Digital Commons Network^™

Gender Differences In Gross And Fine Motor Abilities In Preschool Aged Children In West Virginia, Kelly R. Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in gross and fine motor abilities in preschool aged children in West Virginia. Subjects consisted of 21 males and 16 females. Data was collected via the West Virginia Educare Initiative using the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs. Results of this study indicate that there are no significant gender differences in either gross motor or fine motor abilities in preschool aged children.

Reactive Attachment Disorder : Diagnosis, Assessment, And Treatment, Kimberly A. Rees

Graduate Research Papers

In recent years, there has been an increasing trend toward the use of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) as a diagnosis to describe myriad problem behaviors and disturbed interactions between infants, young children and their caregivers. There is considerable disagreement about what RAD actually entails and, in particular, what types of assessments and treatment interventions to use with affected children and families (Hanson & Spratt, 2000). This paper is intended to clarify what the current research states about Reactive Attachment Disorder. It includes the definitions and diagnosis, importance of attachment, biological components, risk factors later in life, assessment, and treatment available …

Convergence Of Complex Cognitive Abilities In Cetaceans And Primates, Lori Marino

Sentience Collection

What examples of convergence in higher-level complex cognitive characteristics exist in the animal kingdom? In this paper I will provide evidence that convergent intelligence has occurred in two distantly related mammalian taxa. One of these is the order Cetacea (dolphins, whales and porpoises) and the other is our own order Primates, and in particular the suborder anthropoid primates (monkeys, apes, and humans). Despite a deep evolutionary divergence, adaptation to physically dissimilar environments, and very different neuroanatomical organization, some primates and cetaceans show striking convergence in social behavior, artificial ‘language’ comprehension, and self-recognition ability. Taken together, these findings have important implications …

Cognitive And Communicative Abilities Of Grey Parrots, Irene M. Pepperberg

Sentience Collection

Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) solve various cognitive tasks and acquire and use English speech in ways that often resemble those of very young children. Given that the psittacine brain is organized very differently from that of mammals, these results have intriguing implications for the study and evolution of vocal learning, communication, and cognition.

In Search Of King Solomon’S Ring: Cognitive And Communicative Studies Of Grey Parrots (Psittacus Erithacus), Irene M. Pepperberg

Sentience Collection

During the past 24 years, I have used a modeling technique (M/R procedure) to train Grey parrots to use an allospecific code (English speech) referentially; I then use the code to test their cognitive abilities. The oldest bird, Alex, labels more than 50 different objects, 7 colors, 5 shapes, quantities to 6, 3 categories (color, shape, material) and uses ‘no’, ‘come here’, wanna go X’ and ‘want Y’ (X and Y are appropriate location or item labels). He combines labels to identify, request, comment upon or refuse more than 100 items and to alter his environment. He processes queries to …

Attitudinal And Behavioral Changes Demonstrated By Expectant Fathers As Measured By The Index Of Self Esteem, Terry G. Savage

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty married men who were expecting their first child were tested in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy with the Index of Self Esteem to see if the subjects experienced a significant drop in self esteem during the course of pregnancy. The current study focused on the attitudinal and behavioral changes in the subjects as measured by the index of self-esteem. A decrease in self-esteem of the expectant fathers was not found, however the lack of diversity within the sample may account for the results. It would be necessary to conduct more extensive research to be more representative …

The Last Time I Saw Fritz, Marc L. Joslyn

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Zen is not merely an exotic practice imported from the Orient; it is the constantly fresh

realization ofTrue Nature everywhere and at every time. So, it may be expected that sparks

of Zen will be found in all cultures. Hence, having been engaged with Zen practice since 1964,

the author reminisces here about how he turned to Zen after his study of Gestalt psychology

and his encounter with Gestalt therapy in the person ofFritz Perls. Gestalt therapy as usually

practiced is not Zen, the author concludes. But if it clears the way for a glimmer of the Self

which has …

Measuring Parental Involvement Utilizing The Experience Sampling Methodology, Kim Carmelite Metcalfe

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the current study was, in general, to use the Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) to more accurately assess the types of behaviors that mothers and fathers engage in with their sons and daughters and the amount of time they spend engaged in those behaviors when compared to each other.

An Investigation Into Traits Common To Structured Ministers And Traits Common To Musical Ministers, Matthew Cullum

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines behaviors and preferences that are characteristic of different positions of service inside a nonprofit church organization. Interviews with incumbents in the Structural Ministry and the Musical Ministry involved with the churches of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, were conducted to identify traits and behaviors common to these distinct groups. The traits and behaviors identified in these interviews were then used to predict college students' future membership into these positions. The NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992) was also administered in order to assess the incremental value of a professionally developed instrument. The instrument successfully identified group membership, although some …

The Role Of Suggestions And Personality Characteristics In Producing Illness Reports And Desires For Suing The Responsible Party, Marc A. Lindberg Ph.D.

