Digital Commons Network^™

A Grant For Recreation For People With Disabilities, Alessandra Rellini

Whittier Scholars Program

The purpose of this paper is to support a grant program for the making of a loan for people with disabilities who want to increase their leisure experiences. Three main issues are addressed by this paper: this history of leisure, the benefits of leisure on people’s lives, and the main features of this leisure correlated to these benefits. Through the history of leisure the reader will be introduced to the way leisure came about and the way society reacted to leisure. The main question about leisure is why it it important to people? The answer is that leisure benefits people’s …

Helping Children Cope With Grief And Death, Kim Noon

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Children need their parents, family, friends, teachers, doctors, and clergy to help them move through a death experience positively. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (1983) says that family members who have been able to talk together and share their experiences with other family members, hospital staff, or with a compassionate clergy or friend , usually do much better than those who hold all of their feelings inside, pretending that life goes on as usual. Grief and fear, when allowed to be expressed and shared in childhood, can prevent much future heartache. It is so important for all of us to again learn …

Birth Order And The Separation-Individuation Of Late Adolescents, Amy Loren Maddrey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Family Functioning And Suicide Attitudes, Stephanie Lynch

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the general functioning of a family is related to attitudes regarding suicide. Past research has examined the impact of family functioning on suicide attitudes and found that the relationship between families and children are different in families of suicidal children than in families who have nonsuicidal children. This study combined three variables of suicide acceptance, suicide normality, and perceptions of family functioning in the hopes of gaining more information to assess risk of harm to self in adolescents. The participants were 94 students from Introductory Psychology classes at Eastern Illinois University. …

Father's Parenting Style And Childhood Mealtime Experiences: Predictors Of Bulimia, Marci C. Smith

Masters Theses

Although many factors may contribute to the etiology of bulimia (Killian, 1994; Root et al., 1986; Striegel-Moore et al., 1986; Weiss et al., 1994), only a few factors differentiate between individuals who will or will not develop bulimia nervosa. There is a need to further explore and narrow the determinants of bulimia nervosa in order to develop a universal model to understand and treat the disorder. This study investigates the extent that childhood mealtime experiences and father's parenting style contribute to the manifestation of bulimic symptoms. The Bulimia Test-Revised (Thelen & Farmer, 1991) is used to classify 146 college-age females …

The Interaction Between Religiosity And Depression Among Students At Two Universities, Nils Anders Haldorsen

Masters Theses

The association between religion and mental health has been a long standing topic of the debate. Some have felt that religion leads to emotional and mental disturbances and thus is detrimental to mental health (Freud, 1907/1924, 1927/1961; Ellis, 1980, 1988); while others believe religion is helpful to mental health (Jung, 1932, 1933; Bergin 1980, 1983) . This study used 180 male and female (79%) college students from a Midwestern state university (62%) and a Christian liberal arts college. It was found that for women, private religiosity was negatively related to depression, as measured by the BDI. Students from the state …

Bosnian Civilian Survivors Of War In Exile And In Bosnia: A Comparative Study, Ines Lajla Matijas

Masters Theses

This study describes the psychological consequences of war for 111 female Bosnian civilians, 59 of whom are survivors in exile and 52 of whom are living in Bosnia. These participants, ages 18-23, completed anonymous self-report questionnaires which provided information about the prevalence of traumatic stress symptoms and the relationship between traumatic events experienced during the war and current symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found in PTSD diagnosis and PTSD severity between survivors in exile and survivors in Bosnia. No significant differences were found between groups in the frequency of reexperiencing, avoidance and …

Promoting The Inclusion Of Psychosocial Factors In Cardiac Rehabilitation, Dawn Elizabeth Newberg

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Prevention Of Industrial Accidents And Childhood Injuries: A Meta-Analysis, Julia Trillos

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Risk Factors Associated With Suicide Probability In Hiv Positive And Aids Patients, Kenneth W. Jackson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Social Interaction And Play Styles: A Comparison Of Well And Chronically Ill Preschoolers, Tonya L. Saunders

