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Metaphor, Theory, And Practice In The History Of Psychology, David E. Leary

Psychology Faculty Publications

In these chapters we have seen that neuropsychological discourse has been advanced by the use of metaphors from telecommunications, control systems engineering, computer science, holography, and other developments in parallel distributed processing (Pribram, Chapter 2); that theoretical discussions of the emotions have revolved around metaphors of inner feelings, physiological responses, vestiges of animal nature, diseases of the mind, driving forces, and social roles (Averill, Chapter 3); that treatments of motivation have portrayed the human person as a pawn, an agent, a natural entity, an organism, or a machine (McReynolds, Chapter 4); that a vast array of cognitive metaphors have been …

William James On The Self And Personality: Clearing The Ground For Subsequent Theorists, Researchers, And Practitioners, David E. Leary

Psychology Faculty Publications

The fundamental basis of William James's psychology - the rock-bottom foundation on which it is constructed - is "the stream of thought" or "the stream of consciousness. " ¹* The first and preeminent characteristic of our flowingly continuous experience of "thought" or "consciousness," James (1890/1983d) said, is that it is personal (pp. 220-224). Every thought, every psychological experience, is mine, or hers, or his, or yours. For this reason, he suggested, "the personal self rather than the thought [or consciousness] might be treated as the immediate datum in psychology" (p. 221).² Indeed, James was strongly convinced that "no …

The Effect Of Severity Of Closed Head Injury On Memory Functioning., Linda Marie Brown

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between neuroanatomy of memory, the structural mechanics of closed head injury and the resulting effects on memory functioning. The experimental groups were composed of 30 closed head injured individuals equally divided by severity of injury based on posttraumatic amnesia (PTA). The first group included 15 mild head injured patients whose PTA was defined as less than 60 minutes. Group two was composed of 15 severely head injured patients whose PTA was greater than 24 hours. The comparison group consisted of 15 non-head injured volunteers matched to the experimental group by age, gender, …

The Relation Between Depression Scores And Social Skills Scores In Children: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Self-Report And Parent-Report Measures., Larry Ray Friedt

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The relationship between depressive symptoms and social skills in children was examined. Three depression measures (Children's Depression Inventory, Reynolds' Child/Adolescent Depression Scale, Depression Self-Rating Scale) and two social skills measures (Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters, Social Skills Rating System) were used to obtain parent-report and self-report data. One hundred fifty-eight children in six different grades (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th) were the subjects of the study. Reliability of each measure was examined using internal consistency reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) which indicated all the measures except the Depression Self-Rating Scale parent-report yielded coefficients of.80 or greater. The validity …

Stress And Headache., Thomas Hamilton Mosley Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Stress is the most frequently cited precipitant of both migraine and muscle-contraction headache. Although stress is thought to play a causal role in the etiology of headache, past research has relied solely on cross-sectional designs and between-subjects data analytic techniques, thus severely restricting conclusions regarding causality and obscuring potentially meaningful individual variability. The present investigation provided a partial replication and extension of prior research on the relation between minor stress and headache and attempted to redress a number of prior methodological shortcomings. A longitudinal design and within subject, lagged, time-series regression analyses were employed. Migraine (n = 26) and muscle-contraction …

The Relations Between Stress, Mood And Insomnia., Susan Rubman

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Stress is hypothesized to cause increased cognitive and physiological arousal which is incompatible with sleep. Major life events have been implicated as a significant factor in the onset of chronic insomnia (Healey et al., 1981), and there is some suggestion that minor life events influence symptoms as well (Haynes et al., 1981). The present study was designed to evaluate and further clarify the role of daily minor stressors and mood variables on sleep in both normal sleepers and insomniacs. Subjects with insomnia secondary to medical or physical disorders were excluded from this study. Fifty-four adult subjects (20 mixed-complaint insomniacs, 17 …

Predicting Pseudoneglect By Right Hemisphere Activation., Mark Sterling Warner

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Hemispatial neglect is a visual-perceptual disorder characterized by a conscious and otherwise alert individual's failure to respond to a meaningful stimulus presented to the side opposite a right hemisphere brain lesion. In recent years researchers have demonstrated the existence of a neglect phenomenon in normal subjects which appears as the opposite of that experienced by brain injured subjects. This phenomenon is referred to as "pseudoneglect" and is demonstrated by horizontal line bisection to the left of true center. Researchers have suggested that pseudoneglect may be explained by preferential right hemisphere processing for visuospatial stimulation. The purpose of this study was …

