further psychometric characteristics of the Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A), a self-report measure developed specifically for use with adolescents. Three separate groups were utilized in this study: a psychiatric suicidal group, a psychiatric inpatient non-suicidal group, and a non-clinical control group from a local laboratory school. Specifically, the factor structure, discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, and convergent validity of the RFLA total and subscales were examined. Overall, results indicated that the five-factor structure that was identified by Osman et al. (1998) was replicated. Further, results showed that the measure demonstrated adequate internal …

Effects Of Parenting Styles, Self-Esteem, Self-Concept, And Attribution Styles On Children’S Popularity, Michelle Ann Jagodzinski

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present study was to examine the link between parent-child and child-peer relationships. This study tests a hypothesized model suggesting that adolescents' self-esteem, self-concept, and attribution styles mediate the association between parenting attitudes and social competence. The sample consisted of 170 students in the 6th through 9th grades (83 males, 87 females) and 113 of their parents (49 males, 64 females). Student questionnaires were administered in a school based setting and consisted of self-report and peer report measures. Students completed questionnaires regarding self-esteem, self-concept, attribution styles, and peer popularity. Parents responded to mailings and completed a self-report …

A Survey Of Sexually Abusive Experiences In Childhood Amongst A Sample Of Third Level Students, Kevin Lalor

Articles

The following survey is an investigation into the nature, incidence and effects of childhood sexual abuse as experienced by a sample of third level students in Dublin. Unwanted sexual experiences whilst under the age of sixteen were surveyed. Response rates were high and indicate that unwanted sexual experiences prior to age sixteen are experienced by some 30% of female respondents. Indecent exposure was the most frequently reported experience. This figure falls considerably for contact and penetrative forms of abuse. Long term effects of non-contact forms of abuse were most frequently reported as embarrassment. More acute effects, such as suicidal tendencies, …

Knowledge And Attitudes Of Sexuality In The Elderly Among Educators Of Health Care Professionals, Joanne L. Chapman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many elderly adults have fears and concerns regarding sexuality, including the impact of chronic disease on sexual function. Typically, society has negative attitudes toward elderly sexual expression with misconceptions, negative stereotyping and myths compounding ageist perceptions that the elderly become asexual with age. Thus knowledge of and attitudes toward sexuality in the elderly has become an area of interest over the past several decades. In an attempt to promote sexual expression as a right for the elderly and physiological changes viewed in terms of positive adjustment, White (1982) developed an instrument to determine knowledge of and attitudes towards sexuality of …

Emotion Altering Effects Of Research Participation, Matthew Dunsire

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Previous studies have suggested that participating in psychological research may temporarily amplify participants’ experience of positive or negative emotions (Daugherty & Lawrence. 1996). In the present research, 114 male and female university students completed either self-focused or non-self-focused questionnaires to investigate characteristics that may predispose some participants to positive or negative reactions following participation in research. Four hypotheses were examined: (a) A self-focused task compared to a non-self-focused task would significantly increase average levels of emotional arousal; (b) the amplification of emotional reactions would be greater in females than males (c) participants experiencing negative life events and who are less …

Affect Intensity And Affect Regulation In Prisoners With A History Of Self-Harm, Christina J. Kozar

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Prisoners with a history of self-harm have reported experiencing more anger (e.g., Hilbrand, Krystal, Sharpe, & Foster, 1994 ), and despair (e.g., Shea, 1993 ), and less ability to cope (e.g., Shea, 1993; Liebling, 1992) than prisoners with no history of self-harm. This suggests that intense negative affective experiences and less control over these states might be pervasive characteristics in individuals vulnerable to self-harm. The present study tested the hypotheses that high affect intensity, the tendency to experience both positive and negative emotional states intensely (Larsen & Diener, 1987), and deficits in negative affect regulation would be associated with self-harm …

What Sexuality? : An Exploratory Study Examining Sexual Activity And Affectionate Sexual Expression In A Western Australian Sample Of Older Adults, Christina M. Petz

