Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Paved With Good Intentions: A Definitional Study On The Issue Of Psychological Child Abuse, Anita Renee Fromm

Graduate Theses

Definitional issues concerning child abuse have long plagued the identification and treatment of this malady. This study examined the role of perpetrator intention in categorizing adverse parenting skills, as well as psychological child abuse potential. Exploitative parenting styles were displayed and rated in a variety of vignettes. Social service professionals and university students were participants in this vignette style questionnaire study. Results indicated that with a few exceptions, a constant perpetrator intention did not appear to alter subject perceptions that the scenarios presented adverse parenting skills and child abuse potential. The participants were indecisive concerning scenarios that represented excessive athletic …

Group Therapy For Abused And Neglected Youth: Therapeutic And Child Advocacy Challenges, Janine Wanlass, J. Kelly Moreno, Hannah M. Thomson

Psychology and Child Development

Although group therapy for abused and neglected youth is a viable and efficacious treatment option, facilitation is challenging. Group leaders must contain intense affect, manage multiple transferences, and advocate for their clients within the larger social welfare system. Using a case study of a group for sexually abused girls, this paper explores some of these issues and discusses ways in which therapists recognize and deal with the dual challenge of advocating for and treating children.

African American Children's Inferences Based On Race, Sex And Age, Erica Hightower

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous studies (Madole, Eastman, Stone, & White, 2005) have suggested that children do not make inferences about people on the basis of race until around 8 years of age. The present study was a replication of a study performed by Madole et al. The distinction between the two studies was in the sample used, hi the previous study the majority of children used were Caucasian. The present study sought to examine whether African American children were more likely to make inferences on the basis of race than Caucasian children. Children ages 6 to 11 years were asked to perform an …

Comparison Of Distributed Versus Collocated Command Group Collaboration Performance, Christopher Van Fultz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The transformation of the United States Army to a combat force capable of operating successfully on future battlefields requires the leveraging of digital communication capabilities to support distributed battle command. The purpose of this study is to investigate collaborative command group planning performance in traditional face-to-face (collocated) and geographically dispersed group (distributed) conditions. The Reactive Planning Strategies Simulation (REPSS) system was developed to provide a realistic group planning task supporting empirical estimates of planning process and performance outcome success, measured in this context as delivery rate of humanitarian supplies. Results indicate that synchronization scores were not significantly different between conditions; …

The Influence Of Children's Gender And Behavior On Parental Perceptions, Virginia Lowery

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Parents' perceptions of children's behavior may vary depending on the gender of the child and the type of behavior displayed. It is important to delineate which factor(s) influence parental perceptions because parental perceptions directly influence whether or not parents respond to their children's behavior and how parents choose to manage the behavior. The present study examined how the gender of the child and the types of behaviors (internalizing vs. externalizing) the child displays affect parental perceptions regarding the severity of the behavior. One hundred and three parents of children ages 1 V2 to 5 years in the Southeast region of …

Behaviorally-Based Disorders: The Historical Social Construction Of Youths' Most Prevalent Psychiatric Diagnoses, Christopher A. Mallett

Social Work Faculty Publications

The article discusses the historical social construction of the most prevalent diagnosis of youth in the U.S. The country's psychiatry controls the definitions of mental health disorders and diagnosis through required practice utilization of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A research is conducted through a social construction theoretical paradigm to identify diagnostic classification systems, nosology changes, and critical time periods.

Examination Of The Relationship Between Parenting Styles And Parental Tolerance, Amanda Sowers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Noncompliant behavior in children may be due to the developmental stage the child is going through, but persistent noncompliance can have long-term effects on the child ranging from academic problems to relationship problems (Forehand & Wierson, 1993; Kalb & Loeber, 2003). Parents' response to noncompliant behavior may be influenced by their parenting style. Parental tolerance is one factor that may differ among parenting styles. Parental tolerance can be defined by how annoyed the parent becomes by disruptive behavior displayed by children and the affect it has on the parent-child interaction (Brestan, Eyberg, Algina, Johnson, & Boggs, 2003). One new measure …

Hormone Effects On Fmri And Cognitive Measures Of Encoding: Importance Of Hormone Preparation, C. E. Gleason, T. W. Schmitz, T. Hess, R. L. Koscik, M. A. Trivedi, M. L. Ries, C. M. Carlsson, M. A. Sager, S. Asthana, S. C. Johnson

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

We compared fMRI and cognitive data from nine hormone therapy (HT)-naive women with data from women exposed to either opposed conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) (n = 10) or opposed estradiol (n = 4). Exposure to either form of HT was associated with healthier fMRI response; however, CEE-exposed women exhibited poorer memory performance than either HT-naive or estradiol-exposed subjects. These preliminary findings emphasize the need to characterize differential neural effects of various HTs. ©2006AAN Enterprises, Inc.

