Digital Commons Network^™

Legibility, Mystery, And Visual Access As Predictors Of Preference And Perceived Danger In Forest Settings Without Pathways, Thomas R. Herzog, Laura S. Kropscott

Peer Reviewed Articles

The authors attempt to address some unresolved issues within the Kaplans’ preference-matrix model of environmental preference. These issues involve the relation between legibility and preference and the relations among preference, danger, and mystery. Participants rated 70 within-forest settings containing no visible pathways for preference, danger, or one of seven predictor variables. Legibility and coherence were found to be independent, positive predictors of preference. Likewise, landmarks and visual access were independent positive predictors of legibility. Legibility fully mediated the positive relation between landmarks and preference. Visual access interacted with legibility in predicting preference: The relation between preference and either predictor was …

Cultural Value Orientations, Attributions, And Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors, Patricia M. Flynn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Discrepancies in breast cancer screening behavior exist among various ethnic groups in the United States (Jacobs & Lauderdale, 2001), with Latino American women reporting particularly low screening rates in comparison to Anglo American women (ACS, 2002). Research indicates that behavior is in part influenced by aspects of culture and relevant psychological processes (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993; Betancourt & Fuentes, 2001). This study was designed to investigate the relations among cultural values, attributional processes, and breast cancer screening behavior among Anglo and Latino women. This study also investigated the influence of acculturation among Latino women in relation to the other study …

Coping Patterns Among Perpetrators Of Child Sexual Abuse, Henry Adolphus Beck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the coping and religious coping strategies used by child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetrators. It was hypothesized that (1) Perpetrators of incestuous CSA would show greater use of Emotion-Oriented coping than perpetrators of non-incestuous CSA, (2) perpetrators of non-incestuous CSA would show greater use of Task-Oriented coping than perpetrators of incestuous CSA (3) Perpetrators of incestuous CSA would show greater use of Avoidance-Oriented coping than perpetrators of non-incestuous CSA, and (4) there would be a difference in the use of positive and negative religious coping between groups of incestuous and non-incestuous CSA perpetrators. Participants completed the Coping Inventory …

Confirming The Factor Structure Of The Quality Of Life Rating, Charles John Drake Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Quality of Life Rating (Gust, 1982) (QOLR) is a clinically developed 20-item self-report instrument that has been used in spinal cord and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation clinics as well as clinical mental health environments. This current study tested a five-factor model (Huebner et al., 1998) of the QOLR using the confirmatory factor analysis method. Huebner et al.’s (1998) five extracted factors were labeled as: self-esteem and well-being, interpersonal attachment, economics or basic needs, recreation/leisure, and spirituality. For the present study, 230 completed QOLR’s collected from adults at intake of an outpatient psychological services clinic in the Southwestern United States …

Exploring The Relationship Between Race-Related Stress, Identity And Well-Being Among African Americans, Darrick Tovar-Murray

Dissertations

For almost four hundred years, African Americans have been victims of race-related stress. Race-related stress is defined as the encounters between individuals and their environment that surface from racism and strain an individual's resources or threaten his or her well-being. Despite findings on the negative impact of racism on African Americans' well-being, very little research has focused on the relationships between race-related stress, identity and well-being among African Americans.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between race-related stress, identity, and well-being among African Americans. A total of 196 African American community members and college students participated …

Negative Stereotypes And Childhood Paternal Relationships As Predictors Of Paternal Identity In African American Fathers, Danielle K. Wright

Dissertations

African American men have been widely ignored in the social science literature. When African American men have been studied, it has primarily been from a deficit model. The purpose of this study was to give voice to the African American father, whether he is working-poor, middle-class, or upper-class, biological or non-biological, residential or non-residential. The intent of the study was to explore how African American men view themselves as fathers and their own experiences of being a parent.

One hundred and one men who identified as African American, were at least 18 years old, and who had at least one …

A Comparison Of The Shopping Preferences Of College Age Apparel Shoppers In Turkey And The United States, William C. Perrine

Masters Theses

This study compared the store attribute preferences of college-age apparel shoppers in Turkey with those of their United States counterparts. The American respondents were selected from a convenience sample of students from a Midwestern university. The Turkish respondents consisted of a convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate students from two urban universities. Ninety-six surveys were given in Turkey and 113 were given in the United States to currently enrolled female and male undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 17 and 51, yielding 204 usable surveys at a 97 percent response rate. Twenty-one shopping preferences were included in the …