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sexuality later in life has been receiving increased research interest, however, a large majority of research investigates a narrow range of sexual behaviours, primarily frequency of sexual intercourse. There is limited information regarding other forms of sexual expression, specifically affectionate sexual expression that are relevant to older adults. The present day study explores what affectionate sexual behaviours constitute affectionate sexual expression and compares sexual intercourse with affectionate expression. The sample consisted of 77 married men (n=35) and women (n=42) aged 60-89 years who came from various senior groups and organisations in the Perth metropolitan area. A survey was developed that …

The Relationship Between Transportation Mode Choice And Well-Being: An Ecological Perspective, Carolyn King

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The present study is based on an ecological analysis of transport and wellbeing as devised by Stokols and Novaco (1981). This study seeks to examine the link between transport mode and well-being. One hundred and eight Participants (N= 1 08) filled out a questionnaire that contained the psychological well-being scales of self-efficacy, general health and perceived stress; and the organizational scales of job satisfaction and absenteeism. The participants were divided into groups of 18 according to which transport mode they used. The transport mode groups were drive alone, train, bus, car pool, walk or cycle. It was hypothesized that there …

Disruptive Behaviour In Nursing Home Residents: A Study Of Some Predisposing Factors, Ian F. Johnston

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Behaviour disorders are common among nursing home residents and the management of these problems is difficult and emotionally taxing for caregivers. Although widespread acknowledgment of the problem exists amongst those caring for the elderly, there has, until recently, been little formal investigation of these disorders in any systematic degree. This study investigated 63 nursing home residents (22 males and 41 females) in two primary diagnostic categories; those with vascular dementia and those with dementia due to other causes, primarily Alzheimer's disease. A review of the literature suggested that the nature and frequency of disruptive behaviour differed across these two prevalent …

Specific Domains Of Self-Esteem In Adolescents : Differences Between Suicide Ideated, Depressed And Non-Depressed Samples, Wendy J. Nicholls

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A 1997 West Australian Child Health Survey (Zubrick et al., 1997) highlighted the need to explore issues regarding problems leading to emotional distress in adolescents. Adolescent self-esteem and suicidal ideation emerged as issues that required further research. The need to understand adolescent issues from a developmental perspective was also evident, due to the difficulties teenagers typically face during their adolescent years. This study builds on previous research by S. Harter and her colleagues, which identified different domains of self-esteem in young adolescents from a general population. Domains of self-esteem according to Harter's Self perception Profile for Adolescents (1988) and Social …

Self-Efficacy And Depression In Older Adults: Differences Between Volunteers And Non-Volunteers, Anita Govindan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Volunteering has been found to play an important role in the lives of older adults. The general beneficial effects of volunteering have been widely established. However an investigation on the specific effect volunteering can have on older adults' perceptions of their abilities has yet to be established. It is important to investigate whether volunteering in later life is positively associated with one's perception of oneself or one's self-efficacy. Individuals with high levels of self-efficacy tend to believe they are more capable of handling stressful situations and are less likely to feel helpless and dependent and thus feel more confident of …

Refugee Settlement: Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, Ethnicity And Social Network Development, Monique Keel

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Refugees arriving in Australia undergo a number of settlement processes including adaptation and acculturation, social support and network development, and an exploration of their ethnic identity. This research examines the settlement processes of mixed marriage refugees from what was Yugoslavia who arrived in Perth, Western Australia in the early to mid 1990's. A mixed marriage is one where the couple are from different ethnic backgrounds. This research has two main aims. The first aim is to examine the processes of acculturation and adaptation, the development of social support networks, and ethnic identity, within the refugees. These processes provide a framework …

Burnout Among Western Australian Psychologists : Exploring Issues Within Forensic Psychology As Potential Predictors, Claire L. Lynn

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The level of burnout among a sample of Western Australian psychologists and a comparison of scores to the American normative sample of mental health workers was investigated. The study was also particularly interested to explore whether issues pertinent to the forensic psychologist were predictive of burnout. Burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which comprises three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low personal accomplishment The study explored whether characteristics in relation to the psychologist, the client and the workplace had predictive value for the level of burnout. Variables considered across these characteristics were age and gender, client problem …

