Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

The Relationship Between Eating Disorder Symptomology, Body Image Concerns, And Early Maladaptive Schemas, Stephanie D'Angelo

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between eating disorder symptomology, body image concerns, and early maladaptive schemas. The specific eating disorder symptoms were binging, purging and restricting. Participants were undergraduate college women. Eating disorder symptomology was measured along a continuum so that the sample encompassed individuals with eating disorder pathology ranging from asymptomatic to severe symptoms. Multiple regression analyses indicated that body image concerns predicted a significant proportion of variance in binging, purging and restrictive behaviors. Specifically, shape concerns predicted significant unique variance in restrictive behaviors. Early maladaptive schemas were found to account for a significant proportion of variance among restrictive …

Patterns Of Relationship Satisfaction And Sexual Behavior As A Function Of Pornography Use Among College Men, Joel David Deloy

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research on sexually explicit materials (SEM), or pornography, has expanded from a focus on sexual violence, and aggression, towards the examination of the influence of SEM on other relationship factors. Available information on how males involved in a romantic relationship use SEM has been limited, and the effect of SEM use on relationship satisfaction and sexual behavior is not well understood. This study examined 245 college men who completed self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, core relationship variables (autonomy, affection, conflict resolution, intimacy, and equality) and SEM use patterns. All participants were in significant romantic relationships of at least three …

Predicting Body Mass Index In Northern Plains American Indian Children, Tami Jollie-Trottier

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has become a major health concern for American Indians. Obesity prevalence is higher for minority groups, however American Indians consistently have higher rates than any other U.S. population. Of more concern is the trend towards higher rates of overweight and obesity in American Indian children. Obesity has been associated with many health concerns such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in both American Indian adults and children. The purpose of this study is to identify predictor variables that may be contributing to the development or possibly maintenance of obesity in American Indian children. …

Processing Strategies And Recall Performance For Narrative Passages And Word Lists Of Negative And Neutral Affective Valence In Depression, Lora L. Sloan

Theses and Dissertations

Depressed individuals have been found to exhibit memory deficits on tasks that require effortful processing. They have also been found to remember negative materials better than their nondepressed cohorts. While these findings are well-documented, there have been few studies designed to examine how and why these differences in recall occur. The present study examined prose passage and word list recall in depressed and nondepressed college students. Processing times and structure of recall were also examined to assist in determining how material was processed and remembered. Half of the passages and word lists utilized were of negative affective valence and half …

An Investigation Of The Reliability And Validity Of The Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scale, Susan J. Severson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the technical characteristics of the Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scale (ESTR; Enderle & Severson, 1991) and to add to the knowledge base about measurement in transition. Validity ;was examined by evaluating the scale's concurrent criterion-related validity, construct validity, and content validity. A measure of reliability was performed by examining the internal consistency of subscales and the entire scale.

The samples studied were special education teachers in North Dakota and Minnesota as well as the students they served. The student subjects had identified disabilities of learning disability, emotional disturbance, or mental retardation. All students …

The Effects Of Chronic Migraine And Tension Headache On Neuropsychological Functioning, Kerri J. Lamberty

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine possible neuropsychological deficits in migraine and tension headache subjects. Past research has been inconclusive, with some studies indicating that chronic migraine headache sufferers do exhibit some neuropsychological deficits such as short-term memory difficulties, gross motor slowing, and verbal memory deficits, while other studies have indicated that no deficits are seen in this group Also examined were headache precipitant and headache-related behaviors that these groups partake in when experiencing headache pain. Past research has suggested that migraine headache sufferers tend to deal with their headache pain differently than tension headache sufferers.

Ninety undergraduate psychology …

Fantasy Proneness And Psychological Coping, Kenneth D. Huff

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, objective measures of self-esteem, satisfaction with life, trait anxiety, and schizotypal psychopathology were administered to 493 subjects representing the full range of fantasy proneness as determined by their scores on the Inventory of Childhood Memories and Imaginings (ICMI); in addition, subjects selected for high, medium, and low levels of fantasy proneness were administered measures of state anxiety and coping skills during a stressful laboratory condition. This was done in order to contribute to the construct validity of fantasy proneness and to provide empirical inquiry into the nature of fantasy proneness as a psychological coping strategy.

In replication …

Security And Involvement In The Parent-Adolescent Relationship, Susan J. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was the investigation of the dynamics which occur in relationships between parents and their adolescent children. Two hundred and eighty-four adolescents from local high schools were surveyed using the Acquaintance Description Form for Adolescents. They were also asked to take home the Parental Response Questionnaire for their parents to complete. Of these, responses were received from one hundred and seven parents.

