Digital Commons Network^™

The Assessment Of Health Status In Hemodialysis Patients., Barbara Kathryn Bruce

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The assessment of health status has become of paramount importance as efforts expand to explore the impact of psychological factors and lifestyle variables on disease. The need to clearly assess the efficacy of interventions designed to improve health and prevent health problems has provided an impetus for the development of assessment methodology in this area. There remains a need not only for vigorous research directed at the development of reliable and valid measures of health status, but also a critical need for the empirical validation of existing instruments. The complexity of variables influencing the health status of patients maintained on …

Jurors' Decisions In A Simulated Trial Of The Pms Defense: Background Characteristics And Attitudes Toward Menstruation., Marjorie Carole Donohoe

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This mock jury study assessed the feasibility of utilizing Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) as a substantive defense in a capital case. One hundred-eighty mock jurors were asked to render judgments in identical cases of spouse murder with one of three defenses: (1) temporary insanity due to PMS; (2) temporary insanity with a reported history of psychiatric treatment; and (3) temporary insanity brought about by extreme emotional trauma. Results indicated that mock jurors rejected an insanity defense for the PMS defendant. Jurors were more willing to render an NGRI (Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity) verdict for the defendant with a documented …

The Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy Expectations And Self-Evaluation In The Rehabilitation Process, Daniel Wayne Malloy

Doctoral Dissertations

Bandura (1977) has argued that the consideration of cognitive mechanisms is central to the understanding of behavioral change and the maintenance of these behavioral patterns. More specifically, Bandura (1977, 1982) has proposed two cognitive mechanisms, self-efficacy and self-evaluation, that mediate the initiation of and persistence toward behavioral change. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether the medium through which feedback is presented to patients participating in rehabilitation would have an effect on their future expectations of performance for motor tasks encountered in therapy and the actual performance of strength and endurance tasks. It was hypothesized that knee …

What Is It That You Know When "You Know"? Comprehension Goals And Comprehension Mismatches In College Students (Study Behaviors, Metacomprehension, Test Taking), Marcy Lois Kraus

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the present research was to investigate the comprehension mismatch experience as it related to students' comprehension goals and testing experiences. In Study 1, subjects reported their reading-related comprehension goals while studying a 3500-word text. A questionnaire was administered assessing comprehension of and interest in the text, frequency of mismatches and general studying behavior. Results of Study 1 indicated that eighty-seven percent of the students surveyed reported moderate to frequent mismatches. Subjects varying in mismatch frequency did not differ significantly with regard to any of the performance measures. The comprehension level quiz items were rated as most appropriate …

Timing Relationships In Human Cortical Processing, Daniel Michael Rice

Doctoral Dissertations

Although a number of studies have suggested that the phases of the alpha cycle and the cardiac cycle reflect temporal relationships in cortical processing, these studies are not conclusive. The reason is that almost all of these suggestions have been based upon the demonstration that a measure of visual processing varies with the phase of the alpha cycle or the cardiac cycle at which stimuli are presented. These visual effects could have been caused by a peripheral mechanism involving the tremor of the eyes. Because of this, this dissertation was interested in the effect of these physiological cycles on auditory …

Participative Decision-Making And The Quality Of Work Life: A Quasi-Experimental Study, James Warren Grosch

Doctoral Dissertations

A quasi-experiment was conducted to explore the impact of a type of participative decision making on the quality of work life. Quality circles were developed for operating room (OR) nurses and technicians in three New England hospitals. These circles, each consisting of 8-12 OR staff members, met regularly over a seven month period with the goal of identifying and solving problems in the work environment of the OR. The OR staffs in three other New England hospitals served as the control group and did not participate in any quality circle activities.

