Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Utilizing Positive Ritual Behavior In Marriage On Marital Satisfaction And Intimacy, Rita Valenti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Orientation And Meaning On Mental Rotation, Peter D. Elgin, Susan T. Davis

Modern Psychological Studies

Reading is a complex ability, for the most part, and performed automatically, especially when the visual stimulus is upright. The present study examined the contribution of mental rotation to reading; participants were timed as they read lists of consonant-vowel-consonant trigrams (CVCs) of varying orientations and meaning. An ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between orientation and meaning, F(3,126)=8.41, MSE=8238 77.99. CVCs misoriented by 180 required the longest response time in the low-meaning condition. However, in the high-meaning condition, CVCs misoriented by 270 ° required a longer response time than those misoriented by 180 o. These paradoxical results may be due to …

Influence Of Postevent Information In The Recall Of Central And Peripheral Details Of An Eyewitnessed Event, Kathi Kaeler, Yvonne Larson, Gloria Marmolejo

Modern Psychological Studies

Previous research has shown that misleading postevent information can alter the report of a previously witnessed event. The present experiment extends on this research by investigating whether central and peripheral details are affected differentially by misleading postevent information. Sixty-four undergraduate students were shown a series of slides depicting a theft from a convenience store. They were then exposed to a taped narrative which contained some misinformation and some neutral information about two central and two peripheral critical details. Finally, the subjects ' memory for the original event was tested using recognition and source questions. The accuracy data replicated the misinformation …

Racial Identity In Biracial Adolescents From One African-American And One Caucasian-American Parent, Lanice Stanley

Modern Psychological Studies

Racial identity development in biracial children within American society is essential for the discovery of selfconcept. Identity development in adolescents with one African American and one Caucasian-American parent is a complex process deriving from social influences and individual self-conceptualization. Three approaches of identity preference are found to be the most common in biracial youth. The first is the denial of one race, the second is over-identification of the favored culture, and lastly the incorporation of both racial backgrounds as a separate identity.

The Relationship Between Parenting Style And Chilren's Anger, Aggressive Behavior, And Perception Of Intention, Patricia Bardina, Michelle Wilson

Modern Psychological Studies

This study examined the relationship between parenting style and preschoolers' perceptions of intention, their anger, and their aggressive behavior. Each child was told eight variations of the same story and then was asked to rate the characters' intentions and anger. The parents were given the Modified PARI (Emmerich, 1969) and the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983) to measure parenting style and the child's aggressive behavior. A regression analysis resulted in a significant Beta score of .41 (p<. 02) between hostility rejection parenting style and the child's perception of intention. Previous research shows a relationship between perception of intention and anger or aggressive behavior (Rotenberg, 1985; Fine, 1980); thus, the results of this study suggest that perception of intention could serve as a mediator between hostile parenting and anger or aggressive behavior.

Sexual Harassment Perception As Influenced By A Harasser's Physical Attractiveness And Job Level, Mark E. Savery

Modern Psychological Studies

Seventy-two women participated in a study that compared factors that influenced the perception of sexual harassment Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 66 years (M = 24.03, SD = 8.12). The variables studied were the physical attractiveness of the harasser (low or high), the job level of the harasser relative to the target (equal or superior), and the level of sexual harassment in the stories read by the participants (low or moderate). The Sexual Harassment Perception Scale (SHPS) was used to measure the perception of sexual harassment Analysis of variance indicated that physically attractive males were perceived as less harassing …

What Does The Client See? A Review Of Psychotherapists' Nonverbal Behavior, Iris Taber

Modern Psychological Studies

Nonverbal communication between a psychotherapist and a mental health consumer is an extremely powerful tool in the course of psychotherapy. Clients generally assume therapists attend to their nonverbals but therapists may be unaware of the extent to which their nonverbals influence therapy. This paper examines the influence of the therapist's nonverbals on the therapeutic relationship. In research conducted by Davis & Hadiks (1994) using the Nonverbal Interaction and States Analysis (NISA), client and therapist movements were compared and rated on the same scale. These data indicated that body position patterns facilitated the development of rapport and self-disclosure in a therapy …

Front Matter

Modern Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

A Historical Review Of Disgust, Amanda Burlington, Chad Mcdaniel, David O. Wilson

Modern Psychological Studies

Although disgust was identified as a basic emotion 125 years ago (Darwin, 1965), no psychological theory has focused on disgust as a key concept. Although many prominent scientists such as Freud, Darwin, and Ma/son have addressed the topic of disgust in their research, none have focused solely on the causes and consequences of disgust. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the literature concerning disgust and to demonstrate how disgust is a meaningful concept worthy of major focus in psychological research, theories, and application.

