Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Death Anxiety In Women With Gynecologic Cancer, Hana Kim

Theses and Dissertations

For most of us, thoughts about our own mortality are largely unconscious, an invisible backdrop to our daily living. However, when forced to face a potentially life threatening event, these otherwise underlying thoughts about human transience rise to consciousness. Given the seemingly inherent link between receiving a cancer diagnosis and developing an increased awareness of one’s own mortality, the present study sought to address the following research question, “What are the experiences and processes by which women with gynecologic cancer construct meaning and manage death anxiety in the face of their cancer diagnosis?” Based on an interpretive grounded theory paradigm, …

Are We Expecting Too Much From Ourselves?, Irina Dolgikh

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

The study investigated whether there was a time difference between what society expected people to experience at a certain age and the age at which people actually engaged in those behaviors. The sample consisted of 13 men and 46 women with the age range from 18 to 54 years. On-line questionnaires were used to obtain all data. The findings showed that social expectations did not match with actual behaviors for women. Although interestingly, no significant difference between these two concepts was found for men.

Effects Of Social Support On The Social Self-Concepts Of Gifted Adolescents, Caroline S. Cochran

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study investigates the relationship between social support and the social self-concepts of gifted adolescents. Participants include 245 gifted students who had completed the fifth through the tenth grade during the previous academic year. Social self-concept was measured using the Self-Description Questionnaire II (Marsh, 1990). Social support was measured using the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (Malecki & Demaray, 2002). Results indicate multiple relationships between perceived social support and social self-concept, as well as a significant gender difference for the frequency of close friend social support. No gender differences were found for the parent, teacher, classmate, or school …

African American Parental Beliefs About Resiliency: A Delphi Study, Vita L. Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Resiliency is a concept that has been discussed in the fields of anthropology, psychology, sociology, and education for over 30 years. Most authors define resiliency as the ability to triumph over adversity. The term associated with children/youth who rise above negative situations is resilient. A subgroup of students who are disproportionately affected by negative perceptions from society and who often find themselves in negative situations are African American children/youth. It appears that these students encounter less social fit in school, have a higher propensity for at-risk behavior, and experience less favorable academic and social outcomes.

This study involved a Delphi …

The Relationship Between Education About Dress Practices And Change In Perception Of Self-Concept Related To Dress, Jennifer L. Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The influence of an individual's dress practices on his/her sense of self has been studied for many years. Courses such as the Dress and Humanity course at Utah State University have been developed to educate students on the impact of dress on society. In this study, students in the Dress and Humanity course were given a pre-course and post-course survey to determine if self-perceptions related to dress practices underwent a change over the duration of the semester. Significant differences were found in the categories of body image, evaluating self-esteem, and communication of self to others. A relationship was found between …

Developing One's Self: Adoption And Identity Formation Through The Eyes Of Transracially Adopted Native American Adults, Jody Becker-Green

Dissertations and Theses

Life story methods were used to explore the contextual factors that influenced the experiences and identity formation of seven Native American adults who were transracially adopted prior to the passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. These methods provided a deeper understanding of how these individuals have integrated their adoption experiences into their evolving sense of self. The life story methodology offered a way to acknowledge and validate participants' life experiences and allowed for the collection of rich information from the perspectives of the adoptees.

The life story interviews were structured to gather information on the influence of …

Experiences Of Post-Processing In Group Psychotherapy, Karen Muehl

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological research approach (Moustakas, 1994) to examine the question How do group psychotherapy clients experience post-processing? The conceptual framework for the study was Yalom’s interpersonal process approach to group psychotherapy (Yalom & Leszcz, 2005). Participants were 12 university counseling center clients who were members of an interpersonal process-oriented psychotherapy group at a large urban university. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews. Data analysis procedures followed recommendations by Smith and Osborn (2003) and Creswell (2007). In order to increase the trustworthiness and rigor of the study, the researcher engaged in reflexive journaling, member checking, and the …

Advancing The Study Of Violence Against Women: Evolving Research Agendas Into Science, Carol E. Jordan

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

Decades of research produced by multiple disciplines has documented withering rates of violence against women in the United States and around the globe. To further an understanding of gendered violence, a field of research has developed, but recent critiques have highlighted weaknesses that inhibit a full scientific exploration of these crimes and their impacts. This review extends beyond prior reviews to explore the field’s unique challenges, its community of scientists, and the state of its written knowledge. The review argues for moving beyond “research agendas” and proposes creation of a transdisciplinary science for the field of study of violence against …

Advancing The Study Of Violence Against Women: Response To Commentaries And Next Steps, Carol E. Jordan

Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women Publications

No abstract provided.

