Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assertiveness Training For Black College Freshmen, Ollie G. Barnes

Masters Theses

This study was designed to train Black college freshman to be effectively assertive in their interactions with the University faculty and staff. Thirty freshman students were randomly assigned to two groups of fifteen each, the control group and the training group. Following the pretest, the training group took part in a 32-hour assertiveness training program. The program consisted of modeling, coaching, behavior rehearsal, peer and trainer feedback, homework, self-recording and instructional training. These techniques were used to train students to effectively use nonverbal skills, assertive content and select appropriate conflict management strategies. The control group received no formal training. Significant …

A Study Of The Validity Of The Global Assessment Scale, Daniel J. Dekker

Dissertations

The study evaluated the concurrent validity of the Global Assessment Scale (GAS), a rating scale which is used to measure overall severity of psychiatric disturbance in program evaluation systems and in research studies. Validity was evaluated by comparing GAS ratings of 60 community mental health outpatients to scores on the MMPI.

The literature review indicated that the GAS has been used in over 90 studies. Thirty-one inter-rater reliability coefficients cited indicated an acceptable median reliability of .80, but studies relevant to the GAS's validity were sparse and marginally supportive. The GAS was utilized primarily to evaluate change due to psychotherapy …

The Perceptual Effect Of Patients' First Name On The Clinical Judgment Of Psychopathology By Psychotherapists, Dennis G. Cowan

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between a patient's first name (desirable versus undesirable) and the clinical judgment of psychopathology by mental health professionals. Specifically, this study examined how a patient's first name affected the diagnosis of maladjustment.

A total of 266 mental health professionals viewed a standardized video taped interview with a patient. Through the analysis of two surveys, the following first names were randomly presented with the viewed patient: Christopher, David, Mortimer and Junior. It was found, at the .00001 level of probability, that when the patient possessed the less desirable first name of …

Teaching Change Computation To The Developmentally Disabled, Nancy Daeschlein

Masters Theses

This study evaluated a procedure for teaching three developmentally disabled adults to compute monetary change combinations. Also, the procedure assessed generalization to the skills of computing change with bills, verifying the correctness of change received, and computing change with both coins and bills. Subjects were first trained to make change using pennies and then were trained to use each successive denomination in combination with those previously trained. A multipleprobe design was used, including generalization probes of the above-cited skills. Results indicated that each subject acquired the behavior of change computation with coins as a function of the training procedure. Also, …

Identifying Jungial Personality Type By The Instrument Of Self-Report, Charles Clay Livingston

Masters Theses

This paper examines the instrument of self-report and its use in identifying and measuring the elements of the personality as defined by C. G. Jung. Jung's theory of personality is briefly explained, and self-report as a general instrument of personality assessment is critically examined. Selected research on the construction and use of self-report tests is reviewed and critically evaluated. The author asserts that the bipolar assumption that is often implicit in the construction of test items is not representative of the personality as Jung portrayed it. The author suggests revisions in the construction of test items and a scoring gradient …

Long Slow Distance Running As A Treatment For Moderate Depression Of Outpatients, Dalene Degraaf Vandenhoek

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of "long slow distance" (LSD) running as a treatment for moderate depression. Clients diagnosed with "moderate primary depression" were randomly assigned to one of two treatments. Individuals receiving the running treatment walked and ran slowly for forty minutes three times a week for ten weeks. Those receiving psychotherapy participated in behavior therapy one hour a week for ten weeks. According to biweekly scores on the Symptom Checklist-90 and Beck Depression Inventory, the anxiety and depression of the clients who ran improved as much as those receiving behavior therapy.

Generalization Of Self-Control For Disruptive Behavior In The Classroom, Darline Haley

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to produce and evaluate a self-control procedure for disruptive behavior in the classroom which encouraged the generalization of behavior changes to other school settings. The self-control training components of self-recording, self-evaluation, criterion setting, and problem solving were all incorporated into the self-control procedures. This study also controlled for self-recording reactive effects prior to the initiation of the self-control training.

The findings of this study indicate that self-control training may be an effective method for decreasing disruptive behavior in the classroom.

The Relationship Between Methylphenidate (Ritalin) And Growth Patterns In Children Diagnosed As Hyperactive, Teri Mitchel Hibbard

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the administration of methylphenidate hydrochloride had an effect on normal growth patterns in children diagnosed as hyperactive. Subjects were assigned to one of three methylphenidate treatment groups by the amount of time (in years) they received medication. Length of treatment ranged from up to one year through three years. Using NCHS growth charts, measurement percentiles (height and weight) were compared to pre-treatment percentiles to determine effect of medication. Results indicated that the administration of methylphenidate had a significant growth suppressing effect on children, the effect was proportional across measurements i.e., height …

Medical Oncologists' Self-Reported Practices And Opinions Regarding Cancer Chemotherapy Informed Consent Procedures, George Walter Rakowsky

Masters Theses

This study gathered descriptive data on the parameters of informed consent with cancer chemotherapy patients from the medical oncologists' point of view. A review of the literature suggested that no such research has previously been attempted. A description of disclosure practices would clarify current procedures and would also serve as a guide for further research in the area.

