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The Myth Of Nature And The Nature Of Myth: Becoming Transparent To Transcendence, Dennis P. Slattery

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The works by the American mythologist, Joseph Campbell, as well as the poetry of John Keats,

especially his “Ode to a Nightingale,” offer new ways to reimagine our relation to the earth, to

the dead and to language’s continued vitality. Beginning with a brief overview of some of the

major tenets of Campbell’s guiding force of the “monomyth,” which gathers all the various world

mythologies as inflections of one universal story, the essay then moves into a discussion of Keats’

poem in order to reveal the power of poetic utterance in reconfiguring a vital mythology. If there

is to be …

The Psychic Defense, Vitor Rodrigues

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Psychosocial Treatment Of Children In Foster Care: A Review, Robert Racusin, Arthur C. Maerlender, Anjana Sengupta, Peter K. Isquith, Martha B. Straus

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A substantial number of children in foster care exhibit psychiatric difficulties. Recent epidemiologi-cal and historical trends in foster care, clinical findings about the adjustment of children in foster care, and adult outcomes are reviewed, followed by a description of current approaches to treatment and extant empirical support. Available interventions for these children can be categorized as either symptom-focused or systemic, with empirical support for specific methods ranging from scant to substantial. Even with treatment, behavioral and emotional problems often persist into adulthood, resulting in poor functional outcomes. We suggest that self-regulation may be an important mediat-ing factor in the appearance …

Superattraction: The Superlearning Phenomenon In Interpersonal Attraction, Ryan Edward Lipinski

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis will discuss Pavlovian conditioning and its utility in researching various areas of psychology including interpersonal attraction. It was designed to extend the application of conditioning principles in the study of interpersonal attraction by testing cue competition predictions made by the reinforcement-context theory of attraction.

Stress Enhancement Of Craving During Sobriety: A Risk For Relapse, Laura O'Dell

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Narrative Art Therapy For Families That Have A Child With A Life-Threatening Illness, Andrea A. Seitz

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

Researchers have recognized the importance of meaningful collaboration between family medical and family therapy practitioners. A report published this year (2005) by the American Academy of Pediatrics spells out the need for pediatricians to be cognizant of the entire family’s needs when treating a child. Given the demands on pediatricians it seems almost impossible for them to provide psycho-social support needed by families. Therefore, a partnership between an MFT and a physician is a more realistic alternative. This proposal will offer an intervention model for working with families who have a child with a catastrophic illness. The treatment modality. Narrative …

Epipregnanolone And A Novel Synthetic Neuroactive Steroid Reduce Reduce Alcohol Self-Administration In Rats., Laura O'Dell

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Implementing Lexical And Creative Intentionality In Synthetic Personality, Erik Vick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creating engaging, interactive, and immersive synthetic characters is a difficult task and evaluating the success of a synthetic character is often even more difficult. The later problem is solved by extending Turing's Imitation Game thusly: computational construct should be evaluated based on the criteria of how well the character can mimic a human. In order to accomplish a successful evaluation of the proposed metric, synthetic characters must be consistently believable and capable of role-appropriate emotional expression. The author believes traditional synthetic characters must be improved to meet this goal. For a synthetic character to be believable, human users must be …

Child Sexual Abuse In Sub-Saharan Africa: Child Protection Implications For Development Policy Makers And Practitioners, Kevin Lalor

Reports

No abstract provided.

Reducing Playground Bullying And Supporting Beliefs: An Experimental Trial Of The 'Steps To Respect' Program, Karin S. Frey, Miriam K. Hirschstein, Jennie L. Snell, Leihua Van Schoiack Edstrom, Elizabeth P. Mackenzie, Carole J. Broderick

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Six schools were randomly assigned to a multilevel bullying intervention or a control condition. Children in Grades 3–6 (N = 1,023) completed pre- and posttest surveys of behaviors and beliefs and were rated by teachers. Observers coded playground behavior of a random subsample (n = 544). Hierarchical analyses of changes in playground behavior revealed declines in bullying and argumentative behavior among intervention-group children relative to control-group children, increases in agreeable interactions, and a trend toward reduced destructive bystander behavior. Those in the intervention group reported enhanced bystander responsibility, greater perceived adult responsiveness, and less acceptance of bullying/aggression than those in …