Attribution Processes In Mother-Adolescent Conflict., Nancy Caryn Grace

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Because of the potentially serious consequences associated with parent-adolescent conflict, researchers have delineated variables (i.e., communication skills deficits) that might escalate conflict. Despite the theoretical support for the role of cognitive variables in parent-adolescent conflict, this area has received little research attention. In contrast, studies using adult subjects have repeatedly demonstrated a relationship between cognitive variables, (i.e., attributions) and conflict behaviors and relationship dissatisfaction. Researchers have found that distressed spouses tend to emphasize aversive spousal behaviors by attributing them to global and stable causes that reside within their spouses. Additionally, they perceive negative behavior as intentional, selfishly motivated, and blameworthy. …

An Environmental Challenge Of Body Image Disturbance In Bulimia Nervosa., Sandra Jean Mckenzie

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

An environmental challenge of body image disturbance in bulimia nervosa was investigated. A new theoretical model was proposed to define the construct of body image disturbance in terms of body image distortion, drive for thinness, and body size dissatisfaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reactivity effects of an environmental challenge on body image disturbance in a 2 x 2 factorial design. Thirty-six females participated. Eighteen subjects had been diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and 18 subjects were selected as controls. Subjects were matched on height and weight and compared on a variety of measures related to body …

Coronary Heart Disease, Negative Affectivity, And Response Bias., Sharon Elaine Alcock Parisi

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between negative affectivity, a broad band construct of negative emotions, and coronary heart disease. It was hypothesized the relation had been obscured in previous research by the tendency of some subjects to underreport negative affects. To test this hypothesis, 78 male cardiac patients between to ages of 37 and 65, who had undergone cardiac arteriography procedures within the previous 6 months, were given the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale Short Form (TMAS-S; Bendig, 1956) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale Form C (MCSD-C; Reynolds, 1982). In a series of multiple regression …

The Eating Disorders Diagnostic Inventory (Eddi): The Development Of A New Assessment Instrument., Cecilia Jo Davis

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The area of eating disorders have been intensively by both the psychological and medical researchers over the last two decades. Differential diagnosis of the four most prevalent eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive overeating, and the non-binging obese) continues to be a problem for both researchers and clinicians. Diagnosis of these disorders has been complicated by the many changes in diagnostic criteria for each of the disorders. One consequence of these frequent changes is that there is no single self-report inventory for differential diagnosis which is based on currently accepted diagnostic criteria. The purpose of this study was the …

An Exploratory Study Of Self-Efficacy's Network Of Relationships., Ginger Kay Kendell-Brainard

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study explored the construct of self-efficacy and provided information about its relationships with intelligence, academic achievement, social skills, and family variables. Specifically, a correlational analysis examined the associations with academic and social self-efficacy, intelligence, academic achievement, and social skills. Exploratory univariate analyses investigated whether self-efficacy beliefs differed for students with varying family structures. Multiple regression analyses were utilized to determine significant predictors of self-efficacy. The results of the analyses indicated that academic self-efficacy was significantly correlated with intelligence, three areas of academic achievement, and social skills. Social self-efficacy was significantly correlated with social skills and two areas of academic …

The Development Of The Toddler Behavior Screening Inventory., Paula Yvette Mouton

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a Toddler Behavior Screening Inventory (TBSI) to rapidly assess maternal-perceived toddler behavior problems. The TBSI is a 40-item socially valid measure intended for use in clinical settings as it will aid child care professionals in planning parent-child intervention strategies. Empirical methods were followed to construct the TBSI. The item pool was generated primarily by 187 mothers with toddlers and relevant professionals. Items were reviewed and formatted before 312 mothers rated the initial 93-item TBSI in terms of behavior frequency and problem severity in order to eliminate items. Forty items were retained based …

A Comparison Of Self-Concept, Therapeutic Experiences And Disrupted Relationships Of Adult Daughters Of Alcoholics And Adult Daughters Of Nonalcoholics, Mary Orosz Vail

Master's Theses and Capstones

This descriptive study tested clinical reports of negative self-perceptions and troubled relationships among adult children of alcoholics. The sample (n = 114) was composed of three groups of women, aged 21 to 58, who had no significant differences in numerous demographic and background characteristics, including time ever spent in therapy. High scores were found on the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test among daughters of alcoholics. Self-concept, measured with the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, was studied in context with life experiences.