Six hundred questionnaires were mailed to medical oncologists, and thirty percent of these were returned. Data were analyzed primarily using descriptive statistics. Additionally, relationships between demographic variables and different disclosure practices were investigated.

Significant relationships were observed between variables reflecting the size …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Of Life Events And Self Concept To Depression In A Psychiatric Inpatient-Adolescent Population, David L. Harris

Dissertations

In the present investigation, a group of mildly depressed adolescent inpatients was compared with a moderately to severely depressed sample on measures of self-concept and life events. The expected differences between the groups were hypothesized on the basis of current theoretical and clinical considerations emphasized in the literature. Previous research has implicated the magnitude of readjustment required by significant life experiences and self concept with depression.

Seventy-four subjects participated and were assigned to one of two groups by dichotomizing scores on the Beck Depression Inventory. The relationships of scores on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, Life Event History, and Minnesota …

Gender Difference As A Factor In Psychological Crisis, Paula Laufer

Dissertations

The study's purpose was to examine possible gender differences in problem perception and desired treatment outcome of 311 persons (135 males and 176 females) selected from a pool of 1500 clients seeking treatment at an outpatient mental health clinic in a medium-sized midwestern city. One hundred males and one hundred females were randomly selected for inclusion.

Literature related to crisis theory, research in linguistics, and gender role indicated evidence supporting gender role differences in a variety of interpersonal situations. Clients' verbatim written statements and their reactions to a standard problem checklist at the time of intake provided the data base …

A Reliability Study Of The Peer Nomination Inventory Of Depression When Used By Adults In Determining The Psychological Condition Of Depression In Children, Jeffrey R. Glindmeyer

Dissertations

In the present investigation, the reliability of a modified version of an inventory developed to assess the psychological condition of depression in children was undertaken. The Peer Nomination Inventory of Depression (PNID), an instrument designed to assess depression in children through having peers rate each other on a number of items, was modified to be used by adult raters for this same purpose. Staff members, including therapists, educators, and direct care professionals at the RiverView Hospital for Children, a psychiatric hospital in Middletown, Connecticut, completed ratings on eight boys ranging in age from seven to thirteen years of age. The …

Cerebrovascular Lesions, Emotional Behavior And Changes In Reinforcement Density, George Kahle Henry

Masters Theses

Two adult stroke patients, one left hemisphere and one right hemisphere, reported weekly levels of depression, anxiety, and hostility following discharge to the home environment. Spouses reported weekly levels of perceived changes in emotional behavior. Data on changes in emotional behavior were recorded using the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist. Weekly rates of positive reinforcement were recorded throughout the study for both patients. Following an eight week baseline period the rate of positive reinforcement was increased via manipulation of homework assignments to involve the patients in previously enjoyed activities. Results revealed a moderately high negative correlation between patient*s reported level of …

An Evaluation Of The Regulated Breathing Method In Treatment Of Stuttering, Paul B. Greilick

Masters Theses

The effects of the regulated breathing method on several characteristics of the speech of four stutterers were assessed in a multiple baseline across subjects design. Repeated measures of stuttering frequency, speech rate , and fluency rate were obtained in multiple settings before, at termination, and through six months post-treatment Subjects' estimates of stuttering frequency were compared with objective measures of stuttering across phases. At post-treatment and follow-up, although stuttering frequency had decreased and speech rate increased substantially compared to baseline, subjects continued to stutter frequently. Additionally, subjects consistently underestimated frequency of stutters as measured by the experimenter. The efficacy of …

The Validation Of A Behavioral Programmed Text For Increasing Self-Control Attitudes, Douglas Howard Ruben

Masters Theses

Applied behavior analysis programs designed to reduce attitudes about addictive behavior have been weak as far as overall training results. This research was an alternative training model in that it contained (a) a programmed instructional manual and self-paced homework assignments, and (b) lecture sessions. Selection of subjects from a local prison and private industry was based on indicated needs for substance abuse rehabilitation. Subjects went through a series of 9 programmed instructional units on developing self-control, and met for one weekly session for 9 consecutive weeks. Each instructional unit taught within a cognitive-behavioral model introduced concepts and techniques related to …

Assertiveness Training With Mildly Mentally Retarded Institutionalized Persons, David Larry Bokor

Masters Theses

Assertiveness training is a psychological intervention strategy designed to develop the skills of individuals who fail to defend and express their rights, feelings, or beliefs in a straightfoward manner.

Currently there is no set procedure regarding the composition of assertiveness training when modified to suit the needs of various populations. However a vast majority of professionals do employ effective basic techniques, i.e. behavior rehearsal, coaching, feedback, and social reinforcement to shape assertive request and refusal behavior.

Low intelligence limits the mentally retarded person's ability to cope with emotional difficulties. Individuals that recognize their limitations often experience feelings of inadequacy, frustration, …