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A Qualitative Examination Of The Psychosocial Adjustment Of Khmer Refugees In Three Massachusetts Communities, Leakhena Nou

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This paper uses a sociological stress process model to explore the Khmer adult refugees’ experience in Massachusetts. The analysis is based on the responses of three focus groups in the Khmer communities of Lowell, Lynn, and Revere, Massachusetts. The focus groups provided an in-depth understanding of sources of stress, stress mediators, and psychosocial adjustment/adaptational patterns for Khmer refugees who had experienced the Cambodian genocide. Symptoms and reactions associated with underlying causes of mental health problems had culturally specific relevance to physical illness and mental health.

An Evaluation Of Intraverbal Training And Listener Training For Teaching Categorization Skills, Anna Ingeborg Petursdottir

Dissertations

Behavioral language interventions, such as those employed in early and intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs, target both expressive and receptive language skills. Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior provides a framework for analyzing expressive and receptive language in terms of stimulus control and reinforcement history. From this perspective, different expressive language programs target different verbal operants, such as tacts, intraverbals, and echoics , whereas most receptive language programs target a type of listener behavior that may be referred to as manded stimulus selection (Michael, 1995). Although EIBI curricula (e.g., Maurice, Green, & Luce, 1996; Leaf & McEachin, 1999) have frequently …

Eating Disorder Risk In Subgroups Of College Freshman Women, Karen E. Gochnour

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to identify subgroups within the college population having a heightened risk for eating disorders. The information for this analysis was retrieved from an existing data set. The two variables that were compared were self selection of college major at the initial collection during freshman year. The sample size of 1,924 was used to see if subgroups of college majors had a heightened risk. Twenty groups composed of similar majors were studied. The majors of Dance, Dietetics, Physical Education, and Communications had heightened risk according to analysis percentage of each group in the clinical range …

The Impact Of Sexual Abuse And How Children Cope: Different Perspectives From Caretakers And Children, Megan M. Schacht

Dissertations

Child sexual abuse is a complicated stressor with a broad range of associated symptoms. It has been suggested that the coping techniques children utilize may act as a mediating variable in the relationship between child sexual abuse and subsequent difficulties. Until recently, child sexual abuse sequelae were assessed in a piecemeal fashion, with individual tests for each symptom domain and reporter. However, recent developments in the area of trauma assessment have provided researchers with complementary caretaker- and self-report measures to assess a broad range of trauma-related symptoms (i.e., the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children [TSCYC] and the Trauma Symptom …

Temperament, Distraction, And Learning In Toddlerhood, Wallace E. Dixon Jr., Brenda J. Salley, Andrea D. Clements

ETSU Faculty Works

The word- and nonword-learning abilities of toddlers were tested under various conditions of environmental distraction, and evaluated with respect to children's temperamental attentional focus. Thirty-nine children and their mothers visited the lab at child age 21-months, where children were exposed to fast-mapping word-learning trials and nonlinguistic sequential learning trials. It was found that both word- and nonword-learning were adversely affected by the presentation of environmental distractions. But it was also found that the effect of the distractions sometimes depended on children's level of attentional focus. Specifically, children high in attentional focus were less affected by environmental distractions than children low …

Medical Model Influence In Counseling And Psychotherapy: Counseling Psychology Training Directors' Views, Dallas R. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The practice of counseling and psychotherapy is influenced by a number of ideologies, models, and paradigms. Among these, the medical model's influence is particularly salient. The ideology of the medical field pervades the theory, research, and practice of psychology and its influence deserves close examination. The few studies in this area that have been conducted are descriptive and basic in nature. The present study aimed to contribute richness and depth to conversations about medical model influence. By interviewing Counseling Psychology training directors and applying a qualitative analysis, this study provided the following themes that characterize views of the medical model's …

The Effects Of Speech Rate On Comprehension, Jamilah Adams, Michelle Weber

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

There is a perception that the rate of speech affects the level of comprehensibility of a listener. If the rate of a speaker during a speech or lecture does in fact affect the level of comprehension, then the speaker would have to modify his/her rate of speech in order to benefit the ears of all his/her listeners. In the present study, 40 participants listened to four passages, taken from www.testpreview.com all recorded at varying speeds, after which they answered 10 questions that corresponded with the passages. Results found that speech rate had no effect on comprehension. However, findings based on …