An "Authentic Wholeness" Synthesis Of Jungian And Existential Analysis, Samuel Minier

Modern Psychological Studies

Eclectic approaches to psychotherapy often lack cohesion due to the focus on technique and procedure rather than theory and wholeness of both the person and of the therapy. A synthesis of Jungian and existential therapies overcomes this trend by demonstrating how two theories may be meaningfully integrated The consolidation of the shared ideas among these theories reveals a notion of "authentic wholeness' that may be able to stand on its own as a therapeutic objective. Reviews of both analytical and existential psychology are given. Differences between the two are discussed, and possible reconciliation are offered. After noting common elements in …

Effects Of Levels Of Pleasantness And Vividness On Mood And Recall, Ibolya Yolas, Melissa Pelkey, Tiffany Porter

Modern Psychological Studies

Undergraduate university students (N=118) participated in the experiment examining the effects of pleasantness level and vividness level on mood and recall. A pleasant and an unpleasant story were manipulated to construct the subdued and vivid version of the story. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions: (a) pleasant-subdued (b) pleasant-vivid, (c) unpleasant-subdued or (d) unpleasant-vivid A mood scale was administered before and after the presentation of the text. An additional test was used to measure recall. The results indicated significant main effect for level of vividness on mood F (1,111) = 558, p <.05. Mood was found to be a significant predictor variable of recall R = .25 R2= .066, F (1,111) = 786 These findings might be applicable to any area concerned with mood alteration.

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 …

Law And Biology: Toward An Integrated Model Of Human Behavior, Owen D. Jones

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

As first year law students unhappily discover, the meaning of "law" is frustratingly protean, shifting by usage and user. Depending on whom you ask, law is a system of rules, a body of precedents, a legislative enactment, a collection of norms, a process by which social goals are pursued, or some dynamic mixture of these. Law's principal purpose is to define and protect individual rights, to ensure public order, to resolve disputes, to redistribute wealth, to dispense justice, to prevent or compensate for injury, to optimize economic efficiency, or perhaps to do something else. And yet one thing is irreducibly …

Individual Differences In Psychological Adjustment To Perceived Abnormalities Of Appearance, Timothy Peter Moss

School of Psychology Theses

The aim of this programme of research was to investigate the differences between individuals in their psychological adjustment to perceived abnormalities of appearance. The first phase of the research was to refine and validate a measure of distress and dysfunction associated with having an appearance which is different from normal. Over 500 patients in plastic reconstructive surgery units were recruited as participants in a nationwide multi-centre trial. The resulting measure, the Derriford Appearance Scale 24r was shown to have good psychometric properties, and was used as a criterion measure of adjustment. A series of clinical interviews were conducted with contrasting …

An Integrated Model Predicting Smoking Stage Of Change Among A Sample Of Government-Insured And Indigent Medical Patients., Edwin Daniel Boudreaux

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study found that an integrated model using variables from several psychosocial theories, including the theory of planned behavior, decisional balance theory, and self-efficacy theory, was successful in predicting smoking stage of change. Specifically, ever smokers with higher self-efficacy, higher ratings of the cons of smoking, and lower ratings of the pros were more ready to quit or had already quit. Additionally, those who rated smoking as less tempting and who reported having people in their support system who were supportive of their cessation were in later stages of change. These results point to the importance of assessing cognitions towards …

Discovering The Struggle Between Good And Evil Through Antagonism Within An United Methodist Church With The Help Of Ignatius' And Wesley's Understanding Of Discernment Of Spirits , Robert Ferguson Searle

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Student Attitudes Toward Individuals With Disabilities: Inclusive Versus Traditional Classrooms In Elementary School, Heather Young

Theses

In recent years, many schools have begun to include students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Studies on "inclusion," have shown several positive effects for students with and without disabilities. This study examines the self-reported attitudes of 185 elementary school students in inclusive and traditional classrooms, as measured by the Scale of Children's Attitudes Toward Exceptionalities (SCATE). Self-reported attitudes and experiences of general education teachers were also assessed using a survey developed by the researcher. Although statistically significant relationships were found on the SCATE, these were not logical or conclusive. Results of the teacher surveys indicate that teachers of inclusive …

Personal Variables And Critical Incident Stress Among Correctional Officers, Robin L. Sanabria

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether personal variables including age, gender, length of correctional work experience, years ofEducation, and work locus of control predict levels of critical incident stress among correctional officers. Fifty-two federal correctional officers completed: (a) the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (Weiss & Marmar, 1997) to measure critical incident stress, (b) the Work Locus Control Scale (Spector, 1988) to measure work locus of control, and (c) a demographic questionnaire. The instruments were distributed at the work place, and completion was encouraged during duty hours. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted. The personal variables tested, …