Melioration And The Behavioral Addiction Process: An Experimental Analysis, Jared Micah Dinehart

Theses and Dissertations

Melioration can be a factor contributing to behavioral addiction. In this study, 76 university undergraduates operated a "money machine" by selecting between choices that corresponded to maximization and melioration. Participants initially made choices consistent with a strategy of melioration and demonstrated significantly greater variability in choice behavior when visual cues were presented aimed at exposing the internality (or consequence) of the choice situation. Removal of the visual cues resulted in a return to lower responding. Visual cues may aid in interrupting the behavioral addiction pattern by limiting exclusive use of a melioration choice strategy. Methods of restructuring and experimentation with …

Euthanasia: An Exploration Of Public Opinion, Debra M. Babylon

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The acceptance of euthanasia is examined using the 1972-2002 GSS cumulative dataset. The dataset contains a total of 43,698 respondents. The euthanasia question, "Should a terminally ill patient be allowed the right to die?" was asked beginning in 1977. The number of respondents answering the euthanasia question totals 22,039. The independent variables age, race, gender, political view, religious affiliation, and education were reviewed to assess their impact on support of euthanasia. Additionally, in order to test the "slippery slope" hypothesis, the abortion question, "Should abortion be allowed under any circumstance?" was added to the independent variable list. Cross tabulation was …

How The U.S. Military's Equal Opportunity Training Program Impacts Operational Readiness And Effectiveness: An Exploratory Study, James R. Camic

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The Department of Defense is dedicated to creating an environment that recognizes individuals' diverse backgrounds. The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) was developed to train Equal Opportunity Advisors (EOAs), implement training programs at the unit level, and evaluate the Equal Opportunity Climate of the military. Many of the programs developed at DEOMI were developed with the belief that diversity appreciation and prejudice avoidance (DAPA) lead to combat readiness and operational effectiveness (CROE).

A qualitative, grounded theory approach was employed to help understand how DAP A is related to CROE. Interviews were conducted with retired EOAs in which they related …

The Effects Of Parent's Religious Coping On Children's Functioning After Loss, Beatrice A. Tauber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study explored how parent's religious coping styles influence their child's behavioral reactions following spousal bereavement. Fifteen participants were recruited from churches, bereavement groups, hospices, palliative care programs and from victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Individuals who lost a spouse within the past 3 years and who had a child between the ages of 7 and 14 years participated. Parents described the religious coping strategies they employed after the loss of their spouse on Pargament's Brief Religious Coping Scale as well as the symptoms of their child on the Child Behavior Checklist. Pearson correlations demonstrated a significant …

Family Risk Factors Related To Adolescent Adjudication, Jennifer M. Del Russo

Theses and Dissertations

Family and social relationships have been identified as risk-factors for adolescent adjudication. Ninety-five participants between the ages of 13 and 19 were recruited from the Youth Empowerment System (YES) Shelter & Residential Treatment Facility, Camden Day & Residential Treatment Center, and Camden Catholic High School in Camden County, New Jersey. The participants were administered a survey designed by the experimenter and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Chi-square analyses showed significant relationships between adjudication and who the legal guardian was, marital status of their biological parents and legal guardian, their relationship with their legal guardian, biological parents' criminal record and drug/alcohol …

Cognitive Ability Testing And Selection: A Review Of Court Decisions Since 1991, Leslie Pedigo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cognitive ability testing is utilized by many organizations in the selection process. Historically, cognitive ability testing has resulted in group differences in scores, particularly between Caucasians and African-Americans. Such group differences can result in adverse impact. This impact can lead to legal ramifications for the organization utilizing the cognitive ability test. The present study examined ten factors to determine their relationship to the findings of the courts in cases involving cognitive ability tests. The factors examined were gender of the plaintiff, reason for the lawsuit, workplace setting, group or individual plaintiffs, standardadized versus unstandardized tests, validation of the tests, development …

Interpersonal Dynamics Of Volunteers For A Simulated Prison Study, General Psychological Study, And A Helping-Behavior Study, Thomas Carnahan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) is one of the most studied and celebrated studies within social psychology. The results have long been attributed to the power of the situation and the roles that were given to the participants. The present study was based on research concerning how personality variables influence interest in volunteerism. The research hypotheses center around the belief that individuals who volunteer for a study on prison life (similar to the advertisement for the SPE) would differ on personality variables (Machiavellianism, narcissism, social dominance, authoritarianism, aggression, empathy, and altruism) from individuals who volunteer for a generic psychological study …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Children’S Development As Reflected In Their Artwork: An Investigation Of Children’S Drawings From The African Country Of Benin, Elizabeth Anna Smead

