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Iconic Memory And Aging: Effects Of Stimulus Duration, Stimulus Contrast, And Inter-Stimulus Interval, Andrew Lajoie

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous studies have shown that old adults perform more poorly on the classic Sperling partial report task than do young adults. In this study, the researcher examined whether age differences in performance could be accounted for by changes in visual and perceptual ability. Eighteen old adults (M = 70 years) and 18 young adults (M = 22 years) were administered whole and partial report trials with stimulus durations of 150 ms; a second group of 18 young adults was tested with stimulus durations of 30 ms. Stimuli were presented at two levels of contrast (98 and 44 percent) and the …

Age And Violent Sexual Abuse: Does Victim's Age And Violence Associated With Sexual Abuse Influence The Risk Of Suicide?, Debra A. Keel

Graduate Theses

Previous research on childhood sexual abuse has indicated an increased risk of suicide for children who experience more severe sexual abuse and children who experience sexual abuse accompanied by physical abuse. This study investigated the difference in suicide risk associated with varying severity of sexual abuse, and the difference in suicide risk associated with age at the time of sexual abuse. Data was collected from the psychological records of a state juvenile correctional facility for boys. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between those who experienced penetrating sexual abuse versus non-penetrating sexual abuse; however, an overall significant difference was found …

A Proposed Psychological Assessment Protocol For Applicants To Religious Life In The Roman Catholic Church, Thomas G. Plante, Marcus T. Boccaccini

Psychology

This paper proposes a psychological assessment protocol for applicants to religious life in the Roman Catholic church. While most Catholic religious orders, seminaries, and dioceses require applicants to complete some type of psychological evaluation prior to entrance into seminary, there is no established standard or protocol suggested for conducting these evaluations. The current proposed assessment protocol provides those conducting or receiving these evaluations with a comprehensive foundation from which they can add or delete components to meet their specific needs. Furthermore, the utilization of a standard clergy assessment protocol creates the opportunity for the establishment of a national database useful …

Elazar's Political Culture: Is It Applicable Today?, Mark M. Springer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the utility of Daniel J. Elazar’s political culture, developed in 1%6. Dr. Ira Sharkansky conceptualized Elazar’s political culture in 1969 by applying measures pertaining to participation; size and perquisites of bureaucracy; and scope, magnitude, costs, and innovative character of government programs. He used simple correlation, Pearson’s r, to determine whether political culture had any influence on the 23 dependent variables that he arranged under the three different measures. Then, he tested for partial correlation, using per capita personal income and the percentage of the population living in areas considered “urban” as controlling variables. Finally, he tested the …

Criterion-Related Validity Of The Borg Ratings Of Perceived Exertion (Rpe) Scale : A Meta-Analysis, Michael J. Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Borg Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale has proven to be a highly popular instrument in measuring the subjective responses of individuals to a given work or exercise task. Historically, the instrument was designed to correlate highly with the heart rates in young-to-middle-aged men performing various tasks. The body of literature, however, has revealed inconsistencies in the extent of just how strong the relationship is between ratings of perceived exertion and various physiological criterion variables, most notably, heart rate. In addition, most studies have invoked the question of whether the criterion-related validity coefficients derived from the relationship between ratings …

Affect And Marital Adjustment In Women’S Rating Of Dyspareunic Pain, Marta Meana, Irv Binik, Sainir Khalife, Deborah Cohen

Psychology Faculty Research

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the extent to which depressive symptomatology, anxiety, and marital adjustment mediate pain ratings in women suffering from dyspareunia.

METHOD: Seventy-six women with dyspareunia were administered the depression and anxiety scales of Derogatis's Brief Symptom Inventory and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. They also underwent a manual-visual gynecological examination, an ultrasound, and a colposcopy in an attempt to identify potential evidence and type of organicity.