Relationship Between Creativity Self-Actualization And Hypomania, Chris Nadasi

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Empowered Narratives : Drama Praxis And The Archetype As A Means To Authentic Voice For Women, Beryl Chalk

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis contests the status of gender as a social construct by considering how women develop a personal ethnography when engaging in drama and expressive arts practices. There is no known research on drama praxis as a signifier to Australian women's identity, a major focus of this work will be, 'Who has the authority over women's expression and means of expression? Who has the authority to interpret the experience? Who has authority over other people's experience?' This thesis addresses the internalised- oppression which refers to the process by which women internalise the 'fictionalised' reality prescribed to them as women marked …

Institutional Climate And Institutional Effectiveness At Three Community Colleges, Connie S. Buckner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to explore the impact of employee morale, as manifested in institutional climate data, upon institutional effectiveness; and (2) to determine the extent to which information generated by climate survey data was used in developing and implementing change initiatives at each of the institutions studied. Three institutions were selected for this multiple site case study. Four sources of data from each institution were used to provide a "picture" of institutional climate. These sources of data were (a) the Personal Assessment of the College Environment (PACE) climate survey, (b) institutional self-study reports, (c) reaffirmation …

Case Studies Of Selective Mutism In Hispanic Children, Colleen Anne Gittins

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Selective mutism is a consistent refusal to use spoken language in specific social situations. This can occur in a particular environment or with specific individuals. A collaboration of four case studies was used to study the possible etiologies, characteristics, and intervention strategies associated with selective mutism. Four children from public school campuses in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas were subjects in this investigation as well as teachers and parents.

A questionnaire was used to gather data along with informal interviews. Results concluded that prevalence rates for selective mutism are relatively high in the area surveyed. Furthermore, many professional …

The Cowboy Way: A Study Of Leadership As Portrayed In Western Film, Ralph L. Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to examine leadership through the medium of film, specifically the genre of the western. The western is iconographic; representative of the American ethos, the western embodied the "frontier myth." The purposes of this study were to examine how leadership was portrayed in a selected sample of western films dating from 1945 to 1995, and to categorize and characterize the leadership methods exhibited in each film. Qualitative in design, the study was concerned with broad description and discovery. Using observation as the data collection technique and content analysis as the research method, the study examined a sample of …

The Use Of Prior Knowledge In Learning From Examples, Stephen B. Blessing '89

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the way people acquire procedures from examples, and provides a computational model of the results. In four experiments, people learned an analog of algebra. For each experiment, the initial know ledge that people had of the task was varied. In two experiments (Experiments 1 and 3), the syntactic know ledge that people had concerning the task w as manipulated. The knowledge of syntax that participants had, particularly the ability to correctly parse the character string, was found to be a major determiner in the way participants acquired the rules. Experiment 2 explicitly manipulated participant's awareness as to …

"Lies, Damned Lies, And Statistics"? Psychological Syndrome Evidence In The Courtroom After Daubert, Krista L. Duncan

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Experience Of Psychology Paraprofessionals: Views Of Peer Counselors And Peer Educators, Heather L. Edgel

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This study was conducted to examine the experience of students as paraprofessionals in psychology. 102 peer counselors/educators from 10 universities across America were sampled. The research data generated was descriptive in nature. Paraprofessionals rated experience satisfaction and expressed opinions regarding their involvement in peer counseling and peer educating programs.

The Relationship Of Maslow's Theory Of Self-Actualization To Biblical Theology And Christian Counseling, Janet Blevins Dean

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Racial Divide: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March Address, Martin Andrew Bartness

Student Work

This study examines Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March address delivered on October 16, 1995, in Washington, D.C. The address was analyzed to discover how Farrakhan responded to an historically significant and controversial rhetorical situation and to determine how race can be discussed in America. Farrakhan's address was analyzed through an application of Hart's (1990) model of the rhetorical situation. The elements of speaker, setting, audience, topic, and persuasive field were found to have a significant impact on what Farrakhan said during his address. Despite Farrakhan's explicit statements to the contrary, analysis of the address revealed an attempt by Farrakhan to …

Managing The Group Polarization Of Attitudes Toward New Policies: A Procedural Justice Perspective, Carol E. Mcknight

Student Work

Discussion among co-workers is common in organizations after a policy change has been made that results in change for employees. Group polarization theory asserts that group discussion will influence attitudes and perceptions about a policy change by shifting individual reactions in the direction of the average of the group’s prediscussion reactions. After a policy change resulting in negative outcomes, this shift will be in the direction of even more negative reactions. The procedural justice theoretical framework may provide organizational decision makers with an answer to the effects of group discussion after a policy change. The use of social accounts after …