The Utility Of The Anxiety Cluster Scale Of The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale To Identify Anxiety Problems In 10 Year Old Children, Jeremy Singer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

It is widely accepted in the literature that internalised childhood psychopathology including anx1cty is best identified by child self-report, followed by observations by parents and then to a lesser extent, by teachers. Although anxiety scales are a useful way to quantify anxiety symptomatology and progress through treatment, changes to classification systems (e.g., DSM-111-R to DSM-IV) make their ability to screen for the presence of psychiatric problems difficult. This research looked at whether the Anxiety Cluster (AC) scale of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSCS) can be used to identify anxiety disorders in children. Two separate studies were conducted in the …

The Relative Importance Of Barriers To Cervical Cancer Screening In Older Women : A Review Of 140 Women And Their Pap Smear Providers, Nerida Beaumont

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Cervical cancer remains a significant cause of death in women. There is a notable age related decrease in levels of screening and women aged over 50 years with later, more invasive disease. One hundred and forty women aged between 50 and 69 years (M "'58.21 years) and 23 Pap smear providers completed a Cervical Cancer Screening Questionnaire designed to identify the relative importance of barriers to attendance for cervical screening, as well as providers own barriers and issues. Responsibility for health, familiarity with, and ratings of the usefulness of Pap smears were the major dimensions along which regular and non-regular …

The Effect Of Employment And Workers' Compensation Litigation On The Pain, Psychological State And Disability Of Chronic Back Pain Sufferers, P. B. Suter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Previous research exploring the relationship between litigation status and the symptoms of the plaintiff has been inconsistent and limited by methodological dlfficulties. While Mendelson (1984, 1986, 1988) argued there was no difference In symptoms and rates of work return between litigating chronic pain patients and those not involved in the compensation system, others argued that work related injuries were maintained either by the plaintiffs' wish for monetary compensation (compensation neurosis), or by their involvement in the medico-legal process with the stress of the litigation slowing down the recuperative process (nomogenic influences). Dworkin and colleagues (1985) highlighted the importance of including …

The Generalisability Of The Stages And Processes Of Change ; The Concurrent Validity Of The Stages And Processes Of Change, Suzanne E. Marko

Theses : Honours

The transtheorctical model of behaviour change is comprised of the stages of change and the processes of change. The stages explain when change occurs, and the processes outline how change occurs. This model has been influential in clinical practice in the areas of tobacco smoking, alcohol use, eating disorders, and exercise behaviour. This review focuses on the previous literature concerned with the transtheorctical model. Although the model is popular and used to tailor interventions, it has not yet been cross-culturally vaildated, or tested comprehensively in the field of illegal drug use. Further research is necessary to examine whether or not …

The Psychological Impact Of Long-Term Unemployment In Mature-Aged Men : Volunteer Work As A Moderating Variable, Ming Yeu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Previous research has recognised the negative psychological distress associated with unemployment for older workers aged over 40 years, as they are considered to be more at risk of being unemployed for a longer duration than other age groups. Several moderating variables of the negative effects of unemployment such as age, length of unemployment and leisure participation have also been identified. In examining the experiences of unemployment with an Australian mature-aged group of men, this study also investigated the potential moderating effect of volunteer work participation that had been noted previously but had never been explored. One-hundred and eighteen men aged …

Psychohistory And Personality Assessment By Proxy: Comments On Ritzler And Singer (1998), Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article comments on the psychohistorical use of the "MMPI-2 by proxy" technique that is described by Long Island University's Barry Ritzler and Meredith Singer in the October 1998 Issue of the Journal of Personality Assessment.