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This research adds to the body of knowledge related to the human figure drawing as a useful tool in assessment and to art therapists’ understanding of children who depict the human figure in cross-cultural settings. This researcher obtained a sample collection of 148 human figure drawings from African children in rural Benin, West Africa to study in comparison to a set of human figure drawings collected under similar conditions in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

In this quantitative study, five of the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scales (FEATS) were modified and used to tally the formal elements of each of the 148 …

The Sexual Abuse Crisis In The Roman Catholic Church: What Psychologists And Counselors Should Know, Thomas G. Plante, Courtney Daniels

Psychology

Recent events regarding child sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere have yet again resulted in a tremendous amount of media attention and frenzy regarding this topic. During 2002 alone, approximately 300 American Catholic priests, including several bishops, were accused of child sexual abuse. Many were forced to resign their positions while others were prosecuted and went to prison. Curiously, there still exist many myths and misperceptions about priests who sexually abuse children and their victims. Since psychologists and other mental health professionals are likely to interact with many who have been impacted …

A Manual For A Junior Lab Technician, Jared Blaine Burton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Dear New Junior Lab Technician,

Welcome to Dr. Barnard's laboratory. My name is Jared Burton, and I am currently in medical school. I wanted to write a little bit to give you a "heads-up" about what you should expect working here. I worked in this lab for three years. I picked up quite a bit of experience and research time during my employment here. It was a good, on-campus job. I thought I would write a little manual to be kept in the lab, with the hopes that some future employee will benefit from it, and not be quite as …

Roles Of Religious Orientation And Health Locus Of Control In An Aging Population, Jennifer A. Fallon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An intrinsic religious orientation has been linked to improved cardiovascular health. Individuals may be protected by their beliefs against anger/hostility, which have been linked to increased cardiovascular reactivity and disease. Health locus of control differentiates between internals, who take responsibility for health, and externals, who attribute responsibility to chance or powerful others. Internal health locus of control has been linked to healthy behaviors, but its relationship to religious orientation is unclear.

Intrinsically held religious beliefs and internally held expectancies for health may, through the mechanism of reactivity, reduce risk for cardiovascular disease. This study explored relationships among health …

Power Distance Perceptions In Post-Soviet Russia: Understanding The Workplace Environment, Olga Kamenchuk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The modem business economy is characterized by increased collaboration among different organizations across nation al boundaries. Post-Soviet Russia is one of the regions that is witnessing rapid economic growth and development of international business relations. Because of the challenges in intercultural communication the current study focuses on the problem of power distance, specifically in the workplace (in post-Soviet Russia).

A phenomenological perspective, based on qualitative methodology, guided this research into the meaning of power experiences for individuals. Symbolic interactionism was used as a research paradigm of the study to view humans as active participants of the workplace, who engage in …

Risk Factors For Selected Health-Related Behaviors Among American Indian Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study, Amy Jo Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Suicide and accidents are the leading causes of death among American Indian (AI) adolescents. Engaging in health-compromising behaviors (HCB) is higher among AI youth than among multicultural, national samples of adolescents. These HCBs include: smoking, drinking alcohol, drug use, and delinquency. Studies that identify legitimate predictors of these behaviors among AI adolescents are needed to guide research and interventions.

Primary socialization theory (PST) suggests that peer groups, family, and school are the only areas where adolescents are directly taught to accept or reject deviant or normative behavior. Gateway theory indicates that use of certain drugs by adolescents, such as cigarettes …

An Analysis Of Bilingual Programs In The Context Of A Schoolwide Reading Program, Jonathan A. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There has been much controversy over the effectiveness of bilingual education in helping English language learning (ELL) students to become successful students. One variable overlooked in this literature has been the use of effective instruction in these programs. This investigation compared students in a schoolwide reading program that utilizes research-based practices, Success for All (SFA) and its Spanish counterpart Éxito Para Todos (EPT). Three groups of third-grade students were compared at 8-week intervals throughout the school year: English-speaking students in SFA, ELL (English language learning) students in SFA with ESL (English as a Second Language), and ELL students in EPT. …

Academic Performance, Persistence, And Cultural Congruence Of African American Males Attending Predominantly White Colleges And Universities, Darrell Johnson

Dissertations

The continued lack of success for African American males attending predominantly White colleges and universities is alarming and unsettling. Other racial minority groups are making positive gains relative to their post-secondary educational experiences. However, the African American male lags behind in virtually every index of success in higher education. This trend could produce serious social, economic and cultural implications for the African American community and the entire country.