Suicide Attempt And Characteristics Of Religiously Affiliated Puerto Rican Adolescents And Young Adults, Saúl Rivera

Dissertations

Problem. Recent research has identified several risk factors associated with attempted suicide among the general population. Puerto Ricans, in general, and Puerto Rican Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs), in particular, may face unique challenges that are related to their familial, social, and religious environment that may affect the suicidal attempts among this group. Therefore, this study examined family-related factors, history of being abused, religiosity factors, sexuality factors, gender, substance abuse, age, and socioeconomic status factors among a sample of religiously affiliated Puerto Ricans (73.2% SDAs) living on the island.

Methodology. The data for the study came from the Avance PR study. Avance …

Caregiver Interventions For Behavioral Symptoms In Alzheimer's And Dementia Patients, Heather M. Lindner

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

As people are living longer, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is rising dramatically. While preventative and treatment methods are being developed for these complicated disorders, attention also has been directed towards caregivers, because they play a vital role in the way the patients’ symptoms are handled and how well the patients adjust overall. Caregivers are almost always family members who lack formal training in caring for dementia patients. The purpose of this research was to see whether caregivers who follow interventions suggested in the literature experience fewer or less intense behavioral problems on the part …

Wonderwise 4-H: Following In The Footsteps Of Women Scientists, Amy N. Spiegel, S. Kay Rockwell, Deanna Acklie, Saundra Wever Frerichs, Kathleen French, Judy Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Wonderwise 4-H: Women in Science Learning Kits, recently included in the National 4-H Curriculum Collection and widely tested by 4-H leaders, have positively affected youths’ perspectives on science, scientists, and scientific work. Adult leaders who used the multimedia, inquiry-based Wonderwise 4-H kits completed a Web survey describing the impact of the kits on youth. It indicated that the kits increased youth’s interest and understanding of science, broadened their view of scientists, and opened their eyes to the possibility of science in their own futures. More information about Wonderwise 4-H and downloadable activities are available at wonderwise.unl.edu.

The Relationship Between Body Image And Weight Maintenance In Community Women Enrolled In Weight-Loss Programs, Amy S. Collings

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Research suggests that poor body image, low self-esteem, and depression may be associated with failure to maintain weight loss (Lean, 2000). However, definitive results are lacking, necessitating further research. Both successful and unsuccessful weight maintainers (N = 148) were recruited from weight-loss programs. Self-report measures on dimensions of body image, depression, and self-esteem were administered at baseline and a three-month follow-up. Results suggest that those with early-onset obesity have more body image dissatisfaction than those with late-onset obesity, which appears to be due to BMI differences between groups with the former having a higher BMI than the later. Other results …

The Sources Of Higher States Of Consciousness, Steve Taylor

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

In this paper, it is argued that “higher states of consciousness”–or mystical experiences–have two

main sources: they can be caused by a disruption of the normal homeostasis of the human organism

and also by an intensification of the “consciousness-energy” that constitutes our being.

(These are termed HD and ICE states). The author investigates examples of both types of experience,

and compares and contrasts them. It is concluded that the second type of experience is

the only one which is truly positive and which can become a fully integrated and permanent

higher state of consciousness.

Book Review: Buller Does To Evolutionary Psychology What Kitcher Did To Sociobiology, Harmon R. Holcomb Iii

Philosophy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Social Fields, Belief In Psi, And Their Effects On Mental Telepathy, Brandy Mcwhorter

Masters Theses

The current study was designed to explore two major issues involving the existence of mental telepathy. The first goal was the exploration of the relationship between psi ability, specifically mental telepathy, and belief in psi phenomena. In addition, the value of social field theory as an explanation and potential facilitator of telepathic communication was explored. A small group of research assistants attempted to telepathically send 1 of 4 target locations to large groups of participants acting as receivers. The receivers answered a question on a 7-point-scale indicating their level of belief in mental telepathy. Two separate runs of 16 trials …