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study compares the differences in social interaction and play styles among children with chronic illness to those of well children. The sample consists of 34 children between the ages of three and five years. Subjects were recruited from local Head Start centers and outpatient clinics and participated on a volunteer basis. Seven subjects included children who had been diagnosed with some type of chronic illness (e.g. asthma, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or spina bifida). The remaining twenty-seven subjects were children who had never been diagnosed with a chronic illness. Parents of all children completed questionnaires investigating variations that exist among …

Perception Of Parental Conflict As A Predictor Of Attachment And Caregiving Styles In The Romantic Relationships Of Young Adults, Benjamin P. Chapman '97

Honors Projects

Attachment styles and caregiving styles have provided a useful framework for conceptualizing romantic relationships. The present study seeks to examine whether perceptions of high parental conflict will predict less secure attachment and caregiving styles in the romantic relationships of young adults. It is hypothesized that higher perceptions of parental conflict, as measured by the Family Structure Survey and the Conflict Tactics Scale, will correlate positively with more insecure ratings on a dimensional attachment measure, and will correlate positively with maladaptive extremes of caregiving styles, measured using the Caregiving Questionnaire. Low correlations between dimensional attachment and parental conflict were found. Results …

The Effects Of Information And Container Proximity On Paper Recycling, Todd Carlisle '97

Honors Projects

Contrary to popular belief, paper products are the one material that has actually increased (in percent of total waste) in U.S. landfills in the past 25 years (Rathje, Hughes, Archer, Wilson & Casselles, 1989). While paper recycling programs have become more commonplace today, their effectiveness has plateaued. To better understand how to increase a person's recycling behavior, this experiment, using a multiple baseline design, measured the effects of (1) information and (2) recycling container proximity on the paper recycling levels of 152 undergraduate students. The results of the experiment suggest that increasing a recycling container's proximity and educating a person …

Tactile Defensiveness And Patterns Of Social Behavior In Autism, Cari D. Neal '97

Honors Projects

The expression of tactile defensiveness (Tn) varies among individuals; however, it appears to affect a great number of people with autism. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted to evaluate TD in autism. Past literature regarding touch and typical social development suggests that a relationship between tactile stimulation, or in this case the aversion to this stimuli, and social behavior may exist. Utilizing survey data, it was found that Tn was significantly related to the severity of characteristics of autism as well as to social subscales. In addition, significant differences in cognitive functioning among social subgroups (aloof, passive, active but odd, …

The Roles Of Age And Frontal Lobe Damage In Prospective Memory, Sara J. Russell '97

Honors Projects

Recent evidence suggests that the frontal lobe plays an intimate role in the meditation of prospective memory (Shallice & Burgess, 1991; Cockburn, 1995). However, there is a paucity of studies linking damage to the frontal lobe to reduced efficacy of prospective memory. The present study attempts to examine three types of participants who differ in frontal lobe functioning and their relative levels of successful prospective memory. The participants consist of younger adults, older adults (55 and over) and individuals with frontal lobe damage determined by a CAT scan or MRI. All three groups will be given a computer-based general knowledge …

Comparison Of Three Different Interviewing Techniques For Young Children, David Samsock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Three programs for the testing of elementary school students' eyewitness testimonies were compared; Action for Child Protection Inc., (1994) which utilizes doll play, the Step-Wise Interview procedure developed by Yuille et al. (1993), and a modified version of the Cognitive Interview, (Geiselman, Saywitz and Bornstein, 1993). College students were trained in one of the three interviewing techniques. First and second grade children viewed a short film, were given suggestions, and were then interviewed with one of the three interviewing techniques. The college students had not seen the film. The techniques produced different response patterns, and strengths and weaknesses of each …

Effects Of Anxiety On Attentional Allocation And Task Performance: An Information Processing Analysis, Patricia Marten Dibartolo, Timothy A. Brown, David H. Barlow