Significant differences were found between daughters of alcoholics (n = 52) actively participating in therapeutic experiences and daughters of nonalcoholics (n …

Voice Content: Effects Of Perceived Instrumentality And Interactional Fairness, Patrick J. Menke

Student Work

Voice (having one’s say in an allocation procedure) was investigated for two different types of content (instrumental voice and expressive voice) associated with conditions of perceived intrumentality of voice and interactional fairness given by the allocator. One hundred and four undergraduate students at a midwestern university were used in a 2x2 factorial design. Data were collected from free form comments and a post-experimental questionnaire after subjects reacted to a simulated performance appraisal situation. Results did not show that voice content differed across conditions. Procedural justice perceptions were increased by a high level of interactional fairness and by a high level …

The Effect Of Excuses On Customers' Perceptions Of Service Agents Rollowing Service Delays, Nicholas Mills

Student Work

The purpose of this study is twofold. The first purpose is to determine whether a service agent, using impression, management techniques, can change the attributions customers make and thereby reduce or even eliminate the negative emotions experienced by customers who are forced to wait longer than they had expected. The second purpose is to determine whether the subjects attend to information contained in the accounts provided by the service agent, or whether an "excuse" script is activated and verbal content ignored. In other words, are accounts offered for a delay subject to Langer et al.'s (1978) concept of mindlessness.

The Effects Of Prosocial Skills Training On Anger Management Of Aggressive Adult Inmates, Marcus Read Forbes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of prosocial skills training groups, which focused on helping aggressive, male, adult inmates manage anger, was investigated. Forty-eight inmates, defined as aggressive, participated in treatment. A random sample, pretest-posttest-follow-up, treatment control group design was utilized. The eight-week treatment focused on variables of social skill development, anger perceptions, and anger behaviors. Participants' responses to the Social Skills Inventory (Riggio, 1989) and the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Spielberger, 1988) were analyzed, along with case counselor responses to the Correctional Adjustment Checklist (Quay, 1984). Results indicated that prosocial skills training had no significant differential effect upon participants when compared to …

Factors Associated With Marital Adjustment In Remarriage, Randall David Martin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical study of marital adjustment in remarriage has been inadequate to date. Much of the research in this field has lacked scientific rigor in terms of: (1) studying remarried families without differentiating between the various subtypes of stepfamilies; (2) utilizing non-standardized instruments to measure variables; and (3) omitting certain independent variables from consideration. This study addressed all three of the above concerns. It focused on one subtype of remarried families: simple stepfather families. It utilized standardized psychometric measurement devices. Lastly, it focused on several independent variables which had not been adequately studied. The sample consisted of sixty-four remarried females. …

Courtroom Factors And Jurors' Decision-Making In Cases Involving Child Witnesses, Debra Schwiesow

Student Work

This study examined the influence of expert witness testimony and jury instructions on mock jurors' final verdicts of guilt in a case where the sole eyewitness to a murder/abduction was a five-year-old-child. One hundred and ninety-two college students heard an audio-taped trial proceeding in which the testimony of an expert witness and the jury instructions were varied (both supporting or discrediting of a child witness' testimony or mixed testimonies). Individual judgments of guilt and judgments after group deliberation were recorded. It was hypothesized that expert witness testimony and jury instructions would significantly influence verdicts. Contrary to predictions, neither expert witness …

The Effects Of Viewing Aggressive Family Discord On The Spatial Perception Of A Home Environment., John David Collins

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to examine the effects of viewing domestic discord on cognitive mapping in a home-like environment. Subjects' level of arousal was manipulated by having them watch a videotape containing scenes of domestic violence before they completed a cognitive mapping task in a furnished, two-bedroom apartment. In an attempt to prolong the effect of videotape content, subjects were exposed to white noise while they completed the cognitive mapping task. The inclusion of control conditions, along with the two arousal factors (videotape content and noise), resulted in four experimental groups.Forty female subjects watched one of the videotapes …

The Effect Of Spatial Or Verbal Strategy Practice On Hand Involvement, Michela Anita Larocca

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of the research on spatial problem solving indicates that spatial problems can be solved using verbal or spatial strategies. Research on block designs further indicate that increased solving speed is correlated with increased left-handed use in right-handers. However, the effect of strategy teaching on hand involvement has not been explored. The present study selected 38 right-hand dominant college students low in spatial ability (Total Standard Score ≤ 95) using the matrices Analogies Test (Naglieri, 1985). Subjects were randomly assigned to a spatial, verbal, or no (control) strategy condition. After completing the pretest consisting of seven block designs based …

Sociobiological And Psychosocial Models Of Physical Attractiveness Phenomena: A Confrontation Of Theories, James M. Donovan

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

A majority of cultural anthropologists underestimate the value of sociobiological theory for a better understanding of human behavior. This essay attempts to demonstrate the shortcomings of this position by presenting an illustrative problem. Sexually asymmetrical physical attractiveness phenomena are examined first from a traditional psychosocial model. In its pure form this model is unable to account for the known data; when supplemented by sociobiological premises, however, these difficulties are resolved.