Previous research has suggested that differences exist between relationships maintained by adolescent children and their mothers and fathers, particularly on the variables of security and involvement. Fathers have traditionally been described as less secure …

Agentive Theory As Therapy: An Outcome Study, Daniel K. Judd

Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a four-week seminar which emphasized the principles of Agentive Theory. This theory, which is compatible with theories of a phenomenological/ existential perspective, was first developed by C. T. Warner, an American philosopher. Agentive Theorists/Therapists emphasize that our negative emotions, ie., depression, anger, etc. , are assertions or judgments we make and not merely feelings we are responsible for controlling or expressing. Forty-eight outpatients who sought help with personal/emotional problems from a department of behavioral medicine were assigned to either a treatment or waiting-list control Group. Following a four-week treatment phase, the treatment group …

Affect, Cognition And Attention In The Chronic Alcohol Abuser: A Hemispheric Laterality Perspective, Edward P. Kehrwald

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the performance of chronic alcohol abusers and controls on attention, memory, cognition, and emotion from a hemispheric laterality perspective. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between these variables and their role in processing of experiences. Measures which are believed to be predominantly a function of the right hemisphere were explored in some depth.

The subjects in the experimental group were chronic alcohol abusers recently admitted to an inpatient addiction facility. The subjects in the control group were volunteers from the community who d1d not have any significant alcohol problem. Only right-handed males …

The Role Of Familial Conflict In The Adaptation To Menarche: Sequential Analysis Of Family Interaction, Grayson N. Holmbeck

Theses and Dissertations

Past research has suggested that temporary perturbations characterize parent-adolescent relations after the onset of pubertal change. The purpose of this study was to further delineate the characteristics of these disruptions in families with seventh-grade girls. Current operational definitions of family conflict in an observational context are inadequate and a potentially more useful definition was offered: conflict is believed to exist when there is the simultaneous occurrence of opposing interpersonal forces.

Two studies were conducted. A validation study was done to determine the psychosocial correlates of the following conflict variables: frequencies and reciprocal dyadic sequences of interruptions and disagreements. The affective …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Substance Abuse Awareness And Prevention Program Developed For Use With University-Level Varsity Student-Athletes, Robert Joseph Marcello

Theses and Dissertations

Substance abuse problems affect all segments of society including collegiate athletics. Drug testing programs are viewed as one method of combating this problem, however, more emphasis should be placed upon developing effective prevention programs. Towards this end, the first purpose of this study was to draw from available literature to design a prevention program which would cater to the specific needs of student- athletes. The position is taken that since multiple factors such as genetic predisposition, the pharmacological properties of various substances, psychological variables, and environmental/socio-cultural influences are implicated in the etiology of substance abuse difficulties, multi-focused/broad-spectrum intervention programs would …

Phonetic Ambiguity Perception In Reading Disabled And Non-Disabled Children And Adolescents, Elizabeth A. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

There are speculations that disabled readers may fail to correctly decode written words because they are insensitive to language's phonetic form. This insensitivity is presumed by some to be due to a speech perceptual deficit. The purpose of the current study was to assess differences between disabled and non-disabled adolescents and elementary school students in their perceptual accuracy in decoding phonetically ambiguous speech. The effects of two processing factors derived from previous research, priming and word form (e.g., Spencer & Carter, 1982), were also examined to assess how perceptual processes may differ between groups. Clinical evidence of some verbal problems …

Adult Age Differences In Recall And Reading Times For Prose, Dee Rene Ramsel

Theses and Dissertations

One strategy used by good college-age readers is to spend additional time viewing or reading information which is relevant to their goals or purpose in reading. Additional viewing time of goal-relevant information then presumably leads to superior retention of this information, at the expense of information which is irrelevant to the reader's goals. One way to detect different strategies used by younger and older readers is to measure how much viewing time readers allot to goal-relevant information and how much of this information is recalled. Relevant information can be designated as that material which contains answers to previously-memorized questions or …

An Assessment Of The Perception Of Phonetic Ambiguities In 4 And 5 Year Olds, Elizabeth A. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

The question of how humans clearly perceive speech, which is anything but clear when analyzed acoustically, has prompted researchers to look at the phenomenon of phonetic ambiguity. In adults, phonetic ambiguity perception has been shown to be aided by the listener using expectations due to the saliency (i.e., familiarity of the ambiguous word or phrase) and to pre-exposure (i.e., priming) to the items prior to testing. Priming makes the subject aware of the alternative (i.e., unfamiliar or rare) member of a phonetic ambiguity pair. In the present study, thirty-two 4 and 5 year olds were exposed to a tape containing …

Relaxation Therapy As An Adjunct Strategy For The Treatment Of Bronchial Asthma: An Examination Of Pertinent Psychological And Illness Variables, Robert Joseph Marcello

Theses and Dissertations

Bronchial asthma is described as a relatively common and heterogeneous disorder. The complexity of the pathophysiological process and the myriad of etiological and precipitating factors are discussed. Such factors include: heredity, allergies, and psychological precipitants. The position is taken that regardless of what caused the initial onset of symptoms, psychological factors may contribute to the intractability and severity of the disorder. The utility of Behavior Therapy Techniques such as: Relaxation Therapy, Biofeedback- Assisted Relaxation Therapy, and Systematic Desensitization; as adjunct strategies for the treatment of bronchial asthma is discussed. It is concluded that while each of these arousal reducing strategies …