Psychology: Faculty Publications

An information processing signal detection methodology was employed to examine attentional allocation and its correlates in both normal comparison (NC) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) participants. In particular, the impact of neutral distractor and negative feedback cues on performance of an attention vigilance task was investigated. Individuals with GAD (N = 15) evidenced impaired performance on an attention vigilance task relative to NC participants (N = 15) when neutral distractor cues were presented. Contrary to prediction, no group differences in performance were detected under conditions in which participants were presented negative feedback cues they were told were relevant to their …

The Presence Of A Dog Increases Greetings: A Study In Social Intervention, Emily Dunlap, Lori Graham, April Burton, Chassity Roberts

Modern Psychological Studies

Pet dogs served many useful purposes, especially by provoking social interaction in the lives of their owners. The purpose of this study was to show that a person accompanied by a dog received more greetings from passersby than a person without a dog. This was a field study using a female confederate, a dog, and three observers. Subjects passing in front of the confederate were recorded as a greeter or a non-greeter. Results formulated by the Chi Square showed that when the confederate was with the dog, they were greeted significantly more than when they were not accompanied by the …

An Account Of The Systematic Error In Judging What Is Reachable, Philippe Rochat, Maryjane Wraga

Psychology: Faculty Publications

An account of the postural determinants of perceived reachability is proposed to explain systematic overestimations of the distance at which an object is perceived to be reachable. In this account, these errors are due to a mapping of the limits of prehensile space onto a person's perceived region of maximum stretchability, in the context of a whole-body engagement. In support of this account, 6 experiments on the judged reachability of both static and dynamic objects are reported. We tentatively conclude that the mental imagery of action is grounded and calibrated in reference to multiple skeletal degrees of behavioral freedom. Accordingly, …

Predictors Of Divorce Adjustment Among Members Of Three Conservative Protestant Denominations, Andreas Erben

Dissertations

Problem. Only a few attempts have been made thus far to explore the situation of Christian divorced men and women in a scholarly manner. The basic question for this research was to find out what social factors, religious factors, and coping strategies are related to the divorce adjustment of divorced Christians who are members of predominately conservative Protestant denominations and how well these Christians adjust to divorce.

Method. The population for this research project was composed of all currently divorced men and women residing in the United States of America who are members of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, the Church …

Toward A Model Relating Empathy, Charisma, And Telepathy, James M. Donovan

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Telepathy is often dismissed because it is judged to be so weird as to be counterintuitive. This article argues that telepathy may be interpreted as phenomenologically impressive events of a social psychological process which in less dramatic instances would be termed empathy and charisma. Such an equation, however, herein called the "possible world model," would perhaps normalize telepathy, and lessen the opprobrium attached to its study. A first step is taken to validate the model when a comparative literature search finds that telepathy and empathy relate very similarly to other experimental variables.

The Link Between Established Psychological Type Preferences And Academic Achievement In Elementary School Students, Shelley Nacke

Theses

Sixty-four third through eighth grade students from a rural parochial school were tested using the Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children (MMTIC). Students were divided into three groups on the basis of the MMTIC scores: those showing no undetermined preferences, those showing one undetermined preference and those showing two or more undetermined preference. Grade point averages (GPA) were used to determine academic achievement for these students. Mean GP A scores for the three groups were compared using the t-test. Those students with two or more undetermined preferences showed significantly lower mean GP A scores than those students with no undetermined preferences.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Gender Differences Among Washers And Checkers, Jennifer Leigh Siervo

Theses

This research project thoroughly examines Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to see if there are any gender differences between compulsive washers and checkers. The null hypothesis is that there are no gender differences between the compulsions of washing and checking. Thirty-one subjects from a local self-help group voluntarily participated in this study. Of the thirty-one participants, thirteen were men and eighteen were women. The Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory was used to obtain total obsessions scores, as well as washing and checking scores. The mean scores for men and women for the total obsessions scale were compared. The women reported a higher number of compulsions …