RESULTS: Depressive symptomatology, anxiety, and marital adjustment together accounted for a significant amount of the variance in pain ratings, although only anxiety and marital adjustment were independent predictors of pain ratings in the entire …

Therapy Videotape Presentation For Eating Disorder Clients: Development And Evaluation, Benita J. Quakenbush

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating disorder clients show low motivation, poor follow-through, and inordinate premature dropout rates in treatment. Earlier studies support the use of pretherapy training to help clients understand the tasks and challenges of therapy. However, a pretherapy intervention, such as showing prospective clients a video that outlines recovery issues and themes, had not yet been developed specifically for the prevalent, recalcitrant problem of eating disorders. Thus, of particular interest to clinicians who treat eating disorders may be the development of a theoretically sound, pretherapy videotape that outlines recovery issues.

One of the purposes of this study was to review prior investigations …

Traditional And Contemporary Lakota Death, Dying, Grief, And Bereavement Beliefs And Practices: A Qualitative Study, Joseph B. Stone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bereavement beliefs and practices in the modern, American culture have been well documented. However, virtually no research has been conducted on traditional and contemporary death, dying, grief, and bereavement beliefs and practices among native tribes, such as the Lakota.

The present study was conducted with the Lakota, and fulfilled two goals. iii First, the contemporary and traditional death, dying, grief, and bereavement beliefs and practices of the Lakota were documented and summarized. Such documentation may help bereaved Lakota tribal members who are experiencing problems with death and bereavement, and may help preserve traditional knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Second, the consensus …

The Effect Of The Estimate Of Resting Metabolic Rate On The Correlation Between Energy Expenditure As Estimated Using Self-Reports Of Physical Activity And Food Intake Records In Older Adults, Judy Hurd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study measured total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) in adults at least 50 years of age. The goal was to determine the effect of the estimate of resting metabolic rate (RMR) on the relationship between energy expenditure estimates made using (a) self-reports of physical activity and (b) food intake records. The objectives were to determine if (a) RMR estimates based on body composition, body weight, and the metabolic cart were strongly related to each other, and (b) TDEE estimates based on a 7-day physical activity diary and a 7-day food intake record were more strongly related to each other when …

Pretherapy Videotape Presentation For Eating Disorder Clients: Development And Evaluation, Benita J. Quakenbush

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating disorder clients show low motivation, poor follow-through, and inordinate premature dropout rates in treatment. Earlier studies support the use of pretherapy training to help clients understand the tasks and challenges of therapy. However, a pretherapy intervention, such as showing prospective clients a video that outlines recovery issues and themes, had not yet been developed specifically for the prevalent, recalcitrant problem of eating disorders. Thus, of particular interest to clinicians who treat eating disorders may be the development of a theoretically sound, pretherapy videotape that outlines recovery issues.

One of the purposes of this study was to review prior investigations …

Assessing Mental Health Of Native American Children: Relationship Of Acculturation With Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Functioning, Christopher H. Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The literature indicates that, in comparison to children of other ethnic minority groups, Native American children may be at greater risk for a variety of emotional and behavioral Ill disorders and negative psychosocial conditions. Many may also struggle to resolve issues related to cultural identity. Understanding how Native American children and families relate to the cultures within which they live is a critical aspect of preventing and treating childhood mental disorders. Although Native children and families face persistent social pressure to adapt to a multicultural world, no systematic research exists examining the relationship between families' experience of acculturation and their …

Physically And Sexually Violent Juvenile Offenders: A Comparative Study Of Victimization History Variables, Monique R. Frazier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary purpose of this study was to examine and compare physically and sexually violent juvenile offenders (PVJOs and SVJOs) to determine whether specific factors in their abuse histories, if present, tend to be associated with-the type of violent offense pattern they exhibit. The Youth Experiences and Behaviors Structured Interview (YEBSI)--an instrument which assesses for primary (victimization), secondary (witnessing), and perpetrated abuse of an emotional, physical, and sexual nature, by and/or toward family members, acquaintances, strangers, and animals--was developed by the primary researcher for use in this study. Thirty-six PVJOs and 30 SVJOs were interviewed. Results indicated that the YEBSI …

Predicting Lumbar Fusion Surgery Outcomes From Presurgical Patient Variables: The Utah Lumbar Fusion Outcome Study, M. Scott Deberard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lumbar fusion surgery is a commonly used procedure to treat severe spinal pathology and associated chronic disabling low back and leg pain. Despite the common incidence of spinal fusion surgery, few studies have examined patient outcomes or predictive correlates of this procedure. The objectives of this study were to characterize Utah workers who received lumbar fusion surgery in terms of relevant presurgical and outcome variables and to identify presurgical correlates of patient outcomes. An archival prospective research design was utilized consisting of a retrospective medical chart review and a postsurgical telephone outcome survey.