A Survey Of Teaming And Assessment Practices Of Practitioners Trained In Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Breanna Bartley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research project is an electronic survey of Western Kentucky University graduates of an OSEP funded personnel preparation project (Project TEAM) from the years 1993-2000. The program trained graduate students in transdisciplinary play based assessment from the disciplines of psychology, speech/language pathology, and Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) through a series of coursework, seminars and an internship. Transdisciplinary play based assessment (TPBA) is recommended by experts and learned societies in the early childhood field and is considered to be child friendly, provides a holistic view of the child and promotes communication and collaboration between the professionals and family (Linder, 1990; …

A Comparison Of Two Measures Of Oral Reading Fluency, Kara Bletzinger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reading fluency is an important part of the process of learning to read. It is commonly assessed by the use of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) techniques; however, a new assessment method emerged in the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement- Third Edition (WJ-III). Only one previous study had examined the validity of the Reading Fluency test from the WJ-III by comparing it to established CBM measures of reading fluency for a sample of third-grade students. The resulting correlation between the two measures supported the validity of the WJIII Reading Fluency test, but it was unclear as to the two tests' relationship across grade …

An Assessment Of School Adjustment In Head Start Children, Rachel Waford

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the current study was to pilot test measures of cognitive-linguistic achievement and socioemotional competence to create an all encompassing model of school adjustment in a sample of Head Start children (N = 36). Past research examining school adjustment in low-income children has failed to address all of the components of school adjustment while often employing the same reporter (the teacher) for both predictor and outcome measures. Cognitive-linguistic measures included four subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement and two assessments of phonological awareness (rhyming and alliteration). Emotion regulation measures included teacherreported emotionality and emotion regulation, parent-reported emotionality …

Assessing Cognitive Abilities In A Sample Of Sioux Children Utilizing Traditional And Nonverbal Measures Of Intelligence, Norman C. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The disproportionate number of American Indian students receiving special education services indicates an ongoing need for research leading to improved assessment and placement practices with this population. Standardized tests are most often used to screen and select students for special education services. However, not all intelligence tests have been normed for use with all populations, especially where minority groups have been concerned.

While the merits of traditional intelligence tests must not be discounted, the emergence of new tests and assessment measures is encouraging, particularly for the assessment of American Indian students. A natural next step is to consider a traditional …

Expressive Writing And Breast Cancer: Outcomes And Linguistic Analyses, Kelly N. Hughes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This project examined the imp act of an expressive writing intervention as compared to a general health in formation control on breast cancer patients' postradiation treatment. It further examined the content of the expressive writing narratives. The sample included women who were completing radiation treatment for breast cancer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and City of Hope hospital. The measures utilized in this study were self-report instruments targeting psychological distress (PANAS, JES) and general functioning (SIP), as well as demographic questionnaires. Results revealed the expressive writing intervention significantly impacted positive affect over time. Furthermore, participants from both the treatment and …

The Healing Potential Of Art: A Psychobiographical Study Of Three Artists, Amy Reahard

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The statement that art in itself is healing may not always be true as demonstrated by the destructive, often short lives of many artists. This may appear to contradict the fundamental belief, held by many art therapists, that art is healing. Studying the fields of creativity and art history could help understand this apparent contradiction.

One way to combine the studies of creativity, the healing power of art, and art history is through the practice of psychobiography. The psychobiographer who studies the life of a prominent artist combines various psychological approaches with the literary records, art history, and visual evidence …

Examination Of The Issues And Scientific Evidence For The Identification Process Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Individuals With Learning Disabilities To Enhance Academic Outcomes, Scot Ferre

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Although the identification of learning disabilities (LD) is a viable means to provide appropriate

instructional and support services for students with academic difficulties, there is a limited

knowledge base about the identification, assessment, and intervention of and for LD in deaf and

hard of hearing (D/HH) students. Given the potential consequences of test results, this review

examined current and recent developments in the field of learning disabilities concerning the

conceptualization of learning disability and the validity and empirical support of earlier

identification methods and various assessment identification options with D/HH students.

