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Refugee Settlement: Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, Ethnicity And Social Network Development, Monique Keel

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Refugees arriving in Australia undergo a number of settlement processes including adaptation and acculturation, social support and network development, and an exploration of their ethnic identity. This research examines the settlement processes of mixed marriage refugees from what was Yugoslavia who arrived in Perth, Western Australia in the early to mid 1990's. A mixed marriage is one where the couple are from different ethnic backgrounds. This research has two main aims. The first aim is to examine the processes of acculturation and adaptation, the development of social support networks, and ethnic identity, within the refugees. These processes provide a framework …

Burnout Among Western Australian Psychologists : Exploring Issues Within Forensic Psychology As Potential Predictors, Claire L. Lynn

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The level of burnout among a sample of Western Australian psychologists and a comparison of scores to the American normative sample of mental health workers was investigated. The study was also particularly interested to explore whether issues pertinent to the forensic psychologist were predictive of burnout. Burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which comprises three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low personal accomplishment The study explored whether characteristics in relation to the psychologist, the client and the workplace had predictive value for the level of burnout. Variables considered across these characteristics were age and gender, client problem …

The Utility Of The Anxiety Cluster Scale Of The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale To Identify Anxiety Problems In 10 Year Old Children, Jeremy Singer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

It is widely accepted in the literature that internalised childhood psychopathology including anx1cty is best identified by child self-report, followed by observations by parents and then to a lesser extent, by teachers. Although anxiety scales are a useful way to quantify anxiety symptomatology and progress through treatment, changes to classification systems (e.g., DSM-111-R to DSM-IV) make their ability to screen for the presence of psychiatric problems difficult. This research looked at whether the Anxiety Cluster (AC) scale of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSCS) can be used to identify anxiety disorders in children. Two separate studies were conducted in the …

The Relative Importance Of Barriers To Cervical Cancer Screening In Older Women : A Review Of 140 Women And Their Pap Smear Providers, Nerida Beaumont

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Cervical cancer remains a significant cause of death in women. There is a notable age related decrease in levels of screening and women aged over 50 years with later, more invasive disease. One hundred and forty women aged between 50 and 69 years (M "'58.21 years) and 23 Pap smear providers completed a Cervical Cancer Screening Questionnaire designed to identify the relative importance of barriers to attendance for cervical screening, as well as providers own barriers and issues. Responsibility for health, familiarity with, and ratings of the usefulness of Pap smears were the major dimensions along which regular and non-regular …

The Effect Of Employment And Workers' Compensation Litigation On The Pain, Psychological State And Disability Of Chronic Back Pain Sufferers, P. B. Suter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Previous research exploring the relationship between litigation status and the symptoms of the plaintiff has been inconsistent and limited by methodological dlfficulties. While Mendelson (1984, 1986, 1988) argued there was no difference In symptoms and rates of work return between litigating chronic pain patients and those not involved in the compensation system, others argued that work related injuries were maintained either by the plaintiffs' wish for monetary compensation (compensation neurosis), or by their involvement in the medico-legal process with the stress of the litigation slowing down the recuperative process (nomogenic influences). Dworkin and colleagues (1985) highlighted the importance of including …

Repetition Priming And Melody : Implicit Memory For Music, Jacqueline Landre

Theses : Honours

The present study investigated the existence of repetition priming for melody and the extent to which that priming would be affected by the manipulation of frequency. A group of 62 university students and 2 members of the public listened to 20 high frequency and 20 low frequency melodies in the first phase of a repetition priming experiment. Participants were required to name as many melodies as they could as quickly as possible. The same melodies were then re-presented immediately in the second phase of the experiment along with another group of 40 melodies matched in frequency to those in the …

The Perception Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Values : Is Value Incongruence Related To Social Distance?, Lauren Jennifer Breen

Theses : Honours

This review examines prejudicial actions directed towards outgroups as a function of personal values and the perception of the values held by other groups. Prejudice is a result of social and cognitive categorisation. Although it is well learned, prejudice is not inevitable, if individuals attend to and control their prejudicial thoughts. Pleasurable interaction, cooperation, equal status, and making humanitarian values conspicuous serve to reduce intergroup conflict. It was proposed that values motivate approach and avoidance behaviours directed at outgroups, and both belief congruence theory and expectance-value theory arc relevant in explaining such behaviour.