Examining The Training And Practice Of School Psychologists: A Survey Of Intern Supervisors, Christopher Matthews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A survey was conducted to examine internship supervisors' perceptions of the level of preparation being provided to school psychology interns in the areas of Traditional Assessment, Non-Traditional Assessment, Consultation, Interventions, and Other skill areas. Twenty-five training institutions from 16 states were rated by the supervisors. The responding supervisors' job roles primarily consisted of practicing school psychologists. It was reported that interns spent about half of the total time in internship activities performing Traditional Assessment. Time spent in performing activities in the areas of Consultation, Interventions, and Nontraditional Assessment made up the majority of the other half with close to the …

A Meta-Analytic Investigation Of The Effect Of Freshman Seminars On Student Attrition At Four Year Colleges And Universities, Raymond Brown

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Tinto (1975) theorized that for a student to complete his/her education, he/she must integrate socially as well as academically at the institution. Freshman seminars are designed to ease students into college life and provide them with skills to cope socially and academically, thereby paving the way for institutional integration and, ultimately, degree completion. Researchers at a number of institutions have evaluated the effectiveness of the freshman seminar at reducing freshman to sophomore year attrition. They have reported mixed results. Here, the literature addressing the efficacy of freshman seminars for reducing attrition is reviewed using meta-analysis. The number of weekly contact …

The Effect Of Biculturalism On Self-Esteem In Northern Plains Native American College Students, Mary J. Wilkie

Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of biculturalism on self esteem in a sample of 51 Northern Plains Native American college students (29 females, 22 males). Subjects completed the Northern Plains Biculturalism Inventory (NPB1; Allen & French, 1994) and the Index of Self-Esteem (ISE; Hudson, 1982). Pearson Product- Moment correlations, independent t-tests, a multiple regression analysis, and an one-way analysis-of-variance was performed using the SPSS statistical package to examine, if any, the relationships between the NPBI subscales and the ISE total scores. This design tested the applicability of the Orthogonal Theory of Biculturalism (Oetting & …

Reasons, Goals, And Incentives For Corporate Philanthropy To Arts Organizations, Marsonda Mcnutt Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

One of the methods employed by corporations to create a favorable relationship with its publics is to use philanthropy to not- for-profit organizations such as the arts. From a communication point of view, this action may be looked upon as a gesture between the corporation, the recipient, and the publics which involves messages both sent and received. Research on this communication gesture is important because arts organizations need to know how the process works in order to help secure philanthropic dollars. Corporations need to understand the results of the process so that they can more effectively achieve the goals for …

Male Sexual Orientation Among Religious Men: A Discriminant Function Analysis, James L. Born

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The ecological changes of human society especially in Western civilization via scientific, industrial, and technological revolutions have altered the foundations of what "masculinity" means in the l.990's. This study was designed to discriminate and predict three masculine sexual orientation groups based upon father-son relations, gender, religious spirituality, psychological maltreatment/abuse, and shame. Data were obtained from 92 male volunteer participants (gay=32, heterosexual=32, x-gay=28) who identify as Christians or who affiliate with a Christian organization. Instruments used were the Boyhood Gender conformity Scale (BGCS), the Father Forgiveness Perception Scale (FFPS), the Home Environment Questionnaire (HEQ) (i.e., Child Abuse Trauma Scale), Internalized Shame …

The Effects Of Social Skills Training And Reciprocal Social Skills Training With Parent/Guardian(S) On Behavior And Recidivism Of First Time Adjuncted Youth, Kathleen A. Bailey

Dissertations

This research investigates the effect of social skills training on 46 first-time adjudicated males, ages 13 through 15 and placed on traditional probation. The independent variable was the type of group. Three types of groups were conducted: Group I (youth who received social skills training with their parents or guardians), Group II (youth who received social skills training without parents’ or guardians’ participation), and Group III (a control group of youth who did not receive social skills training). The dependent variable was the Jesness Inventory scales and subscales scores, and the type of offenses (status, misdemeanor, and felony). The research …

Aftermath Of Disaster In Sweden, Gaza, And Sites Of Torture: A Critique Of Psychological Services, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article critiques the assumptions of psychological services offered in response to disaster.