Digital Commons Network^™

Reliability And Construct Validity Of An Adjective Rating Scale Of Concept Of God, James D. Fischer

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The reliability and construct validity of Gorsuch's (1968) adjective rating scale of concept of God (COG) was investigated. Two separate samples of 72 and 197 participants were utilized to complete four statistical analyses: (a) test-retest reliability was computed on a sample of 120 participants; (b) measures of internal consistency were computed providing coefficient alpha's for each scale of the COG; (c) the COG was correlated with the Spiritual Well-Being scale, the Spiritual Maturity Index, the Religious Orientation Scale, and the Spiritual Distress Scale; (d) a confirmatory factor analysis was completed hypothesizing both a one- and four-factor model. The four-factor model …

The Effects Of Combining Behavioral Counselling With Nicotine Fading And Smoke Holding In Medically At-Risk Adult Smokers, Terry Steven Bradford

Dissertations

The present study examined the effects of nicotine fading and a taste aversion procedure during behavioral treatment for smoking cessation. Nine subjects were initially assigned to one of two groups. Informed consent and physician waivers were obtained. Behavioral counseling was provided with the objective of subjects becoming self-control agents. After baseline, patients were taught to apply nicotine fading techniques. Subjects also received instruction and practice in goal setting and in using alternative responses, relaxation, and so forth. Three consecutive daily sessions of smoke holding were then done, during which subjects were instructed to stop smoking, followed by maintenance sessions. Results …

The Acquisition Of Spelling By Developmentally Disabled Adults: An Examination Of Some Variations Of The Look-Cover-Write-Check Cycle, Mark Stafford

Masters Theses

Five developmentally disabled adults were taught to spell groups of five words using the look-over-write-check cycle, in which the subject looks at the word, covers it, writes the word, then looks at the word again to check the accuracy of spelling. Four variations of this procedure were used with each of the subjects including requiring the subjects to spell the words out loud in the "look" component. The results showed that the subjects required fewer sessions and fewer trials to spell the five words when the out loud requirement was in effect. Approximations generated as the subjects learned to spell …

Vocal Recognition Of Pups By Mother Mexican Free-Tailed Bats, Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana, Jonathan P. Balcombe

Sentience Collection

The ability of Mexican free-tailed bat mothers and pups to recognize vocalizations of their presumptive kin (pup isolation calls and mother echolocation calls, respectively) was tested using playbacks of recorded calls. Captive individuals were presented with calls of two bats, one presumptive kin and the other a stranger, from opposite sides of a circular wire arena. Response was determined by amount of time spent on each side of the arena, time spent in contact with a cloth bat model in front of each speaker, and number of separate contacts with each model. For the latter two measures, mothers showed a …

The Effect Of Repetitive Midazolam Treatment On Acoustical Startle In Rats, Robert Francis Mirabella

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that have several actions including hypnotic features, anti-convulsant features, and anxiolytic features. Midazolam (MZ), a short acting benzodiazepine, is of special interest because of its probable high abuse potential and its efficacy as a preanesthetic.

Tolerance to drug effect has been found for both the hypnotic and anti-convulsant activity of benzodiazepines. Tolerance to the anxiolytic activity of benzodiazepines, however, is less clear. Evidence suggests that the time course for the development of tolerance associated with the anxiolytic action of MZ is slower than the time course associated with tolerance to the sedative and anticonvulsant …

Efficiency Of Monoclonal Antibodies To Detect Respiratory Virus Antigens In Clinical Specimens, Kenneth E. Irmen

Theses and Dissertations

The development of specific antiviral therapy has increased the need for rapid viral diagnosis and necessitates a better understanding of viral epidemiology. The purposes of this study were to determine the efficiency of immunofluorescent assay employing monoclonal antibodies from commercial sources to detect respiratory virus antigens in clinical specimens and to define the epidemiology of respiratory viruses in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Throat swab, nasopharyngeal swabs and nasopharyngeal washes were excellent specimens for studying viral epidemiology; virus isolation rates were 7.7%, 33.2%, and 39.7%, respectively. Yearly epidemics of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza were observed. In contrast, parainfluenza and adenovirus infections …

