Digital Commons Network^™

Animal Minds And Animal Emotions, Marian Stamp Dawkins

Emotion Collection

The possibility of conscious experiences of emotions in non-human animals has been much less explored than that of conscious experiences associated with carrying out complex cognitive tasks. However, no great cognitive powers are needed to feel hunger or pain and it may be that the capacity to feel emotions is widespread in the animal kingdom. Since plants can show surprisingly sophisticated ‘‘choice’’ and ‘‘decision-making’’ mechanisms and yet we would not wish to imply that they are conscious, attribution of emotions to animals has to be done with care. Whether or not an animal possesses anticipatory mechanisms associated with positive and …

Distributive Justice And Perceptions Of Fairness In Team Sports, Leslie Specht

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Distributive justice refers to the perceptions of fairness of outcomes received by individuals for their efforts in organizational settings. Punishment is frequently used to eliminate offensive or undesirable behavior in organizations. The present study was based on distributive justice theory and assessed the effects of severity of punishment and the application of distributive justice rules in a sports team setting. Eight scenarios were developed combining two levels of distribution of punishment (consistent or conditional), two levels of severity of misconduct (severe or moderate), and two levels of severity of punishment (severe or moderate). It was hypothesized that consistent punishment across …

The Role Of Gender Interactions, Company Tenure And Job Tenure In Upward Feedback Ratings, Vanessa Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Using feedback scores from an established upward feedback program, the role of gender interactions, company tenure, and job tenure on leadership ratings of managers by subordinates were examined. Four separate analyses were conducted: a 2 X 2 ANOVA, a 2 X 6 ANOVA, and two Aptitude-Treatment Interaction (ATI) regression analyses in accordance with the procedure set forth in Pedhazur (1997). No significant main effects or interactions were found for manager gender and subordinate gender on ratings of managers. Manager company tenure had a significant effect on ratings of managers, R = .002, F (1, 168) = .53, p < .05, but manager job tenure was not found to have a significant effect on manager ratings. Subordinate company tenure also had a significant effect on manager ratings, F (5, 3973) = 5.95, p < .01. A post-hoc Scheffe's test indicated significant differences were shown between subordinates whose tenure was 6 months to 1 year and 1 to 3 years versus subordinates whose tenure was greater than 10 years, p < .05. The need for further research of factors that may influence upward feedback ratings was emphasized; limitations of the study were also discussed.

The Role Of Eeoc Factors In Determining Perceptions Of Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment, Libby Miller

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines on Sexual Harassment identify six factors that are relevant in determinations of sexual harassment. This study attempted to determine if three of these factors (i.e., frequency of harassment, number of victims and number of perpetrators) drive perceptions of what constitutes sexual harassment. Participants role-playing jurors on an hostile environment sexual harassment case demonstrated no differences in perceptions as a function of number of victims or number of perpetrators. The significant effect for frequency of harassment was not in the hypothesized direction, with less frequent harassment being perceived as more likely to constitute sexual harassment. The …

The Indian Software Industry: What Makes For Commitment, Abhoy K Ojha

IIMB Management Review

The impact of the demographic characteristics of people on their work attitudes and organisational behaviour has been of interest to organisational theorists for a long time. While some studies have examined the impact of demographic characteristics on attitudes and behaviour, others have investigated the impact of the composition of these demographic characteristics on individual attitudes and behaviour, and organisational outcomes. Against the background of these studies, a study was conducted to examine the impact of demographic characteristics of software professionals on their organisational commitment

Stress And Job Performance: Theory, Research, And Implications For Managerial Practice By Steve M Jex, New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1998., Prabha Srinivas

IIMB Management Review

This book is a comprehensive study of stress and the effect it has on work life. The style of presentation is simple and therefore even a person not familiar with stress and its related theories can follow the text easily. The topic is extremely relevant and important in the context of the current style of living. Competitiveness in the work place has reached an all time high and has left its mark. To managers, this book offers suggestions on how to recognise stress inducing factors and deal with them. But, as Jex himself says, the study of occupational stress is …

Propaganda And Persuasion By Garth S Jowett And Victoria O’Donnell, New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1999., M A Venkataramana

IIMB Management Review

Propaganda and Persuasion promises to be of interest to anyone who has encountered propaganda of some kind and who would like to know more about the ways in which it could shape the social setting around us. The promise, after all, comes from authors who have been studying communication in depth for over a decade. (Jowett is Professor of Communication at the University of Houston, and Joint Advisory Editor of the Cambridge History of Mass Communication; O’Donnell is Professor of Communication at Montana State University, Bozeman. Both have published widely and are sought-after consultants.)