Challenges to the process and the need for additional …

Effects Of Single Versus Multiple Verbal Operant Arrangements On The Acquisition Of Mands And Tacts In Preschool Children, Tina M. Sidener

Dissertations

Verbal Behavior programs for children diagnosed with autism typically teach novel language in the context of multiple verbal operant arrangements. Commonly called "mixed verbal behavior", this involves the interspersal of various exemplars across verbal operant categories. Despite the current recommended use of this teaching procedure, only 2 studies to date have empirically evaluated its effectiveness (i.e., Arntzen & Almas, 2001; Carroll & Hesse, 1987). In both of these studies, mixed mand-tact training resulted in faster mean acquisition of tacts than tact-only training. In Experiment 1 of the current investigation, a systematic replication of previous studies was conducted with 3 typically-developing …

The Effect Of Music On The Human Body And Mind, Dawn Kent

Senior Honors Theses

Music has a vast influence over the nations and peoples on this planet. It has been used in every culture, and is often connected with anxiolytic and analgesic properties. Today it is used in many hospitals to help patients relax and help relieve or ease pain, confusion and anxiety. Music is also commonly used in counseling. Music therapy techniques may include guided listening or improvisational playing and are used within the context of many theories, and for many types of mental disorders, from depression to schizophrenia. Many of the healing qualities of music in counseling are connected to its use …

Thinking For Speaking About Motion: L1 And L2 Speech And Gesture, Gale Stam

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Effect Of Single-Sex Versus Mixed-Sex Classes On Middle School Student Achievement, Carol E. Thom

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of single-sex versus mixedsex classes on middle school student achievement. It was a case study of Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Charleston, West Virginia, an inner-city school with approximately 600 students, of which 30% were minority (mostly black), 30% were special needs, and 70% were classified low socio-economic status (SES). Student WESTEST (West Virginia Educational Standards Test) scores in reading/language arts and math were collected and compared from the school years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. Each student’s scores from the first year were compared to that same student’s scores from the …

The Interface Between Self-Efficacy, Life Satisfaction, And Emotional And Informational Support For Korean Learners Acquiring English As A Second Language, Cheryl C.Y. Choe

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this study is to examine the interface between self-efficacy, life satisfaction, and emotional and informational support for Korean learners acquiring English as a Second Language. More specifically, the aim of this study is to explore the interface among psychological variables (e.g., speaking, reading, writing, and listening self-efficacy), mediating variables (e.g., emotional and informational support received from parents, teachers, and friends) and behavioral outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction within the family, at school/work, and in personal relationships with friends) by examining the linear structural model developed by Kim and Park (1998) and revised by Choe (2000). Self-efficacy is typically …

The Role Of Identity In Acculturation Among Immigrant People: Theoretical Propositions, Empirical Questions, And Applied Recommendations, Seth J. Schwartz, Marilyn J. Montgomery, Ervin Briones

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

The present paper advances theoretical propositions regarding the relationship between acculturation and identity. The most central thesis argued is that acculturation represents changes in cultural identity and that personal identity has the potential to ‘anchor’ immigrant people during their transition to a new society. The article emphasizes the experiences of nonwhite, non-Western immigrant people moving to Western nations. The article also calls for research on heretofore unexplored aspects of the relationship of acculturation to personal and social identity. Ideas are proposed for interventions to promote cultural identity change and personal identity coherence.

Bilingual Lexical Activation In Sentence Context, Ana Schwartz, Judith Kroll

Selected Works Temporary Series

The present study investigated the cognitive nature of second language (L2) lexical processing in sentence context. We examined bilinguals’ L2 word recognition performance for language-ambiguous words [cognates (e.g., piano); and homographs (e.g., pan)] in two sentence context experiments with highly proficient Spanish-English bilinguals living in a bilingual community (Experiment 1) and with intermediate proficiency Spanish-English bilinguals living in a monolingual community (Experiment 2). To determine the influence of sentence constraint on cross-language activation, the critical words and their matched controls were inserted in low- and high-constraint sentences. In low-constraint sentences significant cognate facilitation was observed, suggesting that both languages were …

Word Association Tests Of Associative Memory And Implicit Processes: Theoretical And Assessment Issues, Alan W. Stacy, Susan L. Ames, Jerry L. Grenard

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Word association is one of the most commonly used measures of association in cognitive science. These tests have been used to infer association parameters in normative studies, to derive cues and primes used in diverse paradigms (semantic priming, cued recall, illusory memory), to test implicit memory in experimental studies, and to suggest the operation of implicit processes in nonexperimental work. This chapter briefly outlines some of the historical routes and current controversies about association and summarizes basic cognitive research applying associative tests. The authors then describe benefits and limitations of the tests, as well as implications for theory and interventions …

Phenomenological Analysis Of Experimentally Induced Visual Mental Imagery Associated With Shamanic Journeying To The Lower World, Adam J. Rock

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This study explored ostensibly shamanic journeying imagery by (a) assessing visual images across induction

techniques (i.e., sonic driving, Ganzfeld, relaxation, and sitting with eyes open); (b) determining combination(

s) of induction technique and instructions most associated with religious imagery; and (c) investigating

the origins of visual imagery. Six participants were randomly assigned to factorial combinations of

a 3 x 4 mixed design (levels of instruction x levels of induction) and were administered the Modified Affect

Bridge to explore the origins of mental imagery reported during the experimental conditions.