Quality of work life was measured primarily with a …

Effects Of Leupeptin On Aversively Motivated Spatial Memory, Timothy Andrew Otto

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent evidence indicates that the activation of a calcium-dependent proteinase, calpain, results in the formation of new glutamate receptors in the hippocampus (Lynch, Halpain, & Baudry, 1982), a brain area commonly thought to play a crucial role in mammalian memory formation. In vitro, this effect is correlated with a long-lasting enhancement of efficacy in synaptic transmission (long-term potentiation, LTP) following brief pulses of electrical stimulation in the hippocampus (Dunwiddie & Lynch, 1979). Because the induction properties of LTP are similar to the behavioral properties of memory, it has been proposed to be the physiological basis of memory (Lynch & Baudry, …

The Utilitarian - Associationist Tradition And The Development Of Britishpsychology, 1855-1903 (Volumes I And Ii) (Alexander Bain, Cambridge University, James Ward, University Of London), Deborah Frances Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

The Utilitarian-Associationist program formulated by Jeremy Bentham, James Mill and John Stuart Mill shaped the framework of British psychology throughout the nineteenth century. These thinkers believed that an associationist and hedonistic science of mind provided a sound foundation for a non-intuitionistic philosophy (including epistemology, logic and ethics) and a program of social reform. The tasks set by this program led to a focus on higher mental processes and the nature of conduct within nineteenth century British psychology.

The work of Alexander Bain is reinterpreted in the light of this tradition. Specifically, I argue that Bain's "physiological psychology" represents an attempt …

Electroencephalographic And Electromyographic Biofeedback Training Of Occipital Lobe Theta Rhythm, David William Lawson

Doctoral Dissertations

Three biofeedback training methods were used to train human subjects to enhance levels of occipital lobe theta electro-encephalographic rhythms. It was hypothesized that the subject's level of physiological arousal would differentially influence the effectiveness of the training methods. The independent variables were: (1) baseline arousal, (2) training methods, and (3) pre/posttraining recording sessions. The dependent variables included: (1) theta EEG, (2) frontalis EMG, and (3) alpha EEG levels. For the baseline arousal variable, subjects were divided into low and high arousal groups based on a median-split of their pretraining frontalis EMG levels. The training methods included: (1) one-phase EMG/EMG feedback …

The Costs Of Exclusionary Practices In Women's Studies, Maxine Baca Zinn, Lynn Weber, Elizabeth Higginbotham, Bonnie Thornton Dill

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Preparation And Preparedness: A Study Of Curriculum Design In Terminal Master's Programs In Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Cynthia K. Rubin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Graduate programs in Industrial/Organizational Psychology vary throughout the country with regard to curriculum design and content, raising the issue of preparation and its relationship to preparedness on the job. It was hypothesized that: (1) students with a greater amount of prior field experience would perceive themselves to be better prepared for the workplace than those with a lesser amount of such experience; (2) employers would perceive students who had received a greater amount of prior field experience as better preared than those with a lesser amount of such experience; and (3) students with previous work experience or job training in …

The Role Of Emg In Tension Headache (Muscle Contraction Headache, Psychophysiology)., David Paul Mcanulty

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Since the formal proposal by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Classification of Headache (1962) which identified muscle contraction (or tension) headache as a distinct headache diagnosis, numerous attempts have been made to validate the purported etiological mechanism. Results of these investigations, while failing to consistently distinguish tension headache sufferers from either normals or other headache type sufferers on various psychological and psychophysiological measures, have pointed to a lack of homogeneity within this diagnostic category. The present study was intended to identify two distinct subgroups of tension headache sufferers. Tension headache sufferers exhibiting significant EMG increments from a headache-free state …

The Relationship Between Anger Control Problems And Neuropsychological Deficits In Individuals Who Have Sustained A Head Injury., Kathryn Lawson Kerr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The present study assessed whether neuropsychological tests could be used to discriminate between groups of CHI individuals with closed head injuries (CHI): those with anger control problems, and those without. The study also assessed whether these groups differed on tests which assess various aspects of neuropsychological functioning; intelligence, memory skills, language functioning, concept formation and set shifting skills, and psychomotor performance. Forty two individuals with CHI were given neuropsychological tests after assignment to one of two groups: problematic anger (P) or nonproblematic anger (NP). Group assignments were made on the basis of information obtained during the course of: (1) a …

Alcohol And Drug Abuse Subtypes: Differentiation Using The Macandrew Scale., James T. Russell