The Generalisability Of The Stages And Processes Of Change ; The Concurrent Validity Of The Stages And Processes Of Change, Suzanne E. Marko

Theses : Honours

The transtheorctical model of behaviour change is comprised of the stages of change and the processes of change. The stages explain when change occurs, and the processes outline how change occurs. This model has been influential in clinical practice in the areas of tobacco smoking, alcohol use, eating disorders, and exercise behaviour. This review focuses on the previous literature concerned with the transtheorctical model. Although the model is popular and used to tailor interventions, it has not yet been cross-culturally vaildated, or tested comprehensively in the field of illegal drug use. Further research is necessary to examine whether or not …

The Psychological Impact Of Long-Term Unemployment In Mature-Aged Men : Volunteer Work As A Moderating Variable, Ming Yeu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Previous research has recognised the negative psychological distress associated with unemployment for older workers aged over 40 years, as they are considered to be more at risk of being unemployed for a longer duration than other age groups. Several moderating variables of the negative effects of unemployment such as age, length of unemployment and leisure participation have also been identified. In examining the experiences of unemployment with an Australian mature-aged group of men, this study also investigated the potential moderating effect of volunteer work participation that had been noted previously but had never been explored. One-hundred and eighteen men aged …

Psychohistory And Personality Assessment By Proxy: Comments On Ritzler And Singer (1998), Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article comments on the psychohistorical use of the "MMPI-2 by proxy" technique that is described by Long Island University's Barry Ritzler and Meredith Singer in the October 1998 Issue of the Journal of Personality Assessment.

An Update On Sex And Politics, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article identifies some of the common psychological phenomena related to sexual allegations against political leaders.

The Psychology Of Stereotypes: When The Positive Becomes Negative And The Negative Positive, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes some of the positive and negative features of positive and negative stereotypes.

From The Ibpp Research Associates. Turkey Zeynep Cemalcilar, Zeynep Cemalcilar

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author -Zeynep Cemalcilar -discusses his current educational studies in psychology at Purdue University and its impact on his home country of Turkey.

Trends. The Inside Threat To The Outsider: Venezuela's Hugo Chavez Frias, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the political strategy of running for political office as an "outsider" in representative democracies.

Trends. Letter Bombs In Australia: A Psychological Commentary, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the psychological aspects of letter bombers.

A Case Against Bringing Monsters To Justice: Pinochet, Deterrence, And Personal Identity, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article presents a philosophical psychology case against subjecting former national leaders who allegedly committed atrocities committed while they were in power to adjudication through a criminal or civil justice system.

Trends. Trafficking In Drug Trafficking: The United States Government Searches For New Military Operating Locations And Basing Sites In South America, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the interdiction approach to counter drug trafficking.

Nuclear Psychologies: On The First Use Of Nuclear Weapons And Reductions In Nuclear Arsenals, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes how the psychological rationales for, and the consequences of, the same nuclear policies can be constructed very differently by different groups of nuclear policymakers. Some possible rationales for these differences are offered.

Explorations In Causality And Causal Attributions: Russians On The Murder Of Galina Starovoitova, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article illustrates the complexities of attributing psychological import to causal attributions. The recent murder of a Russian psychologist/politician is employed as a socio-emotive backdrop.

Geographic Variation In Alarm Calls Of Gunnison's Prairie Dogs, C. N. Slobodchikoff, S. H. Ackers, M. Van Ert

Communication Skills Collection

Geographic variation in alarm calls of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) was analyzed at regional and local scales. Alarm calls in response to a common stimulus (the same human) were recorded at four colonies near Flagstaff, Arizona, and at six sites throughout the southwestern United States. The acoustic structure of calls was analyzed for seven call variables. Regional differences fit the prediction of greater differences with increased geographical separation. Differences between colonies at a local scale were not related to geographical distance, suggesting that local dialects exist within a region. Differences in the level of predation by humans …

Modern Sexist Attitudes Toward Female Supervisors, Eric Dulaney

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite the passage of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, women employed by an organization generally remain in the entry level positions, while their male counterparts are promoted throughout the organization's hierarchy. Although there are many theories that attempt to explain the reasons for this disparity between men and women in the workforce, one of the popular attributions is sexism. In this study, the investigator applied the theoretical framework of Modern Sexism to examine modern sexist attitudes toward female supervisors. Three hundred and twenty-two undergraduate students were asked to fill out several sexism measures and to evaluate vignettes of male …

Examining The Training And Practice Of School Psychologists: A Survey Of Intern Supervisors, Christopher Matthews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A survey was conducted to examine internship supervisors' perceptions of the level of preparation being provided to school psychology interns in the areas of Traditional Assessment, Non-Traditional Assessment, Consultation, Interventions, and Other skill areas. Twenty-five training institutions from 16 states were rated by the supervisors. The responding supervisors' job roles primarily consisted of practicing school psychologists. It was reported that interns spent about half of the total time in internship activities performing Traditional Assessment. Time spent in performing activities in the areas of Consultation, Interventions, and Nontraditional Assessment made up the majority of the other half with close to the …

A Meta-Analytic Investigation Of The Effect Of Freshman Seminars On Student Attrition At Four Year Colleges And Universities, Raymond Brown