Phenomenological analysis yielded comprehensive constituent themes. Harner’s (1990) shamanic journeying,

coupled with …

Bilingual Lexical Activation In Sentence Context, Ana Schwartz, Judith Kroll

Departmental Papers (Psych)

The present study investigated the cognitive nature of second language (L2) lexical processing in sentence context. We examined bilinguals’ L2 word recognition performance for language-ambiguous words [cognates (e.g., piano); and homographs (e.g., pan)] in two sentence context experiments with highly proficient Spanish-English bilinguals living in a bilingual community (Experiment 1) and with intermediate proficiency Spanish-English bilinguals living in a monolingual community (Experiment 2). To determine the influence of sentence constraint on cross-language activation, the critical words and their matched controls were inserted in low- and high-constraint sentences. In low-constraint sentences significant cognate facilitation was observed, suggesting that both languages were …

Social Suffering, Gender, And Women's Depression, Jeanne Marecek

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Manifest, Hidden, And Divine: Introduction To Sefirot Aikido, Jack Susman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The potential for forging a valuable relationship between two transpersonal systems, Aikido, a Japanese martial art and spiritual tradition, and Kabbalah, a Jewish spiritual tradition, is explored. Aikido is not simply a martial art, rather it is also a way to achieve a sense of the spiritual. However, especially for Westerners, many of its spiritual tenets are elusive, based on abstruse Japanese cultural roots, whereas Kabbalah, as a spiritual tradition more fully explicated for Western audiences, can provide an accessible framework for grasping some of Aikido’s deeper meanings. A blend of these traditions, called Sefirot Aikido, uses Kabbalah to understand, …

Theory Of Mind And Deception Ability, Amanda Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Social based strategies such as deception may require a theory of mind. Individuals with developmental disorders have deficits in deception that may be related to deficits in ToM. Individuals in the general population may have similar deficits. Participants were asked to rate the believability of videotaped actors. We found an inverse relationship between autistic and schizotypal tendencies and deception detection. Increased self-awareness scores were related to increased confidence when determining the believability of an actor. Results suggest deception detection is related to both self-awareness and Theory of mind.

The Impact Of In-Service Training On Burnout At The Institute Of Public Administration, Maghram M. Al-Amri

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to assess the effects of training on burnout and job satisfaction by conducting pre- and post-tests of participants in various training programs provided by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). This study used a Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) modified survey. The results suggested that the burnout levels among trainees after the professional in-service training program were not significantly different from the burnout level before the professional in-service training. At the organizational level, the findings supported a relationship between burnout and promotion, departmental and organizational tenure, age, and changing jobs and organizations. This study provided some valuable …

The Impact Of Letter Detection On Eye Movement Patterns During Reading: Reconsidering Lexical Analysis In Connected Text As A Function Of Task, Seth N. Greenberg, Albrecht Inhoff, Ulrich W. Weger

Psychology Faculty Work

A comparison was made between reading tasks performed with and without the additional requirement of detecting target letters. At issue was whether eye movement measures are affected by the additional requirement of detection. Global comparisons showed robust effects of task type with longer fixations and fewer word skippings when letter detection was required. Detailed analyses of target words, however, further showed that reading with and without letter detection yielded virtually identical effects of word class and text predictability for word-skipping rate and similar effects for different word viewing duration measures. The overall oculomotor pattern suggested that detection does not substantially …

Hispanics' Attitudes Toward Seeking Counselingas A Function Of Psychosocial And Demographic Variables, Angela Rojas-Vilches

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using variables identified in the social science literature believed to influence attitudes toward seeking professional counseling, an attempt was made to develop a model for predicting Hispanics' willingness to obtain professional help. A second purpose of this study was to compare college students (n = 158) with their parents on their attitudes toward mental illness and toward seeking counseling. Among predictor variables, social stigma and the belief that mental illnesses are untreatable were the primary variables predicting attitudes toward seeking counseling. The more college students and their parents perceived there to be social stigma attached to those seeking therapy, and …