The Influence Of Assertiveness Characteristics Of Raters On Perceived Assertiveness In Others, Elise Heffelfinger Labe Sloan

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the perceptions of assertiveness, limited to the situation of ability to refuse requests, by assertive and nonassertive subjects as they rated assertive and nonassertive encoders. Gender differences were also assessed. Subjects were 40 Caucasion male and female undergraduate General Psychology students at a large urban university. Within each gender group there were 10 high-assertive and 10 low-assertive subjects as determined by their scores on the second part of the Conflict Resolution Inventory. The subjects rated videotaped assertive and unassertive encoders on an attractiveness scale, assertiveness scale, and on the Impact Message Inventory, (an interpersonal assessment instrument). …

Mental Health Status Of Vietnamese Refugees In Utah County, Utah, David A. Acree

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to measure mental health status of Vietnamese refugees in Utah County, Utah. The test instrument used was the Cornell Medical Index (CMI). Two subproblems were considered: First, to see if refugee complaints on the CMI were predominantly physiological or psychological. Second, to see if there was a relationship between CMI scores and a related list of demographic variables.

Results showed the mean CMI score for the sample under study was well above the suggested score indicative of possible psychological dysfunction. For 80% of participants, psychological complaints were predominant over physical complaints. The only variables showing a relationship …

An Investigation Of Central Nervous System Conduction Properties In Diabetes Mellitus Using Brainstem Auditory And Somatosensory Evoked Potentials, Randy L. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In this study brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), median nerve conduction velocities (CV) and early somatosensory evoked potentials ( SEPs), were employed as indices of neural conduction properties in a group of young insulin dependent diabetics (five males and five females) and a group of nondiabetic controls (five males and five females). The median nerve CV was determined from 64 summated nerve responses recorded at the elbow. The nerve was stimulated at the wrist using 0.2 msec square wave electrical pulses. The SEP was recorded from scalp electrodes using the same median nerve stimulation technique as for the CV measure. …

The Relationship Between Type A Coronary-Prone Behavior Pattern, Achievement, And Life Satisfaction, Larraine A. Felland

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern, academic achievement and life satisfaction. The subjects were 87 undergraduates selected for their extreme scores on the Jenkins Activity Survey, Form T. There were 41 Type As and 46 Type Bs. Along with the Jenkins Activity Survey, Form T the participants were administered a life satisfaction survey similar to Soper's (1979) and their official academic gradepoint average was obtained from the Academic Records office. A point-biserial correlation indicated that there was a significant (p

The various relationships and their possible explanations and indications were discussed in depth. Significance of …

Preferences For Male Or Female Counselors As Related To Student-Counselee Sex, Grade Level, Type Of Presenting Concern And Self-Esteem, Mary Jane Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Problem: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the selected variables of student-counselee -- sex, grade level, and self-esteem -- and the preference for a male or a female counselor by types of presenting concerns.

Procedure: The subjects of this study consisted of 375 students, 189 males and 186 females, enrolled in a junior-senior high school in a rural community in north central Minnesota The subjects were all adolescents in grades seven through twelve, inclusive. The sample size for each grade level ranged from a minimum of sixty to a maximum of sixty-nine.

The instruments used …

The Effect Of The Interviewer's Status Upon The Linguistic Style And Impact Messages Cenerated By The "Obsessive Personality", Vincent B. Greenwood

Theses and Dissertations

The present study addressed some of the peripheral statements emanating from Kiesler’s (Kiesler, Bernstein & Anchin, 1976) core communications theory by examining (1) a specific component of the communication style of the obsessive personality, (2) the distinctive emotional engagements the obsessive personality elicits when interacting with others, and (3) a situational determinant that is hypothesized to trigger relatively intense expression of the obsessive’s self-defeating communication style, as well as a higher level of state anxiety.

Specifically, the study examined the effects of a high or low status interviewer upon one expressive measure of speech and upon relationship consequences for groups …

The Effect Of Security And Dominance On Task Perseverance, Gary M. Katz

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated Maslow's assertion that individuals who were insecure and dominant would express their insecurity in a different manner than those individuals who were insecure and submissive. The amount of time spent on a puzzle solving task was used as an index of the expression of insecurity. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant interaction of security and dominance on the amount of time spent on the puzzle solving task, with the insecure-dominant group demonstrating more persistence than the insecure-submissive group at the task.

A pool of potential subjects completed Maslow's (1952) Security-Insecurity Inventory and the …

Effects Of Winning And Losing On The Interaction Pattern Of Group Partners, Jarell F. Killian

Theses and Dissertations

Of special interest in the field of social psychology are the differences among groups in their functioning that distinguishes them from one another. Cartwright and Zander (1960) speak of this in pointing out that some groups work together with a great deal more success, satisfaction, and with a greater sense of togetherness than others. Some groups are racked with dissent, insouciance, and such a failure to meet goals and standards as to result in a slow death of inactivity. These differences persist even under basically identical circumstances. Concerning this point, Pepitone and Kleiner (1957, p. 192) state:

Everyday observations of …