Beliefs And Behaviors Regarding Substance Use And Hiv Risk Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm) In A Mid-Sized U.S. Community, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya) Phd, Martin Hall Mssw, Seana Golder Phd

Brown School Faculty Publications

This paper explores the beliefs and behaviors surrounding substance use and HIV risk among a convenience sample of 98 MSM in a mid-size community located in the central U.S. Several interesting patterns were identified in the descriptive analyses. Multivariate analysis identified two variables, belief that recreational drug use made sexual experiences better and reports that most MSM friends drank alcohol or took recreational drugs that were significant predictors of engagement in substance using behavior. Models accounted for 24% of the variance in drinking behavior and 15% of the variance in drug using behavior. Suggestions for HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention and …

Therapeutic Alliance And Outcomes In Children And Adolescents Served In A Community Mental Health Setting, Golee Farshbaf Abrishami

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the association between the therapeutic alliance and psychotherapy outcomes in 350 children and adolescents receiving outpatient therapy at a community mental health clinic. Therapeutic alliance and psychosocial distress were measured at intake 3 week, 2 month, 4 month and 6 month intervals. Participants aged 12 and older completed self report versions of the outcome and alliance measures and the parents of participants aged 4-17 completed the outcome measure. Therapists completed alliance measures for each participant. Analyses examined the relation between youth-rated therapeutic alliance and psychotherapy outcomes, premature termination, problem type, age of client, and clinician-rated alliance. Results …

Testing The Relationship Of Formal Bonding, Informal Bonding, And Formal Bridging Social Capital On Key Outcomes For Families In Low-Income Neighborhoods, Daniel Brisson

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The development of social capital among families living in low income neighborhoods has become a popular poverty reduction and economic advancement strategy. However conceptual scholarship suggests the broad use of social capital has diminished its importance. Scholars have begun to identify the multiple and overlapping characteristics of social capital and the field now needs empirical studies to show how specific types of social capital are important for families living in low-income neighborhoods. This study tests the relationship between three types of social capital (informal bonding social capital, formal bonding social capital and formal bridging social capital) and important outcomes for …

The Mediating Influence Of Role Stress On The Relationship Between Adult Attention Deficit And Self-Efficacy, Graeme H. Coetzer, Byron Hanson, Richard Trimble

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Business

Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AAD) and stress are pervasive and significant experiences with harmful consequences for both employees and organizations as a whole. This research study proposes a network of significant relationships between AAD, role stress, and self-efficacy. Adults who are experiencing the core symptoms of AAD (difficulties with task activation, concentration, effort, emotional interference, and accessing memory) are less likely to manage their role effectively and develop selfefficacy. The correlations between AAD and both role stress (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (r = -0.32, p < 0.01) were statistically significant, as was the correlation between role stress and self-efficacy (r = -0.44, p < 0.01). The Sobel test (Z = 6.57, p < 0.00) provides support for the hypothesis that role stress mediates the relationship between AAD and self-efficacy. A significant partial correlation between AAD and self-efficacy (r = -0.15, p = 0.02) remains after inclusion of the mediator (role stress), which limits the finding to partial mediation. Future research needs to draw samples from a variety of work situations.

A Proposed Program To Reduce Risk Of Recidivism For First Time Juvenile Sex Offenders, Lorna E. Grant

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

This proposed pilot project is intended for juvenile sex offenders and their parents. The program aims to guide juvenile sex offenders into successful reintegration into their communities, and prevent re-incarcera-tion/relapse of juveniles released from juvenile correctional facilities and the family court using a multi-sys-temic approach. A developmental evaluation is proposed to be conducted from the behavioral objectives approach to measure the effectiveness of a 12-months pilot program.