Preventing Workplace Violence By Mark Braverman, New Delhi: Sage, 2000., T Ananthachari

IIMB Management Review

The workplace is in many ways the meeting ground for the employer and the employees. It can lead to mutual understanding, trust and a lasting fruitful collaboration to achieve the objectives of the company. On the other hand, it can result in confrontation with all the consequent negative outcomes to follow. It is obvious that one of the basic policies of every organisation should be to forge maximum possible understanding between the two. Even a minor incident, misunderstanding or communication gap between the managerial hierarchy and the individual employee can spark off a situation which could ultimately vitiate the atmosphere …

Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Blockade By Propranolol Enhances Retention In A Multitrial Passive-Avoidance Procedure, Allen M. Schneider, Nancy Koven , '98, Kimberly A. Lombardo , '98, Dimitriy A. Levin , '01, Peter E. Simson , '78

Psychology Faculty Works

The effect of beta -adrenergic receptor blockade on retention in a mildly aversive passive-avoidance procedure was investigated. Rats were given passive-avoidance training-1 trial per day for 4 days-and were administered saline, the centrally and peripherally acting beta -adrenergic blocker propranolol (4 or 10 mg/kg ip), or the peripherally acting P-adrenergic blocker sotalol (4 or 10 mg/kg ip) immediately or 2 hr after the Ist trial. Enhanced retention occurred only with the higher dose (10 mg/kg) of propranolol and only when it was administered immediately after training. The enhanced retention produced by propranolol is discussed in terms of opposing, regionally specific …

Vicarious Traumatization: An Examination Of The Effects Of Exposure To Traumatic Material In Child Abuse Counselors, Stacey A. Waller

Masters Theses

Counselors who deliver services to children who have suffered maltreatment confront on a daily basis horrific examples of human suffering inflicted on society's most vulnerable members. Such repeated exposure may put these professionals at risk for adverse psychological consequences, including vicarious traumatization (VT), which can include symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study examined the unique effects of providing trauma services to children on 34 counselors who work primarily with child survivors of maltreatment. While the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in this sample was low, respondents reported higher levels of depression and emotional exhaustion than found in …

Membership At Risk: Representation Of Disability In Popular Counselor Education Textbooks, Nancy A. Rosenau

Dissertations

Representations of disability in American culture are saturated with negative images and meanings. Pervasive negativity threatens full societal membership and its related benefits of a sense of belonging, connectedness, and inclusion, and a source of identity, social networks and empowerment for people with disabilities.

Disability pride is a resistant movement that seeks to denaturalize assumptions about the negative experience of disability. The multicultural turn in counseling recognizes that competent practice requires awareness of diverse groups in society. Disability as the largest minority group in the U.S. requires counselor awareness. This study examined the representation of disability in a sample of …

Emotional Expressiveness And Problematic Behaviors Among Male Juvenile Sexual Offenders, General Offenders, And Nonoffenders, Carin M. Ness

Dissertations

This analytic variable study examined the potential differences that exist among male juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs), general offenders (GOs), and nonoffenders (NOs) on the emotional expressiveness variables of alexithymia and affective orientation, and three problematic behavior variables including self-defeating behavior, risk taking, and reckless behavior. It was hypothesized that JSOs and GOs would be statistically significantly different than NOs on all variables but not different from each other.

Hypotheses were tested by a MANOVA. When statistical significance was indicated, ANOVAs were computed to identify the specific groups and measures, which were statistically significant The significance level for all analyses was …

Venture Behavioral Health Southwestern Michigan Treatment Of Depression Collaborative Study: The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Activation Group Therapy: An Initial Investigation, Jeffrey F. Porter

Dissertations

A recent empirical study (Jacobson et al., 1996) suggested that the Behavioral Activation (BA) component of Beck’s Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CT) for depression (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979) may be as effective a treatment for clinical depression as the full CT treatment. BA involves intervention choices that are fewer in number and more straightforward than those contained in CT, making BA a more efficient treatment than CT. The purpose of this study was to extend the research on BA by administering it as a group therapy and to evaluate this treatment in a natural setting. This was achieved by classifying …