Subjects were 203 workers' compensation patients from …

A Descriptive Study Of The Relation Between Domestic Violence And Pet Abuse, Claudia V. Weber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This was a descriptive study that examined the relation between domestic violence and pct abuse. Participants were questioned about their styles of conflict resolution with partners and how pets were treated in the home. Information was gathered using the Conflict Tactics Scale, and three surveys were developed for this study: the Battered Partner Shelter Survey, Families and Pets Survey, and the Child 's Observations and Experience with Pets. Four groups were recruited: (a) women in crisis shelters who chose to include one of their children in the study (n = 39), (b) women in crisis shelters who did not …

Characteristics Of Internalizing Social-Emotional Behaviors Of Southwestern Native American Children, Carolyn Thomas Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The knowledge base targeting internalizing symptomatology in Native American children is surprisingly limited. As yet, it is not clear if the process and symptoms of internalizing disorders are the same across cultures. The need for further investigation is heightened by the fact that, compared to the majority population, Native Americans are believed to be at greater risk for psychological problems because of impoverished conditions, high unemployment, and high numbers of traumatic events on the reservations. Additionally, the losses of traditional culture and language are considered risk factors for greater psychopathology. The negative ramifications of internalizing disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety) …

Political Psychology And Critiques Of The Scientific Method: Azt, Asia, Africa, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article critiques critiques of clinical outcome studies carried out in Third World countries of Asia and Africa for new methods of AZT treatment that might affect the transmission of HIV from pregnant women to their infants. Some of these studies have been supported by the United States' Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institutes of Health and opposed by several articles in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The Politics Of Stress Management: The Newest Opiate Of The Masses, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article posits a politically exploitive agenda underlying the theory, research, and practice of stress management.

Psychology Of Sex: The Evolutionary Scandals, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes the rudiments of evolutionary psychology as they pertain to the incidence and prevalence of sex scandals and their political consequences.

Effective Treatment Of Psychopaths Who Violently Offend: Suggestions From Political Psychology And Virtual Reality Technology, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes some difficulties in treating psychopaths who have been convicted of violent offenses. As well, it offers some suggestions for resolving these difficulties.

How Standards And Accountability Lead To Safety And Security Violations At Nuclear Weapons Plants, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes some counterintuitive consequences of instituting safety standards and accountability practices at nuclear weapons plants.

Trends. Alternative Therapies And Resistance To Disconfirming Information In Security Bureaucracies: Perspective Of A Fourth Grader, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the science experiment of a fourth-grader in relation to practitioners of alternative therapies and the health field.

Man To Man: A Psychodynamic/ Developmental Understanding Of Adult Male Same-Sex Friendship, Len D. Mccoy

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Within psychology there has been a historic lack of literature on male development at the social, personal and intrapsychic levels. This is currently being remediated somewhat, but large voids still exist. Not only is male development under-represented, but there is even less research on the development and attributes of men's same-sex friendships. This study describes typical strengths and deficits in male friendships. The areas of deficit include the lack of emotional closeness many men experience with each other and the decline in friends that many men experience post-adolescence. An analysis of developmental and psychodynamic issues seeks to help illuminate the …

Violence-Prevention Education For The Primary Classroom, Carrie Shaw

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This holistic curriculum addresses the many realms in which violence affects children: cognitive, affective, social, and behavioral. A violence prevention thematic unit containing lesson plans, performance tasks, and learning centers has been built around six research-based interlocking components: understanding violence, identifying and expressing emotions, valuing peace, feeling a sense of community, being safe, and resolving conflicts nonviolently. The goal is that through beginning to teach practical violence prevention skills in these six areas in the primary grades (K-3), children will learn how to handle their aggressions and resolve conflicts without the use of violence.