Profiles Of Adolescent Identity Development: Response To An Intervention For Alcohol/Other Drug Problems, Larry F. Forthun, Marilyn J. Montgomery

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

The purpose of this study was to examine identity development among adolescents participating in an after-school alcohol/other drug (AOD) abuse intervention program (8 females and 12 males, ages 14–17) to identify how identity development was associated with intervention success. To achieve this goal we (a) garnered information from two identity interviews conducted during the first week of the intervention and 6 to 8 weeks later; (b) adopted a qualitative, person-centered analytical strategy to identify identity profiles; and (c) examined the intervention response of the adolescents, as recorded in intervention documents, in the different identity profile groups. Analyses revealed five identity …

Multicultural Events Within Group Supervision: Minority Experiences And Supervision Satisfaction, Jacqueline Renee Moreno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current investigation utilized a mixed-methods design. In Phase I, 76 ethnic minority graduate students in psychology and counseling Master's and doctoral programs completed surveys that explored their general experiences in group supervision as well as the occurrence of multicultural events, and positive and negative factors of the reported events. Surveys also assessed supervisees' perspectives of their supervisor's multicultural competence level, group supervision satisfaction, and their own racial identity and multicultural competence. In Phase II, 20 volunteers from the first phase participated in qualitative interviews that explored in more depth the multicultural event they more briefly discussed in the survey …

Creating An Indian Space In The City: Development, Maintenance, And Evolution Of Cultural Identity And Cultural Connectedness Among Multiple Generations Of Urban American Indians, Nancy Marie Lucero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the cultural identity and cultural connectedness of multiple generations of American Indians whose families had been living continuously in an urban area for 40 to 50 years. The intent of the current study was to better understand how members of this group developed and maintained their cultural identities while living away from a tribal community and as a small percentage of the population of a large and culturally diverse metropolitan area. The study also sought to identify what constituted cultural connectedness--a term used frequently amongst urban Indians that appears to encompass factors of importance to being American …

Depression In Korean Immigrant Women, Darin Lee Rorrer

Theses Digitization Project

This study found that the depression levels of Korean immigrant women in the U.S are affected by their education and/or income levels, often stemming from their inability to successfully navigate in the American culture.

Is Personality Related To The Music I Like? A Study Of Music Preferences And Sensation Seeking, Anna Coker Rhodes, Randy Carden

Modern Psychological Studies

Past research supports the idea that music preferences are significantly predicted by sensation seeking. The current study explored whether disinhibition, thrill and adventure seeking, and openness to experience predict preference for music genre? The data were analyzed using a multivariate linear regression approach. Participants were 103 (27 men, 76 women) undergraduate students at a small, private university in the southeast. The participants listened to fourteen genres of music for twenty seconds each and Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale was administered. The results supported previous research in that high sensation seekers preferred rock or heavy metal music and those lower on the …

Reflective Materials And The Use Of Glitter In Art Therapy, Amber Dee Mazza

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

This paper hypothesizes that glitter is an important media in art therapy. This research asked the question, what is the significance and clinical application of glitter in art therapy? Glitter is a commonly used art material and research on the subject matter is absent. The method used was survey research with quantitative and qualitative questions. Seven hundred and fifty eight members of the American Art Therapy Association completed the survey. Glitter has significant meaning in reference to Cathy Moon’s theory of materiality, and can be used to bring light to client art work.

Dimensions Of Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Study In European Neighborhoods, Penny Panagiotopoulou, Aikaterini Gari, Sophia Christakopoulou

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

People build their sense of well-being by responding to their objectively defined environment. The community environment and more specifically the neighborhood affects the subjective and psychological well being of the individuals. Neighboring refers to the residents’ social interaction and mutual material and non material support. This chapter attempts to examine how the social, political, and economic aspect of community life is related to community well-being focusing on community satisfaction, informal social interaction, feeling safe, the residents’ involvement in the community decision making process, the economic life, and the job opportunities and training of 705 participants in six European cultural settings: …

The Relationship Between Femininity Ideology And Overt And Relational Aggression And Peer Victimization Among Girls, Anne Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between gender socialization, assessed by the gender ideologies of inauthenticity in relationships and body objectification (Tolman & Porche, 2000), and overt and relational aggression and peer victimization among 212 girls in five Denver, Colorado public middle schools. A feminist developmental perspective was used to 1) examine whether internalized norms of femininity were related to overt and relational aggression and peer victimization; 2) evaluate whether girls used certain types of aggressive behavior to adhere to, or reject, norms of femininity; and 3) assess whether girls who were victimized were more likely than other girls to internalize …