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC scale) has been found generally to differentiate alcoholics from control subjects. Some researchers have proposed it measures a general tendency to abuse drugs as well. The MAC scale's construct has been purported to tap unstable psychopathy at its high end and neuroticism at its low. The present study attempted to establish whether the MAC scale alone, the standard MMPI scales alone, or the MAC scale plus the standard MMPI scales and/or other MMPI research and Wiggins content scales provide the most effective differentiation of alcoholics and drug abusers from medical controls in a VA inpatient …

Healing Problems Of Intimacy By Clients' Use Of Gospel-Based Values And Role Definitions, Victor L. Brown Jr.

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Facilitating Intimacy: The Process And The Product, A Response To Victor L. Brown, Jr., H. Newton Malony

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Minority Influence In Group Decision Making As A Function Of Influence Type And Majority Goal Orientation, Kelli A. Saelens

Honors Capstones

The effectiveness of minority influence in group decision making was investigated as a function of the form of influence asserted by the minority confederate (either normative or informational), the goal orientation of group members, (either task or harmony) , and the sex of the individual. Regarding influence mode, normative influences exerted by the deviant minority appealed to social norms, whereas informational influence was factual in nature. Individual goal orientation of the three group members was determined by an adaptation of the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ). Task-oriented individuals have agentic goals in group situations, whereas harmony-oriented individuals are communally oriented.

The Relation Among Stressful Life-Events, Affective Responses, And Headaches (Migraine, Muscle-Contraction)., Craig Douglas Waggoner

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Stress is frequently reported as a major contributing factor in both migraine and muscle-contraction headaches. The general conclusions of studies investigating the stress-headache relations are that headache sufferers experience a significant amount of stress in their lives, that stress can precipitate headache attacks, and that headache subjects tend to overreact to stress. The laboratory method and scales measuring major life-events have typically been used in studying stress but have several limitations, particularly for studying exacerbations and remissions of symptoms. Increasing the comprehensiveness of stress measurement, beyond the traditional life-events approach, by assessing stress and affective states on a daily basis …

Acceptability Of Social Skills Training Methods (Sociometrics)., Lillee Coleman Clark

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the acceptability of social skills treatment methods as rated by elementary school teachers. Independent variables such as target problem (aggressive versus withdrawn social skills deficits), treatment method (modeling-coaching versus overcorrection), and outcome information (weak versus strong therapeutic effects) were systematically manipulated to determine which treatment method teachers preferred to remediate social skills deficits in their classrooms. Also of interest was the effect of outcome information on teachers' ratings of acceptability. Two measured independent variables included were the Knowledge Assessment and the Intervention Use Assessment to determine teachers' knowledge of treatments presented and how frequently treatments had been …

An Exploration Of The Type A Behavior Pattern In Chronic Headache Sufferers., Neil Bruce Rappaport

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Recently, investigations have examined the possible link between the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) and chronic headache. Several studies have indicated a significant relation between Type A, as measured by the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS), and headache frequency. As well, several researchers have noted the similarities in the descriptions of the Type A individual and those characteristics of the "migraine personality." To date, no prospective study has examined whether that set of characteristics ascribed to migraineurs is in fact the TABP. The second focus of this investigation was to provide a comprehensive description of the psychological functioning of Type A …

The Measurement Of Change In Performance Appraisal Rater Training., Mitzi Desselles Svoboda

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The concepts of alpha, beta, and gamma change (Golembiewski, Billingsley, & Yeager, 1976) were used to assess the effects of rater error training (RET) and frame of reference training (FOR) on performance evaluations. Two studies were conducted using students as raters; Study 1 was a laboratory study in which raters evaluated managerial performance in the form of the Borman (1979) videotapes. Study 2 provided a field replication of the methodology with students rating actual instructor effectiveness. In both investigations RET and FOR were found to create significant concept redefinition (gamma change). In addition, the different procedures for assessing alpha, beta, …

The Type A Behavior Pattern And Acth Response To The Stress Of Cardiac Catheterization., Marie Carmen Veitia