Psychology Faculty Research

For this project, 92 students entered an abandoned theater room in an old basement of the university where sand was scattered throughout. The purpose of the study was to experimentally demonstrate that psychological suggestions could produce illness reports and to explore who is most likely to say that they would sue for personal damages. The students filled out the Trait-State Anger Scale and two subscales, Anger Temperament and Anger Reaction as well as the Costello-Corey Anxiety Scale, the Hardiness Inventory, the Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness, and, embedded in the Hardiness Inventory, measures of current illness as a result of …

Enhanced Locomotor, Reinforcing, And Neurochemical Effects Of Cocaine In Serotonin 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2c Receptor Mutant Mice, Laura O'Dell

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The School Psychology Program At Marshall University Graduate College, Mary L. Winters

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research evaluates the structure, purpose, and efficiency of the School Psychology Program at Marshall University Graduate College and will be utilized as baseline research for further measures of program efficiency and accountability. This study investigates the satisfaction levels and opinions of the student population, including all current and recent students who have graduated from the program. The methods of data collection were a survey, developed primarily from the goals and objectives of the program, and telephone interviews. The information requested in these methods was structured to provide both qualitative and quantitative data. Frequency analysis of the data resulted in …

Cognitive Ethology And The Cost Of Anthropomorphiphobia, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Book review for the following titles:

Animal Minds: Beyond Cognition to Consciousness. By Donald R. Griffin, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001, 376 pages. $27.50 softcover

The Smile of a Dolphin: Remarkable Accounts of Animal Emotions. Edited by Marc Bekoff, New York: Discovery Books, 2000, 240 pages. $35.00 hardcover

Minds of Their Own: Thinking and Awareness in Animals. By Lesley J. Rogers, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1998, 224 pages. $19.00 softcover

Diagnosis And Placement Variables Affecting The Outcome Of Adolescents With Behavioral Disorders, Mary A. Peterson, Mark Scanlan

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The treatment of adolescents with behavior disorders represents significant challenges. This article reviews some of the most effective behavioral and pharmacological treatments identified in the research. The study used outcome data from a residential treatment program to identify variables that predicted level of functioning post-discharge. Significant variables included diagnosis (mood vs. behavior disorder spectrum), co-morbidity and discharge placement.

Study Of The Efficacy Of A Christian-Based Inpatient Hospital For Treating Eating Disorders, Depression, And Spiritual Distress, Robert Alan Darden

Dissertations

Problem . Outcome studies continue to indicate that a substantial proportion of individuals with eating disorders have a dangerously limited response to treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a Christian cognitive-behavioral-based inpatient hospital that specializes in eating disorders was an effective program for treating eating disorders. Next, this study sought to determine if this inpatient hospital was effective in treating both depression and spiritual distress. Finally, this study examined the relationship between depression and spiritual distress with treatment outcome.

Method . Five hundred and eighty-two patients were admitted to an inpatient hospital between July 1, …

Ethnographic Representation As Relationship, M. M. Gergen, Kenneth J. Gergen

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Unfinished Business: Postmodern Feminism In Personality Psychology, Jeanne Marecek

Psychology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Essence Of Transpersonal Psychology Contemporary Views, S. I. Shapiro, Grace W. Lee, Philippe L. Gross

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The authors compiled 80 chronologically ordered passages from the contemporary psychology

literature that address the essence of transpersonal psychology. A thematic analysis of

these passages revealed that the two most frequent categories, occurring 53 (66.2%) and 49

(61.2%) times respectively, were: (a) Going beyond or transcending the individual, ego, self,

the personal, personality, or personal identity; existence of a deeper, true, or authentic Self;

and (b) Spirituality, psychospiritual, psychospiritual development, the spiritual, spirit. Other,

less frequent, themes included: special states of consciousness; interconnectivity/unity; going

beyond other schools of psychology; emphasis on a scientific approach; mysticism; full range

of consciousness; greater …

Dinomor: Evoking Memories Of Dino's Dreams And Death, Tonu R. Soidla

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This is a transpersonal fantasy about the last days of the dinosaurs ca. sixty-five million years ago. I suppose that communication with the Timeless (or if one prefers to put it--with Another) in one's mind precedes intraspecies communication and that one of the first recognizable acts of mystical life is surrender. A more specific and of course more far-out and irreverent hypothesis underlying this fantasy is that--unlike the bulk of individual memory records--Timeless memory "seeds" of unspecified origin are transmittable by a [retro]enterovirus. This leads to the possibility of horizontal transmission of this type of memory. In the new host, …

Convergent, Discriminant, And Construct Validity Of The Acters And Asca, Katie Sprouls

Masters Theses

The present study examined the convergent, discriminant, and construct validity of the ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale, Second Edition (ACTeRS) and Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA). Participants included 106 children between in first through sixth grade for the ACTeRS and ASCA comparison of teacher ratings. The children assessed were 53 children meeting DSM-4 criteria for ADHD and 53 randomly matched control group children. Results of this study indicated moderate correlations between similar scales of the ACTeRS and ASCA. Discriminant function analysis and diagnostic efficiency estimates revealed significantly high capabilities for both instruments in accurately differentiating between known groups. …