Ethanol Effects On Reward Value Judgment Following Infusions Into The Amygdala: Implications For Emotional Processing, Stephanie M. Brewer '05

Honors Projects

Alcohol, when delivered systemically, leads to impaired performance on a variety of tasks, including emotionally-laden or reward value tasks. It is also known that lesions to the amygdala produce emotional or reward value deficits. However, it is unknown whether the emotional deficits observed after alcohol ingestion are due to alcohol's direct effect on the amygdala. The present study examined the effects of alcohol when infused directly into the amygdala on emotional memory and judgment. Eight male Long-Evans rats were trained on a behavioral task to associate one sweetness level with a reward and another sweetness level with no reward. Once …

Concepts Of Addiction: Assessing The Beliefs Of Addiction In University And Treatment Center Populations, Krystle M. Balhan '05

Honors Projects

This study sought to identify differences in the beliefs about addiction between a sample of university students (N=81) and a sample of clients diagnosed with substance abuse or dependence from a drug/alcohol treatment center (N=14). It was hypothesized that treatment center clients would present beliefs that correspond to the disease concept of addiction (Jellinek 1960), while members of the university sample would express more personal or environmental attitudes towards addiction. To assess these potential differences, a survey questionnaire based on the Addiction Belief Inventory (ABI) was administered to both samples (Luke, Ribisl, Walton, and Davidson, 2002). Results of t-tests showed …

As Two Become One : The Lived Experience Of A Twinless Twin, Jody Ness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twins enter life as a pair and are often viewed so in later life. After the death of a co-twin, twins feel like they have lost part of themselves, leaving them alone, often without professional help. No nursing research has provided insight into the experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the lived experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The aim was to generate an understanding of the unique bond and sense of loss experienced by twinless twins. Phenomenology and Attachment Theory were utilized to …

Beyond Gender Differences In U.S. Life Cycle Happiness, Enrico A. Macelli, Richard A. Easterlin

Economics Faculty Publication Series

We employ two decades of General Social Survey data consisting of 83 birth cohorts from 1893 to 1975 to estimate the influence of satisfaction in seven life domains (family, finances, work, health, friends, place of residence, and leisure time activity) on life-cycle happiness among men and women aged 18 to 89 years in the United States. The adult population is estimated to be happiest at age 51, and men are estimate to surpass women in happiness at age 48. Contrary to both genetic or personality (e.g., traditional gender role) and access to resources (“more is always better”) explanations of happiness, …

Sequential Super-Stereotypy Of An Instinctive Fixed Action Pattern In Hyper-Dopaminergic Mutant Mice: A Model Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder And Tourette's, Kent C. Berridge, J Wayne Aldridge, Kimberly R. Houchard, Xiaoxi Zhuang

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Excessive sequential stereotypy of behavioral patterns (sequential super-stereotypy) in Tourette's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is thought to involve dysfunction in nigrostriatal dopamine systems. In sequential super-stereotypy, patients become trapped in overly rigid sequential patterns of action, language, or thought. Some instinctive behavioral patterns of animals, such as the syntactic grooming chain pattern of rodents, have sufficiently complex and stereotyped serial structure to detect potential production of overly-rigid sequential patterns. A syntactic grooming chain is a fixed action pattern that serially links up to 25 grooming movements into 4 predictable phases that follow 1 syntactic rule. New …

The Impact Of The Variability Hypothesis On Margaret F. Washburn's And Mary W. Calkins' Parodoxical Relations With Faculty In Their Graduate Programs, Ginger Hudson, Ann N. Elliott

Modern Psychological Studies

This paper offers a possible explanation for the paradoxical relations for two of psychology's 19th century female pioneers with faculty members in their graduate programs: Margaret F Washburn and James M. Cattell at Columbia University; and Mary W. Calkins and Hugo Munsterberg at Harvard University. Cattell's and Munsterberg's strong support and advocacy for these female graduate students appear contradictory to their general beliefs regarding women's intellectual capacities and pursuit of higher education. However, it is suggested that their views were, in fact, consistent with the variability hypothesis, which drew a sharp distinction between "average" and "exceptional" women. It is further …