Perception Of Diversity, Niveditha Parthasarathy

Psychology Theses - Archive

Two studies were conducted to examine effects of diversity on perception. The primary purpose of the first study was to see how people perceive diverse groups, how comfortable they are working in such groups, and how attracted they are to diverse groups. Results indicated that people prefer working with groups that represented their ethnicity (race-inclusion) and perceived such groups to be more attractive than groups that did not represent their ethnicity (race-exclusion). Also, White participants were more attracted to diverse groups and more willing to work in diverse groups than Black participants. Most importantly, the preference of race-inclusion pictures to …

Memory For Non-Focal Words, John Jones

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In two experiments a modified flanker paradigm was used to simultaneously present a focal word and an incidental non-focal word. The participants' task was to process the focal word in one of two conditions: naming aloud or a conceptual decision (concrete or abstract). The focal and non-focal words were either semantically related or not. Participants were instructed to direct their attention at the focal word.  Furthermore, the presentation of the focal word was brief to reduce the possibility of eye movement to the non-focal word. Memory was measured with implicit and explicit memory tests. Evidence was found to suggest implicit …

The Power Of Ostracism: Can Personality Influence Reactions To Social Exclusion?, Amy Marie Waldrip

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Ostracism, also labeled social exclusion, is seen by researchers and lay persons alike as one of the more socially painful events that is an inevitable part of life. Moreover, many theorists (e.g., Zadro, Williams, and Richardson, 2004) believe that no one is immune to the negative power of ostracism and that this sensitivity to ostracism is both primitive and adaptive. The primary focus of this dissertation was to examine how personality might moderate this sensitivity to social exclusion. In the first phase of the study, college students (N = 145) came to the laboratory in small groups to complete self-descriptions …

Re-Experiencing Social Versus Physical Pain And Its Influence On Self-Regulatory Reserve, Jennifer M. Knack

Psychology Theses - Archive

This study examined the influence of reliving social pain on current reports of pain, self-regulatory ability, and differences in reactions. Participants (N=137) completed personality measures in phase one. Days later, participants completed a mood measure and the Stroop. They were randomly assigned to recall a physical pain, social pain, possession loss, or Monday morning. Participants indicated current degree of pain, level of psychological needs, and current mood. Participants again completed the Stroop. The researcher then offered participants cookies, but noted there was not enough for other participants. Participants recalling social pain reported more pain and greater threatened belongingness and meaningful …

The Aggression Questionnaire As An Indicator Of Anger Expression By Abused Women In Therapy, Audrey Steakley

Graduate Theses

The present study examined whether adult women in therapy who have been physically abused express anger differently than their counterparts who have been sexually abused, and whether they are aware that they express anger in noticeable ways. The first hypothesis stated that physically abused women express anger directly and physically, whereas sexually abused women express anger indirectly, avoiding direct confrontation. The second hypothesis proposed that they are not aware how much they express their anger outwardly. Participants were female clients at a local counseling agency, with issues stemming from physical and/or sexual abuse. They voluntarily completed the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) …

Perceived Spouse Responses To Pain: The Level Of Agreement In Couple Dyads And The Role Of Catastrophizing, Marital Satisfaction, And Depression, Laura Pence, Annmarie Cano, Beverly Thorn, Charles Ward

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

The primary objective of this study was to examine whether individuals with chronic pain (“participants”) and their spouses agree on perceptions of solicitous, distracting, and punishing spouse responses to pain. The second aim was to examine the role of participant catastrophizing (a negative mental set about pain), participant and spouse marital satisfaction, and participant and spouse depression in participant perceptions of spouse responses, spouse perceptions of their responses, and agreement between participants and spouses. Individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their spouses (N=108 couples) completed questionnaire packets. Examination of overall group averages (participants vs. spouses) indicated little or no differences …

Contingency Management Techniques And Smoking Cessation In College Students, Laurie Athey