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Tinto (1975) theorized that for a student to complete his/her education, he/she must integrate socially as well as academically at the institution. Freshman seminars are designed to ease students into college life and provide them with skills to cope socially and academically, thereby paving the way for institutional integration and, ultimately, degree completion. Researchers at a number of institutions have evaluated the effectiveness of the freshman seminar at reducing freshman to sophomore year attrition. They have reported mixed results. Here, the literature addressing the efficacy of freshman seminars for reducing attrition is reviewed using meta-analysis. The number of weekly contact …

Shyness And Social Discomfort As Measured By The Mmpi-2, Lori Hebel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide additional validity information for the Social Introversion Scale (Si), the Social Introversion Sub-scales (Si 1, Si 2 and Si 3), the Social Discomfort Content Scale (SOD) and the component scales (SOD 1 and SOD 2) of the MMPI-2. Previous research has focused on comparing the MMPI-2 with other self-report measures. The present study attempted to determine how well the MMPI-2 predicted behavioral observations of shyness and anxiety and self-reported discomfort in social situations. 88 participants took the MMPI-2 and then participated in a group activity. Observer and self-ratings of this activity were …

The Effect Of Biculturalism On Self-Esteem In Northern Plains Native American College Students, Mary J. Wilkie

Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of biculturalism on self esteem in a sample of 51 Northern Plains Native American college students (29 females, 22 males). Subjects completed the Northern Plains Biculturalism Inventory (NPB1; Allen & French, 1994) and the Index of Self-Esteem (ISE; Hudson, 1982). Pearson Product- Moment correlations, independent t-tests, a multiple regression analysis, and an one-way analysis-of-variance was performed using the SPSS statistical package to examine, if any, the relationships between the NPBI subscales and the ISE total scores. This design tested the applicability of the Orthogonal Theory of Biculturalism (Oetting & …

Science Experiences Of Six Elementary Student Teachers: A Case Study, Jacqueline K. Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on the science experiences of six elementary student teachers. The purpose of the study was to learn how preservice teachers make meaning of science teaching during their student teaching experience. The sources of data were interviews with participants, descriptive field notes from observations of their science teaching, and artifacts collected from the site. The themes that emerged from data analysis were personal and professional career influences and constant adjustments of teaching strategies. The participants experienced these themes in varying intensities.

Learning to teach science to elementary children for the first time is complicated by the context …

Reasons, Goals, And Incentives For Corporate Philanthropy To Arts Organizations, Marsonda Mcnutt Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

One of the methods employed by corporations to create a favorable relationship with its publics is to use philanthropy to not- for-profit organizations such as the arts. From a communication point of view, this action may be looked upon as a gesture between the corporation, the recipient, and the publics which involves messages both sent and received. Research on this communication gesture is important because arts organizations need to know how the process works in order to help secure philanthropic dollars. Corporations need to understand the results of the process so that they can more effectively achieve the goals for …

Male Sexual Orientation Among Religious Men: A Discriminant Function Analysis, James L. Born

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The ecological changes of human society especially in Western civilization via scientific, industrial, and technological revolutions have altered the foundations of what "masculinity" means in the l.990's. This study was designed to discriminate and predict three masculine sexual orientation groups based upon father-son relations, gender, religious spirituality, psychological maltreatment/abuse, and shame. Data were obtained from 92 male volunteer participants (gay=32, heterosexual=32, x-gay=28) who identify as Christians or who affiliate with a Christian organization. Instruments used were the Boyhood Gender conformity Scale (BGCS), the Father Forgiveness Perception Scale (FFPS), the Home Environment Questionnaire (HEQ) (i.e., Child Abuse Trauma Scale), Internalized Shame …

The Effects Of Social Skills Training And Reciprocal Social Skills Training With Parent/Guardian(S) On Behavior And Recidivism Of First Time Adjuncted Youth, Kathleen A. Bailey

Dissertations

This research investigates the effect of social skills training on 46 first-time adjudicated males, ages 13 through 15 and placed on traditional probation. The independent variable was the type of group. Three types of groups were conducted: Group I (youth who received social skills training with their parents or guardians), Group II (youth who received social skills training without parents’ or guardians’ participation), and Group III (a control group of youth who did not receive social skills training). The dependent variable was the Jesness Inventory scales and subscales scores, and the type of offenses (status, misdemeanor, and felony). The research …

Reconsidering Solidarity In The Mormon Village, Todd L. Goodsell

Theses and Dissertations

In what became a classic rural community study, Lowry Nelson concluded in his first Mormon village series in the 1920's that the Mormon village is characterized by an extraordinary sense of solidarity. He claimed that this strong solidarity can be primarily explained by four factors of the social group: leadership, conflict, cooperation, and ideology. After resurveying the Mormon village in 1950, he concluded that solidarity had declined. However, a few problems become apparent to the present researcher looking back upon Nelson's findings. One of them is that Nelson never had a clear definition of solidarity to begin with. Another is …