Altering The Motivational Function Of Nicotine Through Conditioning Processes, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The collection of chapters in this 55th Nebraska Symposium on Motivation Volume clearly highlights that effective strategies for reducing compulsive tobacco use will require a multifaceted approach in which genetic, neurobiological, individual, and cultural factors are considered. It is difficult, if not impossible, to predict where the next important breakthrough will come from (Bevins & Bardo, 2004; Dethier, 1966; Laidler, 1998). Accordingly, further research that extends and challenges current theory and practice at each of these levels of analysis is needed. The continuing focus of our research program, and the topic of the present chapter, is on the role of …

The Impact Of Attachment Security On Multiple Role Strain In Female Students With Children, Cassandra Lynn Clough

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of attachment on the multiple role stress experienced by mothers who were also college students.

Quality Of Life Perceptions And Treatment Choices In Hemodialysis And Peritoneal Dialysis, And The Implications For Social Work Practice, Heather Noel Toms

Theses Digitization Project

This study discussed the differences in perceived quality of life issues between hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis patients. This study conducted open dialogue with the patients on various treatment modalities, to discover how the patients Q.O.L. (Quality of Life) concerns affected their treatment decisions and to further investigate what social workers can do to assist the patient in increasing their quality of life, and if necessary, advocate for the patient in their treatment choice.

The Effects Of Individual, Family, And Community Factors On Adult Resilience: A Study On The Tsunami Survivors Of 12/26/2004, Johny Augustine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the various factors at the individual, family, and community level that helped the adult individuals survive the trans-oceanic tsunami which hit the coastal areas of India on December 26, 2004.The study made use of a concurrent mixed methods design to achieve the above objective. The quantitative section of the research examined the effects of individual, family, and community factors on adult post-traumatic growth. The qualitative section of the study sought to capture the subjective experience of the tsunami survivors using a phenomenological approach. The target population were adults, aged 18 to 55 from Kerala, India, who were …

Identity Distress Surrounding Retirement, Jennifer Colbert

ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to examine identity distress surrounding retirement. From past literature I hypothesized that individuals would experience more psychological distress after retirement compared to before and those who earned a professional degree would experience more distress than others. I also hypothesized the longer time retired the less distress, and those who were forced to retire would experience more distress after retirement than those who retired voluntarily. Results of the study conducted with 40 retired people in the United States revealed only one significant result. Those who were forced to retire showed increased levels of identity distress …

Perceiving Pervasive Discrimination Over Time: Implications For Coping, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study suggests the effects of perceived pervasiveness may be dynamic over time. The hypothesis was that participants who perceived discrimination to be highly pervasive would initially be more likely to engage in inactive coping strategies than those who perceived low pervasiveness. However, those who continued to perceive high pervasiveness over time would ultimately show greater evidence of using active strategies than those perceiving low pervasiveness. Using a 28-day diary, women and ethnic minorities described their daily experiences of discrimination and indicated their appraisals of its pervasiveness as well as their coping strategies. Results showed that participants who initially perceived …

The Dynamic Nature Of Coping With Gender Discrimination: Appraisals, Strategies And Well-Being Over Time, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Female introductory psychology students at a Canadian university (N = 31) participated in a lab simulation of discrimination, completed coping and well-being measures and then an online survey of well-being one year later. Expectations were that active (inactive) coping would initially be related to decreased (increased) well-being. A reverse pattern was expected for relationships between coping and well-being one year later. Results showed that among those perceiving high pervasive discrimination, active and inactive coping was related to decreased well-being immediately after the discrimination was portrayed, but among those perceiving low pervasiveness inactive coping was related to increased well-being. One year …

School-Based Screening To Identify At-Risk Students Not Already Known To School Professionals: The Columbia Suicide Screen, Michelle A. Scott, Holly C. Wilcox, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Mark Davies, Roger C. Hicks, J. Blake Turner, David Shaffer

Publications and Research

Objectives.Wesought todeterminethedegreeofoverlapbetweenstudents identified through school-based suicide screening and those thought to be at risk by school administrative and clinical professionals. Methods. Students from7 high schools in theNewYorkmetropolitan area completed the Columbia Suicide Screen; 489 of the 1729 students screened had positive results. The clinical status of 641 students (73% of those who had screened positive and 23%of thosewho had screened negative) was assessedwithmodules from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. School professionals nominated by their principal and unaware of students’ screening and diagnostic status were asked to indicate whether they were concerned about the emotional well-being of each participating student. …