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine smoking cessation using different criteria for delivery of monetary reinforcement for college students from Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Participants participated in a 4 week study using a single subject reversal design (ABAC) in which baseline phases were alternated with either fixed criterion or shaping using an escalating schedule of reinforcement. The order of administration of intervention phases was determined randomly. Each intervention phase lasted 5 days (Monday-Friday). Results showed that contingent reinforcement for reduced carbon monoxide levels was effective in reducing smoking. However, additional studies need to be completed for longer periods …

Correlation Of Numerical Ability And Quality Technician Best Performers In Manufacturing Quality Control Applications, Charles Wesley Shelton

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The occupation of Quality Technician has many duties requiring numerical operations. Business and industry place considerable emphasis on numerical ability when evaluating the performance of a Quality Technician. In this study, the numerical ability and performance classification of Quality Technicians were analyzed using a correlation analysis. lll A single case study was used to investigate this relationship. A modified Delphi Method was used to determine characteristics of a Quality Technician. Quality Technicians were evaluated by their direct supervisor and completed a standardized numerical ability test. The evaluations by the supervisor were used to classify each technician based on their performance. …

Comparative Perspectives On The Functions Of Sleep, John A. Lesku

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous comparative studies of sleep identified relationships between sleep and constitutive and ecological variables. Results from these studies helped shape early hypotheses for the function of sleep; however, all were conducted without an explicit phylogenetic or theoretic framework and focused exclusively on mammals. Hence, the validity of their results and applicability to other taxa is unclear. We ( 1) reviewed the literature on sleep in animals, (2) updated and reanalyzed the mammalian dataset using independent contrasts and (3) multivariate path analysis, and ( 4) presented the first quantitative analysis of sleep in a non-mammalian taxon: birds. Following previous mammalian analyses, …

Patient Handling Safety For Nursing Staff, Don Nielsen

Dissertations

The effectiveness of video scoring and feedback about the scoring of the components of safe patient transfers was observed among eight nursing staff members in a skilled nursing department within an acute care hospital.

An ABCA (and sometimes ABCDA), multiple baseline across individuals design was utilized in the study. The dependent variable under investigation was the percentage of safe lifting components. Following baseline measures, nursing staff participated in an information phase during which they reviewed and discussed components of safe patient transfers. A video scoring phase was introduced, during which, participants viewed and scored a model video of a patienttransfer. …

A Delphi Survey Of Experts’ Opinions Regarding Prevention Of Impairment In Professional Psychology Training, Kin-Ming Chan

Dissertations

This study sought to identify the most important measures that may be implemented in professional psychology training to prevent the future impairment of professionals. An adjunctive research question of this study addressed how these important measures can be successfully implemented. A 2-round Delphi method was conducted. Twenty-eight experts in impairment prevention participated in the first round study, and 20 of them continued to participate in the second round. In the first round, the experts rated the importance of an original list of 38 preventive measures, suggested additional important preventive measures, and provided considerations for successful implementation of their most important …

Perceived Similarity And Relationship Success Among Dating Couples: An Idiographic Approach, Catherine J. Lutz, Angela Christine Bradley, Jennifer L. Mihalik, Erika R. Moorman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study utilized an idiographic approach to investigate the relation between similarity on valued characteristics and relationship success. College students (N = 247) rated their current romantic partner on perceived similarity in personality, attitudes, interests, and religious affiliation; the importance of similarity in these dimensions; and relationship satisfaction. Relationship status was assessed 6 weeks later. Results revealed significant similarity by importance interactions for religion and interests in predicting satisfaction. Participants with high perceived similarity in religion or interests reported greater satisfaction than did their low similarity counterparts, but only to the extent that they rated this type of similarity …

Counselor Education And Peace Building: Current Status And Future Direction, Jenny Ritha Keller

Dissertations

Counseling professionals are informed and guided in professional development, research and practice by the relevant professional organizations that endorse the field’s professional, ethical, and competency standards. Amidst the contemporary professional proclamations of multicultural- and social justice counseling as professional grounding principles, is also the directive to promote and engage in peace building. Although the notion of peace building appear to be conceptually congruent with the multicultural and social justice counseling competencies; peace building concepts and issues, and research on nonviolence, reconciliation, democratization, and conflict transformation, are as yet unchartered notions in the counselor education literature.