For African Americans, a strong sense of culture is important to their ability to achieve high levels of mental and psychological functioning, particularly in environments they perceive to be hostile or unwelcoming. …

Cultural Patterns Of Social Engagement Among The Elderly After The Loss Of A Long-Term Spouse: Unwrinkled Passion Or A Withering Of Heart, Tara Saltzman Fleisher

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examines the cultural patterns of social engagement among the elderly following the loss of a long-term spouse. Even though the cultural patterns and quality of life of the elderly have changed dramatically as compared with previous generations, there has been little research into the question of how today's elderly cope with their increasing longevity. To establish a framework for analysis, this study identifies four key patterns of social engagement: friendship and companionship, sexuality, community networks, and family interaction.

Using a qualitative methodological approach, the importance of each pattern for coping with the loss of a long-term spouse is …

Music Videos And Perceptions Of Women, Shanda Jenkins

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not watching sexually explicit music videos will affect how different women are perceived in different situations. There were 301 subjects recruited from Old Dominion University. The mean age was 20.5 and there were 189 women and 111 men. The participants watched two music videos and rated the main performer in the music video. Next, they watched an interview video and rated the person in the interview. The interview video featured one woman who was either African-American or Caucasian, and that woman was interviewing for either a job or a potential …

The Connection Between The Decision To Join A Secular Jewish-Oriented Group And Perceived Jewish Identity: A Comparative Study Between American And Israeli Joiners, Nirit Bayrach-Avraham

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The literature about self-identity views the self as socially constructed, constantly revised, and providing the individual with a narrative of continuity despite change (Shu-Fang Dien, 2000; McAdams, 1985). In this study, identity literature and the narrative approach were used theoretically and methodologically, to explore the connections between the decision to join a secular Jewish-oriented group (SJOG), and the joiner's perceived Jewish identity among joiners in Israel and in the U.S.

It was hypothesized that joining serves to reinforce, distinguish, and renegotiate a Jewish secular identity. Additionally, differences in the group's social context were expected to manifest through identity-negotiations content.

Results …

Insights From Cognitive Psychology, Chris Guthrie

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Mindfulness: Foundational Training For Dispute Resolution, Leonard L. Riskin

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Adult And Juvenile Sexual Offenders: The Use Of Violence And Fantasies, Megan N. Carter

Dissertations and Theses

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been recognized as a widespread and devastating problem in our society. Definitional challenges result in a broad range of prevalence rates for CSA varying from 60/0 to 62% for females and 30/0 to 31 % for males (Finkelhor, Araji, Baron, Browne, Peters, & Wyatt, 1986). Although CSA affects our nation's children in epidemic proportions, researchers have found little conclusive evidence regarding CSA precursors.

One promising area for exploring the etiology of CSA may be the differential patterns of sexual fantasies in juvenile and adult sex offenders. Abel, Becker, Mittleman, Cunningham-Rathner, Rouleau and Murphy (1987) found …

Accroître Les Efforts De Prévention : La Santé Et La Sécurité Du Travail Dans La Construction Au Québec, Jean-Pierre Brun

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Ce rapport présente les résultats d’une recherche s'intéressant au processus d'application de mesures de prévention dans l'industrie de la construction. L'objectif de la recherche est donc de comprendre comment et pourquoi les mesures préventives sont appliquées ou non sur divers chantiers de construction. Les conditions susceptibles d'influencer l'application des mesures préventives peuvent être situées sur un axe partant d’un contexte global à un contexte local. Nous les regroupons selon qu'elles concernent principalement le contexte général (cadre législatif, organisation industrielle, etc.), le contexte d’affaires (marché, clients, maître d’œuvre, etc.), le chantier (environnement physique, type de chantier, etc.), les acteurs collectifs (syndicats, …

Do You Recall Where You Where When...?: Support For Automatic Encoding Of One's Location, Kristen Lea Neal

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present experiment tested whether one's personal location is automatically encoded into memory. Twenty-one groups of students were given a tour of the Marshall University campus. At each of 10 locations on the tour, participants were told an interesting fact about the University. Participants were informed of a test following the tour assessing their recall of the facts. In addition, half of the participants were also told their recall of the location at which each fact was presented would be tested. Immediately following and two weeks after the tour, participants completed a memory test which assessed their (a) recognition of …