The Effects Of Pretherapy Information On The Client's Perception Of A Counselor's Values And Receptiveness To Treatment, James C. Thomas

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Over the past thirty years there has been a growing awareness in the psychological community that a counselor's personal values, including religious values, influences the therapy relationship. Despite this awareness, few counselors have made it a practice of sharing their value orientation with their clients. One way of helping clients make informed choices about whether they want to enter therapy with a certain counselor is to give them information before therapy begins about a counselor's personal values that may influence the therapy relationship. This study partially replicates the work of Lewis and Epperson ( l 991) and shows that pre …

The Social Diffusion Of Safe Sex Behaviors In College Women, Sherry Pagoto

Masters Theses

With the ever rising numbers of people becoming infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 1997) the need for preventing the spread of infection is clear. One promising intervention, based on a theory called social diffusion, involves training popular opinion leaders to act as behavior change endorsers within their community (Kelly, 1991). This study found 25-30% reductions in high-risk behaviors and 16-18% increases in safe sex behaviors in a male homosexual population as a result of this type of intervention. The current study examines the effectiveness of this intervention within a …

Direct Service Staff's Perceptions Of Psychotropic Medication In Noninstitutional Settings For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Leeann Christian

Dissertations

Approximately 35-55% of individuals with mental retardation who live in the community are prescribed psychotropic and/or antiepileptic medication (Aman, Saphare, & Burrows, 1995; Singh, Guernsey, & Ellis, 1992). As more individuals with severe behavior challenges are transitioned from institutions into the community, these rates are likely to increase. Given these prevalence rates, it is important to determine whether staff who serve people with mental retardation are adequately educated about psychotropic medications. Previous studies (Aman, Singh, & White, 1987; Gadow, 1983; Singh, Epstein, Stout, Luebke, & Ellis, 1994; Singh et al., 1996) surveyed a variety of service providers in school and …

Machiavellianism Achievement And Gender Roles, Kathleen M. Gibson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The focus of the current study was to find a relationship between Machiavellianism and achievement motivation. Gender, gender-role orientation, and college major were also introduced as variables. Two-hundred and forty university students majoring in either business or psychology completed various self-report measures. Results based on correlations and an analysis of variance produced the following results: Women of both majors had higher Machiavellian scores than males of both majors; business majors had a higher desire to work hard and were more competitive than psychology majors (especially males); scores on the Machiavellian scale positively correlated with competitiveness for females. For males, Machiavellianism …

Men Who Batter: Personality Variables, Relationship Variables, And Treatment Outcome, Lisa M. Petrica

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between the personality characteristics of male batterers and treatment outcome. It also examined a pattern of communication found in violent couples where the male pursues the female and the female withdraws in an argument. The study also compared alcohol use with treatment outcome.

Twenty-one men who attended a group psychoeducational treatment program for batterers completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). The men were divided into three groups based on their scores: non-pathological (normal profile), narcissistic/antisocial (elevated psychopathic deviate scale), and severely disordered (elevations on several scales). Pre and post-test measures were completed: Dyadic Adjustment …

Development And Validation Of A Work Safety Compliance Measure, Tara L. Smecko

Dissertations and Theses

It is important that organizations manage the safety behavior of employees by the implementation of a safety program including periodic assessment of the safety level (i.e., how frequently employees are complying with safety guidelines) in the organization. The occupational safety literature lacks sufficient assessment tools for measuring employee safety behavior.

The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a comprehensive measure of compliance with safety behavior guidelines in the form of a questionnaire that can be utilized across industries and occupations. The research objectives for the present study were to: 1) Perform factor analysis on the safety …

World Views, Political Attitudes And Risk Perception, Lennart Sjöberg

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

Dr. Sjöberg questions the Cultural Theory approach to evaluating variance in risk perception. He also presents the results of a survey using elements of that and other scales to help explain individual differences in risk perception.