The Relationship Between Raw Scores On The Kaufman Assessment Battery For Children And School Attendance For Sioux Children Ages 8-12, Mike Cummings

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study was conducted to examine one aspect of construct validity for the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Forty-eight Sioux children at five age levels (8 to 12.5) were used in this study. Relying on theories of child development, most tests of mental abilities have been constructed so that raw scores will increase with age. Pearson r correlation coefficients between age and raw scores were calculated across five age levels for this sample of Sioux children. The Simultaneous-, Sequential-, and Achievement-scale raw scores significantly correlate with age at the .05 level for a one-tailed test of significance. Number Recall …

Evaluation Of An Aerodynamic Particle Sizer With Certified Polydisperse Test Dusts, Stanley J. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) is a near real time laser particle sizer that counts and sizes particles in the range of 0.5 /xm to 3 0 /xm, which makes it ideal for measuring the particle size distribution of fly ash from coal combustion. While the APS has proven to be a valuable instrument for measuring particle size distribution from flue gas streams, data indicate that the APS may not be providing an accurate particle size distribution over the entire range of 0.5 /xm to 30 /xm.

The primary objective of this study was to determine the ability of the …

National Survey Of Degreed Mental Health Workers Providing Services To American Indian Populations: Identification Of Preferred Theoretical Orientations And Treatment Modalities, Michelle M. Tangimana

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous surveys of mental health professionals regarding theoretical orientation and the use of various treatment modalities provided valuable information concerning the nature of mental health delivery but primarily focused on professionals providing services to dominant-culture clientele. The present study focused on those degreed workers whose primary clientele were American Indian. Questionnaires were returned by 140 mental health workers who are American Psychological Association (APA) members of American Indian descent, members of the Society of Indian Psychologists (SIP), employees of the Indian Health Service (IHS), and graduate psychology students. Questionnaire responses were analyzed in terms of orientation and treatment modality for …

The Development And Validation Of A System For The Knowledge-Based Tutoring Of Special Education Rules And Regulations, Mark S. Thornburg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research indicates that school officials fail to identify a relatively high proportion of school-aged children with behavioral or emotional handicaps. As a result, these children may not be receiving the special education services to which they are entitled. Multidisciplinary team members may be failing to identify these children because they lack understanding of special education rules and regulations. The purpose of this project was to combine the technologies of expert systems and mastery-based instruction to develop an inservice and preservice training program capable of producing mastery-level performance of the skills required to identify children with behavioral or emotional handicaps. Borg …

A Reliability Study On The Self-Report Behavioral Measure For Evaluating Therapeutic Outcome, Sharon B. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Statement of the Problem

Because the original reliability study using the Self-Report Behavioral Measure for Evaluating Therapeutic Outcomes (Behavioral Checklist) used college students as subjects, and since the target population for use with this instrument is a client population, there is a need for a reliability study using clients in treatment as subjects.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of the Behavioral Checklist using a client population. The secondary objective was to revise the Behavioral Checklist, if necessary, in order to meet the standards of reliability for testing instruments.

Methods and Procedure

Three reliability measures …

Self-Consciousness And Body Image Issues Among College Females, Mary E. Doty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined some of the procedures used in eating disorder research. Body size estimation procedures, in light of their similarity to procedures in social psychology, were used to create self-focus and self-consciousness conditions. If the procedures in the present study create self-consciousness effects, it is possible that the results of those studies have been affected by a heightened state of self-awareness. The present research also explored the relationships between self-consciousness, self-esteem, body esteem, body perception, and eating disorder proneness.

The research was conducted with a nonclinical sample from a university population, controlling for age and body development factors. Baseline …

Encouraging Navajo Parents' Involvement In Their Children's Education, Wanda Benale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The transition of Navajo Indian children from boarding schools to public schools has brought about the challenge of involving parents in their children's education. These people have previously been accustomed to having the education of their children left to the distant schools, with little opportunity for parental involvement. As a consequence, it is often difficult to get these parents to accept the schools' invitations to participate in conferences and other activities when parental involvement is important.