Problem Construction And Creativity: The Role Of Ability, Cue Consistency, And Active Processing, Roni Reiter-Palmon, American Institutes For Research, Jennifer O'Connor Boes, Mark A. Runco

Psychology Faculty Publications

Problem construction has been suggested as the first step in creative problem solving, but our understanding of the underlying process is limited. According to a model of problem construction (Mumford, Reiter-Palmon, & Redmond, 1994), problem construction ability, active engagement in problem construction, and the presence of diverse and inconsistent cues influence creative problem solving. To test these hypotheses, 195 undergraduates were asked to solve 6 real-life problems and complete a measure of problem construction ability. Active engagement in problem construction was manipulated by instructions to the participants. Cue consistency was manipulated by the information presented in the problem situation. The …

Two Treatment Approaches For Young Children With Autism : Common Ground?, Jodi Suzanne Bronson

Graduate Research Papers

Students with autism display extreme difficulties with communication skills, social interactions, and often engage in restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior (DSM-IV, 1994 ). As a result of these behaviors, and the often comorbid mental retardation, students with autism have many complex educational needs.

This paper will provide a complete literature review of the historic development of autism, possible etiologies of autism, and current diagnostic criteria. In addition, specifically the literature regarding one current behavioral approach to intervention, the Lovaas Method, and one method of antecedent controlled intervention, the TEACCH model will be reviewed. Additionally, research on other successful interventions …

Proponents And Opponents For Rewarding Children, Shelly Bromwich

Graduate Research Papers

This paper is a review of the literature concerning the types and uses of rewards. The primary focus of this paper was to look at opposing sides of whether rewarding children has benefits or whether there are problems with using rewards. Also, I looked at how children can be given credit for their efforts to accomplish their goals with using encouragement and natural and logical consequences.

As stated by Alfie Kohn, "A reward .. .is a desired object or event made conditional on having fulfilled some criterion" (Kohn, 1993, p. 53). There is a controversy today concerning the use of …

Women: The Ignored Majority, Carol T. Mowbray, Daphna Oyserman, Catherine J. Lutz, Rogeair Purnell

Psychology Faculty Publications

The major thrust of psychiatric rehabilitation is to provide skill development and supports enabling individuals to function in their roles of choice. The model thus contains an underlying assumption that meaningful life roles are “chosen” roles. It therefore may tend to overlook the impact on persons’ lives of the roles that they are given. These given or ascribed roles include those based on gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. Self-definitions, behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, and values are all likely to be structured within such social roles, which can also serve as important social identities (Oyserman & Markus, 1993). In spite of increased …

School Of Social And Systemic Studies 1997-1998 Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

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

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Touch In Psychotherapy: A Survey Of Clients Recovering From Substance Abuse And/Or Childhood Sexual Abuse, Deborah Harmann Harris

Theses

Differences in perception of touch in psychotherapy were studied among clients with childhood sexual abuse and/or substance abuse issues. Forty clients from the general context of the "recovery community" were recruited to fill out an eleven item Revised Touch in Therapy Survey. Participants also gave narrative responses to a single open-ended question asking what meaning their touch experience held for them. The researcher adapted this current instrument from the longer, 1995 Touch in Therapy self-report questionnaire developed by Horton, Clance, Sterk-Elifson and Emshoff. A mail back system was used, with swveys returned to a local post office box.. The Llkert …

Security Decay: The Erosion Of Effective Security, Shawn A. Mcclure

Theses : Honours

The discipline of security lacks formal conceptual tools which can be used by security managers, advisers and consultants when attempting to provide effective security. This is because of security's relative age as a discipline, it is very new. The aim of the thesis was to contribute to the security discipline by taking Underwood's ( 1989) idea of security decay and to a certain extent exploring and formalising it. The security decay theory is primarily concerned with the influence apathy has on security and how management react to risk materialisation when decay is evident. The thesis focused on the first of …