Psychosocial Correlates Of Drug Use In Adolescents, Earl H. Faulkner

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent drug involvement in relation to a variety of psychological and social constructs. One hundred ninety-nine adolescent high school students and 67 adolescents receiving drug treatment served as subjects. A battery of questionnaires was administered to assess a participant’s: involvement with drugs (i.e., reported drug use index, intent to use drugs in the future, exposure to drugs, and level of drug use prior to abstinence); self-concept/self-esteem; social skills; and anxiety and depression levels. Degree of drug involvement, both within the student sample and between student and treatment samples, was related differentially to …

The Effects Of Adding Verbalizations On The Draw-A-Person, Phyllis Helen Millspaugh

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sixty-two male and femal 9-, 10- and 11-year olds were administered the Naglieri Draw-A-Person (DAP) and the Vocabulary and Block Design subtests fro mthe Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). The study was conducted to determine the effects of verbalizations during the DAP on correlations with an estimated Full Scale IQ Score obtained from the two WISC-R subtests. Results of the study indicate that although there was an increase in the correlations between the Verbal DAP group and the estimated Full Scale IQ Score, compared to the standard DAP and the Full Scale IQ, it was not significant. The difference …

Effectiveness Of Screening Procedures To Determine Delay Versus Regular Kindergarten Entrance, Janet Benton Gaillard

Student Work

This study evaluated education outcomes of a psychological screening procedure used by the Omaha Public Schools to assist in entrance decisions for summer and fall born children who were eligible to attend kindergarten. From the available sample of children tested from 1975-1979, 115 were chosen based on availability of a complete set of required scores. There were 71 males and 41 females, with 75 from the suburban area and 26 from the city. Racial composition was 107 Caucasian, 3 Black, 3 Hispanic, and 1 Indian student. One hundred five students had average or above intelligence. Discriminant analysis showed several significant …

Gender, Sexual Orientation, And Truth-Of-Consensus In Studies Of Physical Attractiveness, James M. Donovan, Elizabeth Hill, William R. Jankowiak

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

Truth-of-consensus methodology presently holds that sex differences in perceptions of physical attractiveness are negligible and may be routinely ignored during prescaling. No determination has been made in the literature of the effects of sexual orientation on this perceptual process. The data presented herein suggest that while sex and sexual orientation of judge are largely irrelevant to prescaling of female stimuli, these variables are important when judging male stimuli. In particular, male homosexuals and male heterosexuals differ significantly in ranking male facial photographs. Thus, experimenters wishing to treat attractiveness levels as known quantities should control for this difference, especially when using …

Peer Ratings Of First-Grade Thumbsuckers, Keith Martin Mcpherson

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to investigate the social attitudes of school-aged children toward thumbsucking. Behavior during school-aged years contributes to the development of peer perceptions which may influence a child's self-concept and behavior for years to come. The hypothesis of the present experiment is that children who suck their thumbs are perceived less favorably by their peers. Thumb or finger sucking (hereafter referred to as thumbsucking) is a common and often enduring behavior that typically develops in infancy (Klackenberg, 1949). It is considered developmentally appropriate in infancy because sucking is an adaptive behavior infants use to nourish and …

Gold & Blue, Spring 1989, St. Mary's University- San Antonio, Texas

Gold & Blue

This is the Spring 1989 edition of Gold & Blue which is St. Mary's University's official school publication.

A Power Greater Than Ourselves: The Commodification Of Alcoholism, John S. Rice

Student Work

Hospital-based treatment of alcoholism and other, so- called "chemical dependencies", has become common practice in the U.S. In 1983, 4,465 facilities, including hospitals, halfway houses, and outpatient treatment programs and agencies, provided chemical abuse treatment (Denzin 1987: 17). This increase in facilities is mirrored by the increase in people receiving treatment.

Contributions Of Gonadal Hormones To Human Cognitive And Motor Skills: Evidence From The Menstrual Cycle, Mary Elizabeth Hampson

Digitized Theses

Gonadal hormones appear to modulate many aspects of behavior in non-human species. In this thesis, a series of studies was undertaken to determine whether the variations in estrogen and progesterone levels that occur naturally over the menstrual cycle are sufficient to affect cognitive and motor functioning in humans. It was predicted that: (1) Variations in sexually dimorphic skills would be evident over the menstrual cycle; and that (2) High levels of estrogen and progesterone would be associated with better performance on tests at which women typically excel, but poorer performance on tests at which men typically excel, relative to performance …