This study reviewed all of the reports that could be found of programs involving Indians and non-Indian parents in their children's education. These programs …

An Explanatory Study Of Maternal Stress And Coping With A Cystic Fibrosis Child, Leslie G. Potter

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of coping with a cystic fibrosis (CF) child and to define coping strategies from the perspective of the mother. The research design was based upon a phenomenological approach with analysis of transcribed, semi-structured interviews with mothers of CF children. A purposive sample of eight mothers with CF children were interviewed to explore the maternal CF experience. Each interview was tape recorded and followed up with a phone call to allow the mothers to add additional information, if so desired. Data analysis consisted of reviewing each typed, verbatim transcript to categorize …

Predicting Attrition For Women At West Point : Is It A Function Of Adopting The Male Dominant Culture?, Jane P. Mckeon

Master's Theses

This study examined 40 selected items from the Student Information Form that had been identified as representing cultural differences between men and women at the United States Military Academy. A principal components analysis of the data collected from 3005 male and 314 female cadets yielded 7 factors for men and 6 factors for women suitable for interpretation. As hypothesized, men and women were found to have similar cultual values, attitudes and experiences based on their similar factor structures. Next, item responses from 58 women attriters were compared to responses from the nonattriters. Using all the factors identified for the women, …

The Relationship Between Occupational Choice And Perceptions Of Professional Nursing Functions And Characteristics, Ellis Quinn Youngkin

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study identifies the occupational interests and predominant vocational personality types of freshmen students (undeclared majors, nursing majors, and non-nursing majors), explores perceptions about selected professional nursing functions and characteristics among the students, and examines perceptual differences between groups (majors).

A non-experimental ex post facto design is used to analyze data from 312 students in a large urban university. Descriptive and inferential statistics are applied in data analysis. The following findings support the hypotheses: (1) Nursing continues to attract the traditional student who has Holland's Social vocational personality type as measured by the Self-Directed Search, although many Social types are …

School Of Psychology Master's Course Schedule Spring 1990, Nova University

College of Psychological Services / College of Psychology Postgraduate Student and Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Four Performance Techniques For Paraprofessional Direct-Care Staff Working With Developmentally Disabled Adults In Group Homes, L. Martin Grabijas

Dissertations

The habilitation and training of the developmentally disabled has improved markedly in the last two decades. The creation of small, community-based living facilities has allowed these individuals to move from restrictive settings into the community where training in daily living skills can occur in a more natural fashion. While this movement has been positive for the consumer, the preparedness of the staff working in those facilities has not been adequately addressed. Many human service agencies use a generic training package to prepare their staff, yet current research indicates that such training is less than adequate, both in terms of preparing …

Parallel Process: An Empirical Investigation, Thomas E. Pollack

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to conduct an empirical investigation of parallel process. The study used a cross-sectional design in which 30 therapy relationships and the corresponding supervision relationships were studied. The therapist assessed the behavior manifested by the patient during a targeted therapy session. Following the subsequent supervision session, the supervisor assessed the behavior manifested by the supervisee during the supervision session. In addition, each of the triad participants (patient, therapist, supervisor) rated the level of anxiety they experienced during the targeted therapy and supervision sessions. Measures of interpersonal style for each of the subjects were also …

Retirement And Re-Entry Decision-Making: A Faculty Perspective, Seth Zimmer

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Universities are faced with an aging workforce and threatened with deficits in number and quality of replacements for retirees. New policies and programs affecting retirement and workforce re-entry are taking shape. This points to the need for research on the factors used by faculty members in the retirement decision-making process.

Faculty are somewhat unique in that their university roles and responsibilities often allow them to be professionally active simultaneously in other settings. The usual concept of retirement becomes somewhat blurred where faculty members are concerned.

The decision of when to retire and whether or not to re-enter the workforce must …

The Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse And Coping With Interpersonal Conflict In Adulthood, Jennifer Leigh Kerpelman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and the adult woman's ability to cope with interpersonal conflict. Seventy women participated in the study. They were placed in one of two groups: sexually abused during childhood (SAC) or not abused during childhood (NAC). The subjects were recruited from several self-help groups and mental health facilities. The subjects completed inventories which measured coping strategies, problem solving abilities, attributional style, and assertion style and dating comfort. It was found that the SAC group members perceived less personal control than the NAC group when dealing with problem …