Seismic Adjustments: The Influence Of Inconvenience And Efficacy Perceptions, State Of Residence, And Demographic Factors, Nicole Elise Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that peoples' perceptions of household seismic adjustments, in addition to their perceptions of earthquakes themselves, should predict the likelihood that seismic adjustments are performed. However, little research has been done to address this issue. While recent research has found peoples' perceptions of the effectiveness of household adjustments to influence adjustment levels, people's perceptions of inconvenience of household seismic adjustments - namely the cost, time effort, required cooperation and required knowledge involved in making these adjustments - have been found to not influence seismic adjustment. However, this study did find that the higher the perceived inconveniences …

Trends. The Unconditional As Conditional: We Are All Tamils, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the problematic nature of the term "unconditional" when applied to peace talks, in this case in Sri Lanka between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government.

An Update On The Political Psychology Of Sex And Personnel Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes the positive and negative contributions of scientific psychology to the interface of sexual orientation and personnel security.

Sanctions And Nonproliferation Behavior: Missing On Missiles, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes political psychologies supporting United States (US) sanctions-related behavior towards the People's Republic of China's (PRC) exporting of missiles, missile components, and missile technology.

Trends. Social Violence: The Jigsaw Classroom As A Piece Of The Puzzle, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the "jigsaw technique" developed by social psychologist Elliot Aronson as a partial way of addressing school-related violence.

Journey To Self: The Experience Of Inner Life Of Helping Professionals, Candace W. Ross

Dissertations

Based on the assumptions that self-awareness is an important factor in healthy and effective functioning of helping professionals (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 1998) and that the self of the therapist is an important tool in effective therapy (Baldwin, 2000), this phenomenological study was conducted to explore the experience of inner life of helping professionals. Three women and two men, either licensed counselors or psychologists who were working in therapeutic settings, agreed to participate in a two-part interview. In the first interview, the participants described their experience of inner life, including what facilitated or hindered their experience, how inner life informed …

Do Safety Observers Perform More Safely As A Result Of Conducting Observations?, Alicia M. Alvero

Masters Theses

Behavior-based safety (BBS) is an effective approach to improving safety within organizations, and has been implemented across a wide variety of settings. The two major components of BBS are the observation process and the delivery of feedback. Literature on feedback is abundant, but experimentation and scientific evidence on effects of the observation process are nonexistent. Typically, supervisors or employees involved in BBS implementations conduct observations of other employees' behavior, but the effects of conducting observations on an observer's safety performance is not known. The present study was a first attempt at assessing these effects. A multiple baseline counterbalanced across two …

The Relationships Among The Stimulus Functions And The Clinical Effects Of Methylphenidate In Children Diagnosed With Adhd, Emily K. Macdonald

Masters Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorder in the United States. Approximately 90% of children receiving pharmacological treatment for ADHD receive the stimulant methylphenidate (MPH). MPH is associated with positive effects across many behavioral domains, yet the mechanisms through which it exerts clinical effects have not been conclusively determined. MPH produces reinforcing and subjective effects, however it is not understood how these functions relate to clinical effects. The present study examined the relationship among several stimulus functions and the clinical effects of MPH. Participants were 5 children (aged 10-14) diagnosed with ADHD who were …

Male Coercive Sexual Behavior As A Function Of Male Resource-Potential And Respondent Gender., Christy D. Wolfe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined whether the resource-potential (RP) of a male dater (i.e., potential financial success and status) and/or respondent gender related to attitudes toward coercive sexual behavior by the male. Participants (59 males and 82 females) read a hypothetical dating scenario in which a heterosexual couple went out for dinner and then returned to the female’s apartment to watch a movie. The RP of the male dater was set at high and low. Following the scenario, rating scales posing increasing levels of coercive sexual behavior (a sexual advance, verbal persuasion, and physical coercion) were presented. The participants rated the …

Eating Disorders: Prevention, Identification And Treatment In Elementary And Secondary Schools, Marcella I. Stickney

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the responses of elementary and secondary school counselors to students with symptoms of eating disorders. A survey was sent to 1000 school counselors in the upper Midwest (Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin) during the spring of 2000. The survey contained 1 of 4 vignettes which describe either a male or female student presenting with/without symptoms suggestive of disordered eating patterns. The gender of the student in the vignette was randomly assigned. School counselors were asked to report the classification they would designate, assessment procedures they would utilize, and interventions that they …