Empirical Modeling Of A Marijuana Expectancy Memory Network In Children As A Function Of Age And Marijuana Use, Jacqueline Alfonso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation modeled the expectancy memory organization and likely memory activation patterns of marijuana expectancies of children across age and marijuana use. The first phase of the study surveyed 142 children to obtain their first associate to marijuana use. From their responses, the Marijuana Expectancy Inventory for Children and Adolescents (MEICA) was developed. The second phase of the study administered the MEICA to a second sample of 392 children to model marijuana expectancy organization and probable memory activation paths of marijuana users versus never-users. Results indicated that irrespective of age, adolescents who have used marijuana tend to emphasize positive-negative …

Identifying And Managing University Assets: A Campus Study Of Portland State University, John Rueter, Talya N. Bauer

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Between 1994 and 1996, Portland State University (PSU) expanded the definition of scholarship used to assess and reward faculty. Three conditions facilitated this change. The first related to PSU's urban history, culture and values. This context allowed faculty to approach their teaching, learning, and community engagement in scholarly ways. The second condition involved external forces, which challenged PSU faculty to identify and use their intangible assets in the scholarship of teaching, integration, and application. The third condition was, and continues to be, university leadership. Leadership at PSU encourages the faculty to engage in institutional reflection and strategic planning from a …

Handbook Of Field-Based Training Experiences In School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University

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

No abstract provided.

Cognitive Adaptation's Implication On Diabetic Adherence, Martin Ancona

LSU Master's Theses

Diabetes, affecting more than 18 million people in the United States, is an epidemic problem. The illness is usually progressive, leading to neuropathy, blindness, and limb amputation. The most common type of the illness, Type 2 diabetes, is usually controllable through a strict combination of diet, exercise, and medication. However, non-compliance, rather than compliance, to prescribed diabetes regimens is the norm. Although past research has uncovered many of the reason that diabetics may fail to adhere to their regimen, the whole puzzle has not yet been solved. This study looked at the Cognitive Adaptation Theory in relation to diabetic adherence. …

Effects Of 5-Ht2 Receptor Ligands On Tail Pinch-Induced Stress Responding And Open Field Behavior, John K. Hearn

LSU Master's Theses

Stress is known to exert an influence on neuroendocrine, autonomic, hormonal, and immune functioning. As a result of the debilitating effects of stress on numerous bodily systems, there exists a large body of research devoted to the etiology, physiological sequelae, and treatment of the condition. Further, the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in stress responding. Presently, there is conflict in the literature as to the precise role serotonin plays in mediating the stress response. This study was an attempt to further elucidate the role of 5-HT in mediating an organism’s response to tail pinch stress and the open field. …

Mania And Intellectual Disability: The Course Of Mania Symptoms In Persons With Disability Over Three Years, Melissa Luke Gonzalez

LSU Master's Theses

Although bipolar disorder was one of the earliest described mental illnesses, there is a dearth of research on bipolar disorder in individuals with intellectual deficits. The present study aimed to extend this literature by comparing the presence and variation of manic symptoms over time of persons with intellectual deficits with and without bipolar disorder. Three groups of individuals participated: a bipolar group, a psychopathology group (other than bipolar disorder) and a control group. Two dependent measures of mania were taken from retrospective data, Mania subscale of the DASH-II and a Criterion-referenced subscale. The presence and consistency of mania symptom endorsements …

An Examination Of Psychotropic Medication Prescription Practices Among Individuals With Mental Retardation, Ashvind Nand Singh

LSU Master's Theses

While there is an extensive literature on the use of psychotropic medications among individuals with mental retardation, little of it has focused on the reasons for these prescriptions. Researchers have shown that the prevalence of psychotropic medication use among individuals with mental retardation is relatively high when compared to people with other disabilities and that the reasons for these drug prescriptions may not be based on rational pharmacotherapy. Data is needed on the prescribing physician’s adherence to consensus guidelines or algorithms developed to enhance rational psychopharmacotherapy. In order to do this, the rationales being used by physicians when they decide …