Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of An Educational Presentation In Increasing Chemically Dependent Males’ Report Of Sexual Abuse, Linda L. Hand

Masters Theses

Research has demonstrated several factors among sexually abused males such as males sexually abused as children becoming adult sexual abusers; one in four males reporting sexual abuse; and adult emotional trauma, drug abuse, and sexual dysfunction. To break this abuse pattern, we need to focus on increasing males' reports of sexual abuse and initiating treatment.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral educational presentation in increasing males' reports of sexual abuse. It also sought prevalence information and treatment needs. Subjects were 51 males from three chemical dependency treatment centers. One control and four experimental groups were used. The …

Recidivism And The Self Concept Of Male Juvenile Delinquents, Mary B. Stelma

Masters Theses

It is a common belief that a low self concept is related to deviant behavior. The purpose of this study was to compare the self concepts of juvenile recidivists with those of non-recidivists.

A sample of 162 subjects was taken from juveniles who had been treated at a Michigan detention facility. Measures of self concept, using the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (Fitts, 1965), were taken both prior to and following treatment. Point-biserial correlations were computed for pre-test scores, post-test scores, and changes in scores from pre-test to post-test.

The results showed some significant positive correlations between self concept and recidivism …

Effects Of Caffeine Consumption On Cardiovascular Reactivity To Social Stress, Suzanne L. Keller

Masters Theses

Several risk factors have been linked to cardiovascular diseases; among them are exposure to psychological stressors and caffeine consumption.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of caffeine consumption on cardiovascular reactivity to role play simulations of social stressors. A double-blind alternating treatment design was employed. Eight subjects (five female and three male) received either caffeine-containing or placebo beverages. Each subject received four samples of each beverage over a total of eight sessions. The results include: (a) stressors increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure along with heart rate in baseline, placebo and drug conditions; (b) caffeine produced …

The Psychological Needs Of Sex Offenders Of Children As Measured By The Personality Research Form, Shirley Anne Miller

Dissertations

Major contributors in the field of child sexual abuse have agreed that sex offenders who sexually abuse children are not primarily motivated by sexual desire and have proposed that the simultaneous satisfaction of a number of psychological needs is the prominent motivation of sex offenders of children. Few attempts have been made to empirically validate the clinical and theoretical impressions regarding the psychological needs of this group using psychological measures designed to assess needs or motives.

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent the assumptions about the psychological needs of sex offenders of children would be …

The Effects Of A Wilderness/Adventure Program On The Self-Concept, Locus Of Control Orientation, And Interpersonal Behavior Of Delinquent Adolescents, Timothy J. Zwart

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 26-day therapeutic wilderness program for delinquent adolescent males on three conceptually distinct but closely related constructs: self-concept, locus of control orientation, and interpersonal behavior. Justification for the study was derived from the limitations of past wilderness/adventure research which suggested that there was a need for additional research on the effects of this type of alternative program for delinquent adolescents.

It was hypothesized that following participation in this program the youths would exhibit increased self-concept, more internal locus of control orientation, would express higher needs for inclusion and affection …

Eliminating Resistive Behavior During Physical Therapy Using A Behavior Modification Procedure, Marcia Erhardt Roback

Masters Theses

The clinical utility of a behavior modification procedure, Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior, to reduce resistive behavior during physical therapy was investigated using a sample of four severely physically and developmentally disabled females. A multiple baseline design across subjects was employed to assess the effects of positively reinforcing behaviors other than the resistive or inappropriate behaviors during the therapy sessions. The procedure employed produced a dramatic decrease in the inappropriate behavior of two subjects, a moderate decrease in the behavior of one subject, and a minimal decrease in the fourth. The observational system generated extremely reliable data as indicated by …

The Use Of A Behavioral Checklist To Delimit And Define The Premenstrual Syndrome, R. Hope Kerr

Masters Theses

For the premenstrual syndrome (PMS), there is no consensus as to specific symptoms comprising the syndrome or their temporal relationship to the menstrual cycle. The purpose of this study was to delimit and define PMS by comparing contemporaneous, behavioral data collected by 3 groups of subjects.

Based on the results of this study, PMS is suspected of being a misnomer for frequently random symptoms which may or may not be menstrually-related. "Syndrome" is misleading since there is no group of symptoms specific to one group of women. "Pre-" and "menstrual" are also misleading because the symptoms do not occur consistently …

A Systematic Approach To Staff Management And Systems Evaluation In An Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: The First Step Toward Reform Through Accountability, Helen Diann Pratt

Dissertations

The current study had two major objectives: (1) to evaluate the impact of a staff management package consisting of training, prompts, task assignments, and oral and graphic feedback, and (2) to assess the effects of prescribed staff interventions on the inappropriate behaviors of three psychiatric inpatients. Accomplishing these two objectives produced an objective data base for the detailed evaluation of patient behaviors. Study I was designed to get staff members to record patient behaviors, to use contingent and consistent interventions, and to record those interventions. Results yielded high staff performance without tangible incentives. Staff members were able to consistently, reliably …

The Relationship Of The Perception Of Choice And Positive Behavior Change In Adolescent Residential Treatment With Future Success In The Community, Rita Harding Mcclellan

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of clients' perception of choice in treatment planning and the clients' positive behavior changes made within the treatment setting, with the clients' successful return to the community after release from the residential treatment setting.