Cognitive Inhibition And Impulsivity In Adult Children Of Alcoholics And Controls, Louise A. Weller

Theses and Dissertations

The genetic transmission of a pattern of impairments associated with alcoholism has been supported by research literature (Dawson, Harford, & Grant, 1992; Schuckit, 1986). No single factor appears to cause the development of a substance abuse problem, but a family history of alcoholism may be one predictive factor (Goodwin, 1985). The offspring of alcoholics are more likely to display disinhibited behavior and impulsivity (Pihl, Peterson, & Finn, 1990) and are more likely to develop drinking problems than the general population (Goodwin, 1971). Researchers have found patterns of cognitive deficits (Tartar, Jacob, Bremer, 1989) and neuropsychological differences (Gabriella & Mednick, 1983) …

Getting Out: A Feminist Psychoanalytical Analysis Of Intimate Violence, Aili Marie Smith

Theses and Dissertations

In my thesis I examined various forms of physical and psychological violence within the text Getting Out by Marsha Norman. Getting Out is filled with disturbing visual images of intimate violence. Utilizing various feminist psychoanalytical theorists and critics, I explored the realm of intimate violence. This included paying particular attention to the feminists Rhoda Unger & Mary Crawford in Women in Gender: A Feminist Psychology and Tony Martens in The Spirit Weeps: Characteristics and Dynamics of Incest and Child Sexual Abuse. My exploration focused specifically on the act of violence found in the drama. Not only did I relate these …

Y2000 Alcohol And Drug Survey: An Examination Of University Of North Dakota Students, Michael A. Seredycz

Theses and Dissertations

National and regional substance use studies suggest that college students are frequent users of alcohol, tobacco and drugs. This study examines substance use at UND, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, examining the predictive power of Hirschi’s social control theory in response to collegiate substance use. This research will provide a profile of student activities and beliefs associated with use or non-use, as well as the prevalence of use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

Three focus groups were used to increase reliability and validity of the sample before a quantitative self-administered survey was administered to a convenient sample of students. …

The Academic Achievement And Psychological Functioning Of College Students With A Family History Of Alcoholism, Rachel M. Dodd

Theses and Dissertations

Fifty adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) and 50 non-ACAs in an undergraduate college student sample were compared on standardized measures of emotional functioning, alcohol consumption, academic achievement, and cognitive ability. A 2 (parental alcoholism status) X 2 (gender) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed on each of the four categories of dependent variables. The MANOVAs were followed by univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to determine which variables contributed to the multivariate effect.

With respect to emotional functioning, differences between ACAs and non-ACAs were found for males but not females. Male ACAs reported significantly more current anxiety and long-standing anxiety …

Syllable Structure Development Of Toddlers With Expressive Specific Language Impairment, Aimée Baird Pharr, Nan Bernstein Ratner, Leslie Rescorla

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

A total of 35 children - 20 with expressive specific language impairment (SLI-E) and 15 typically developing (TD) peers - were compared longitudinally from 24 to 36 months with respect to their production of syllable shapes in 10-minute spontaneous speech samples. SLI-E 24-month-olds predominantly produced earlier developing syllable shapes containing vowels, liquids, and glides. TD 24-month-olds and SLI-E 36-month-olds produced approximately the same proportion of syllable types, with the exception of consonant clusters, where TD 24 month-olds produced more than SLI-E 36-month-olds. TD children at 36 months showed the greatest use of syllable shapes containing two different consonants and consonant …

An Interview Study Of Educational Success Among American Indian Doctoral Recipients, Linda L. Neuerburg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to better understand the successful educational experiences among Native American doctoral recipients and why they succeeded where so many others have failed to reach that level of education. The participants' individual experiences were recorded during the in-depth interviews. Their own voices have indicated their path to success.

Qualitative research methods were used in the study including interviews, participant observation, and follow-up telephone interviews. Data were analyzed for themes and results were discussed in reference to the literature. Recommendations for parents, teachers, school administrators, mentors, faculty, and college administrators were provided.

The study allowed the …

The Truth On Living In Truth, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article delineates a significant problem with Vaclav Havel's analysis of the power of the powerless through living in truth.