Relating The Concepts Of Personality, Temperament And Self-Esteem, Julie Anne Koetters

Masters Theses

Investigating the relationships between personality and temperament was the primary focus of this study. Personality was measured using the NEO-Pl-R, a 240-item measure, based on the five-factor model of personality. The Dimensions of Temperament Survey-Revised (DOTS-R), a 54-item survey exploring temperament across ten dimensions was also administered in this study. A secondary focus of this study was to identify how the concept of self-esteem is related to the differing dimensions of both personality and temperament. The short form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, a 25-item survey, was used to measure this construct. Eighty adults participated in this study and completed …

The Impact Of Television Reports Of Prison Escapes On Anxiety : A Comparison Of Two Age Cohorts, Sofia Fisher

Theses : Honours

Television has been identified as being a major contributor to anxiety and fear of crime. The major aim of this study was to compare the level of state anxiety experienced individuals after viewing one of three versions of a television report related to prison escapes. The second aim was to determine if there were any differences in levels of anxiety between two age cohorts: middle-aged (35-45 years) and older-aged (65-75 years). A total of 120 participants were recruited using a snowball technique and randomly assigned to one of three groups using a lottery method. Participants completed demographic and attitudinal questionnaires, …

Please Forgive Me: Transgressors’ Emotions And Physiology During Imagery Of Seeking Forgiveness And Victim Responses, Charlotte Vanoyen-Witvliet, Thomas Ludwig, David J. Bauer

Faculty Publications

We assessed transgressors’ subjective emotions and physiological responses in a within-subjects imagery study involving 20 male and 20 female participants. Two imagery conditions focused on the transgressor’s actions: participants 1) ruminated about a real-life transgression and 2) imagined seeking forgiveness from the victim. Three imagery conditions focused on the victim’s possible responses: participants imagined their victims responding with 1) a grudge, 2) genuine forgiveness, and 3) reconciliation. Compared to ruminations about one’s transgression or an unforgiving response from the victim, imagery of forgiveness-seeking and merciful responses from victims (forgiveness and reconciliation) prompted improvements in basic emotions (e.g., sadness, anger) and …

Masculine Threat And Anti-Gay Attitude, Chad Corbley '02

Honors Projects

In a pretest, male and female participants completed the PAQ, a measure of self perceived masculinity and femininity. Only male participants (though they were not aware of this fact) were contacted to return for the second part of the study. Participants were hooked up to psychophysiological recording equipment and took part in one of three conditions. In the masculine threat condition, they took a test ostensibly measuring masculine knowledge and received false negative feedback. In the general threat condition, participants took a test ostensibly measuring general knowledge and received the same feedback. The no threat or control condition was exactly …

Illumination And Food Deprivation As Determinants For Hoarding In Golden Hampsters, Erin Smith '02

Honors Projects

It is important for animals to adapt to changes in food availability in order to survive. Hoarding is one method of accomplishing this and the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is particularly adept at hoarding. Previous literature suggests a connection between hoarding and stress. To further examine this connection, the present study looked at the effects of illumination and food deprivation on the hoarding behavior of male golden hamsters. The within-subjects design allowed each of the 12 subjects to be tested in each of the 4 conditions: 1) illumination and food deprivation, 2) illumination and no food deprivation, 3) food deprivation …

Juvenile Justice Systems: A Need For Improved Research And Treatment, Tenethrea Thompson, Jean Turner

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The characteristics of juveniles who commit crimes and a variety of treatment philosophies for juvenile offenders were examined through literature and individual case studies. The literature review and three case studies provided insight into the difficult challenge of providing effective treatment programs for juvenile offenders.

Center For Psychological Studies 2002-2003 Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

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

No abstract provided.

Center For Psychological Studies Specialist Program School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University

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

No abstract provided.

The Relation Between Electrodermal Activity In Sleep, Negative Activity Affect, And Stress In Patients Referred For Nocturnal Polysomnography, Laura Elaine Lajos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The study of electrodermal activity (EDA) began over a century ago, and the phenomenon has been linked to many aspects of emotion, arousal and attention. A subset of studies has focused on the occurrence of EDA in sleep (EDAS). These investigations have led to definitive conclusions on when EDA is most likely to occur during the sleep cycle, i.e., slow-wave sleep. Studies have also shown that at least moderate stress tends to increase EDAS, but these studies have fallen short methodologically. The aims of the present study were: (a) to investigate the relation of negative affect and stress to EDAS, …

The Use Of Photographic Caricatures To Examine The Development Of A Perception Of Facial Attractiveness, Bronwyn J. Struthers

Theses : Honours

Throughout the human population, there is remarkable agreement as to what constitutes an attractive face. The consistency of attractiveness ratings across age, gender and culture has led to a search for an underlying construct that determines facial attractiveness. Langlois and Roggman (1990) proposed the "average is attractive" hypothesis arguing that facial attractiveness is determined by the level of averageness of facial features. Langlois and Roggman (1990) created composite faces to examine this hypothesis but their methodology was criticised, particularly because the technique used to create the composites tended to remove facial flaws and blemishes. This led to the argument that …