Dsm-Iii-R Subtypes Of Social Phobia: Comparison Of Generalized Social Phobics And Public Speaking Phobics, Richard G. Heimberg, Debra A. Hope, Cynthia S. Dodge, Robert E. Becker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social phobic patients who fear most or all social interaction situations are labeled generalized social phobics in DSM-III-R. Thirty-five patients who met this criterion were compared with 22 social phobic patients whose fears were restricted to public-speaking situations. Generalized social phobics were younger, less educated, and less likely to be employed, and their phobias were rated by clinical interviewers as more severe than those of public-speaking phobics. Generalized social phobics appeared more anxious and more depressed and expressed greater fears concerning negative social evaluation. They performed more poorly on individualized behavioral tests and differed from public-speaking phobics in their responses …

Memory Factors In Age-Related Differences In Simple Reasoning, Timothy A. Salthouse, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Deborah Mitchell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Adults in their 50s were compared with adults in their late teens or 20s in the accuracy of relatively simple reasoning decisions involving varying amounts of information. Because the magnitude of the age differences in decision accuracy was independent of the amount of information relevant to the decision, it was suggested that adults in their 20s and 50s do not differ in the effectiveness of integrating information across multiple premises. However, the 2 groups differed in the accuracy of trials involving only a single relevant premise, and thus it was inferred that 1 factor contributing to reasoning differences within the …

Caregiver Characteristics, Situational Factors, Coping Style, And Personal Adjustment Of Hospice Nurses, William W. Davis

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The questions addressed in this study were:

1. Are there any significant relationships between selected personal and professional characteristics of the hospice nurse and his/her ability to cope with work stress?

2. Which personal characteristics of the hospice nurse are the best predictors of adequate adjustment to his/her work?

The sample studied consisted of 79 registered nurse hospice care providers in the state of Oregon.

The survey instrumentation included: a personal data form; the Daily Hassles Scale (DHS), and the Ways of Coping Scale (WOC) by Lazarus and Folkman; the Staff Burnout Scale for Health Professionals (SBS) by Jones; Olson's …

The Effects Of Decreased Uncertainty And Telescopic Versus Full Field Training On The Useful Field Of View, Lauren M. Jackson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The “Useful Field of View” (UFOV) is the entire area in which information can be gathered without moving the eyes or head (Ball, Beard, Roenker, Miller & Griggs, 1998). Previous research has demonstrated that the UFOV shrinks with age (Scialfa, Kline & Lyman, 1987; Plude & Doussard-Roosevelt, 1987: Ball et al., 1988). With decrement in the UFOV, everyday activities, such as driving and walking can be limited. If the area in which information is received is smaller, then objects seem to appear suddenly and here is little time to react to them. One example of an everyday activity that would …

Cognitive Behavioral Group Treatment For Social Phobia: Comparison With A Credible Placebo Control, Richard G. Heimberg, Cynthia S. Dodge, Debra A. Hope, Charles R. Kennedy, Linda J. Zollo, Robert E. Becker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Forty-nine patients participated in a study comparing cognitive-behavioral group treatment (CBGT) for social phobia with a credible placebo control. CBGT consisted of exposure to simulated phobic events, cognitive restructuring of maladaptive thoughts, and homework for self-directed exposure and cognitive restructuring between sessions. Control patients received a treatment package consisting of lecture-discussion and group support that was comparable to CBGT on measures of treatment credibility and outcome expectations. At pretest, posttest, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, patients completed assessments that included clinician ratings, self-report measures, and behavioral physiological and cognitive-subjective measures derived from a behavioral simulation of a personally relevant phobic …

Elder Volunteerism: Minnesota's Silver Lining, Gerald A. Bloedow, Ralph H. Brown

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Scientific Method, Anti-Foundationalism, And Public Decision-Making, Kristin Shrader-Frechette

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

An examination of the legitimacy of attacks on lay assessments of environmental or other technological Risk. The case is made that rational policy requires an epistemology in which what we believe about Risk is bootstrapped onto how we should act concerning Risk.

Mysticism: Its Relationship To Religious Experience And Psychopathology, Richard Paul Jager

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Partial Hepatectomy On The Strength Of A Conditioned Taste Aversion: A Parametric Study, Christopher Adam Duva

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.