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

There is substantial evidence to indicate that the Type A Behavior Pattern is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Recent research has shown that Type As, as compared to Type Bs, demonstrate enhanced biochemical and cardiovascular responses to stressful situations. These findings have led researchers to postulate that physiological reactivity may be one of the mechanisms through which Type A behavior confers coronary risk. The present study was designed to investigate physiological and psychological reactivity in Type A and Type B cardiac patients exposed to a cardiac catheterization. The effects of drugs (i.e., none versus beta-blockers and …

Nova University Center For Undergraduate Studies 1986-87 Catalog, Nova University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Elderly Women : Psychosocial Factors Influencing The Aging Transition, Michelle Dever

Honors Theses

In the U.S. today there is an increasing number of elderly in the population. There are over twenty million persons who are 65 years of age and older. It is predicted that there will be over 32 million older Americans by the year 2000. There has been a greater increase in the number of older women compared to men with women having a greater life expectancy also. The effects of aging on individuals and their ability to adapt to society needs to examined in our society today. There is a special need to study elderly women and the difficulties they …

An Analysis Of Variables Affecting Parental Adjustment To Head Injury, Leif Eric Leaf

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental adjustment to the head injury of a child and selected psychological variables. A derived adjustment score, based on recent life events and self-esteem, was chosen as the dependent variable. Six independent variables including social support, socioeconomic status, sex, family environment, depression, and time passage since the accident were investigated. Independent variables were examined individually to determine their relationship to adjustment and in combination to determine their effectiveness in predicting adjustment. The sample consisted of 60 parents, 30 two-parent, intact families who were active members of a head injury …

Rorschach Erlebnistypus And Problem-Solving Styles In Children (Experience Balance, Type), Daniel Ray Orme

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine whether children who, on the basis of their Rorschach Erlebnistypus score, were identified as being introversive or extratensive differed with respect to their approaches to certain novel problem-solving tasks. It was thought that the extratensives would characteristically manipulate the task materials more and make more mistakes than would the introversives, owing to the notion that the introversives internalize more of their manipulations and attempted solutions. Sixty-nine sixth and seventh graders at a university-run laboratory school were administered the Rorschach. From that number fifteen introversive and fifteen extratensive children were identified who were also given …

The Effect Of Kindergarten Nonpromotion Of The Developmentally Immature Child On Self-Concept, Peer Acceptance, Academic Attitude, Classroom Adjustment And Academic Achievement, Betty M. Carlson Mccarty

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a second year in kindergarten on the self-concept, peer acceptance, academic attitude, classroom adjustment, and academic achievement of children who were identified by their kindergarten teacher as developmentally unready for first grade.

The ex post facto study, which was conducted in a large school district in northern California, was unique in its longitudinal nature. Whereas other studies looked at subjects over a 2 or 3 year period, no other study was found that examined the effects of kindergarten nonpromotion over an 8 year span.

The sample comprised 63 pupils …

Victim, Offender, And Situational Characteristics Of Violent Crime, Deborah W. Denno

Faculty Scholarship

The examination of offenses rather than offenders in past research often overlooked the importance of offender characteristics and background. Indeed, a growing body of research suggests that the biological or psychological characteristics of offenders may strongly influence the outcome of particular encounters or future offense behavior. For instance, offenders with poor verbal ability or low school achievement scores may be more prone to repeat confrontational violence, irrespective of the characteristics of the victim or the situation of the offense. Thus, it is important to distinguish between those offenders with short or repeat offense histories, and those offenses which do or …

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Community Jail Inhabitant : Impact Of Jail Life On Reintegration Into Society, Bradley D. Wessman

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Attitudes Between Premaritally Pregnant Couples And Non-Premaritally Pregnant Couples, Ed Northam

Student Work

Clinical practitioners have indicated a concern for couples who have married because of pregnancy. Some would suggest that whatever relationship problems brought them in for counseling can often be traced back to unresolved feelings about the reason for marriage. These feelings and the marriage option following pregnancy frequently become the focus in marriage counseling. Often, when these feelings and attitudes remain unresolved, divorce or discontinuance of the relationship follows.