The purpose of this study …

Examination Of The Impact Of Age, Family Conflict, And Perceived Parental Involvement On Treatment Adherence For Children And Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis And Diabetes, Blake M. Lancaster

Dissertations

The success of medical interventions for patients with diseases that require consistent adherence to a medical regimen is largely contingent upon the patient’s ability to consistently follow medical recommendations. Medical regimen adherence significantly influences the patient’s health and impacts the health care providers’ ability to treat any disease or medical problem. Adherence levels are particularly low in the pediatric population among young patients with diabetes and cystic fibrosis. Researchers and clinicians hypothesize that levels of adherence are particularly low during adolescence (ages 11-15) because this may be the period in which primary responsibility for daily adherence is transferred from the …

Family Functioning And Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy: A Study Of First Year Malaysian Undergraduate Students, Melati Sumari

Dissertations

The findings of the study show that the relationships between family functioning subscales and career decision-making self-efficacy subscales were between small and moderate. The study also found that each family functioning subscale contributed less than 15% of the variance in career decision-making self-efficacy. The total variance accounted for by the six family functioning subscales was small (32%). Important findings of the analyses of variances include: (a) male students perceived their families as more dysfunctional than female students; (b) Chinese students perceived their families as more dysfunctional than Malay and Indian students; (c) students in science majors perceived their families as …

Psychosocial Adjustment Among Refugee Children, Nola Ivana Lawrence

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Refugee children are faced with multiple stressors. These stressors include unresolved issues with country of origin, transition to a new country, and long-term adjustment. War is a traumatic situation. For children who have gone through the trauma of war, parents may contribute one of the major influences to their psychosocial adjustment. The purpose of this study was to assess the role that parental mental health, as measured by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist - 25 (HSCL-25) and parenting sense of competence as measured by the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC), plays in children’s psychosocial adjustment to war trauma using delinquency …

Latino Students' Prejudice And Stereotypes Toward African Americans, Amite Milner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined generational status and acculturation in relation to stereotyping and prejudice towards African Americans among Anglo and Latino American, high school students. A sample of 597 Anglo and Latino high school juniors and seniors from the Fontana and Redlands School Districts participated in this study. Participants completed a questionnaire that included demographic, acculturation, prejudice, and stereotype measures. A series of analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to test hypotheses predicting ethnic differences among Anglo and Latino Americans in prejudice and stereotype endorsement. Results showed that Latinos endorsed more stereotypes stereotype than Anglos. No ethnic difference was found on …

Recognition Of Depression In Primary Care Settings: The Influence Of Patient Age And Gender On Patient Care, Kelly Marie Monette

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a common condition that is often poorly detected in primary care medical settings. The elderly often fail to receive appropriate attention to their mental health needs, possibly due to physician's interpretation of physical and emotional changes as part of the normal aging process. The purpose of this study was to explore physicians' identification of depression and to determine whether age-related factors and gender impact recommendations for patient care. The respondents were full-time primary care physicians (N = 46; 63% male) who were randomly selected from a national listing of family medicine practitioners and primary care physicians (family medicine, …

The Effects Of Existential Attribution And Religiousness/Spirituality On Well-Being In Hiv Patients, Amy N. Huggins-Rieke

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

HIV is a serious illness that has received considerable attention in research literature addressing the implications of religiousness/spirituality on coping with this illness. Past research indicates that an individual's level of guilt over having contracted HIV is associated with feelings of stigmatization and suffering, which can influence his 111 or her wellbeing in coping with the illness. The current study seeks to investigate the relationship between feelings of responsibility for illness (attributions) and engagement with religiousness/spiritual meaning as a coping resource. It is hypothesized that the use of existential attribution will moderate the relationship between an individual's religiousness/spirituality and his …

Accelerating The Development Of Adaptive Thinking In United States Army Captains, Scott B. Shadrick

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The contemporary operational environment, the war on terrorism, and the Army transformation effort are requiring officers in the U.S. Army to exhibit high levels of adaptive performance. The Army recognized the need to develop adaptive leaders and developed the Think Like a Commander (Shadrick & Lussier, 2001) training program. Prior to this research no attempt has been made to establish the construct validity of the training program or to measure the levels of adaptive performance exhibited throughout an officer's career. The current research investigated the construct validity of the training program by examining the differences in adaptive thinking behaviors between …

Training Parents To Treat Noncompliance In Children With Developmental Disabilities Using Guided Compliance, Christine Bennett

Masters Theses

Noncompliance with parental directions is a critical target for children with developmental disabilities for several reasons, including the frequency of the problem and its impact on caregivers. Three decades of research have shown the effectiveness of guided compliance with children with developmental disabilities; however, only a few studies have examined the effects of parent-implemented guided compliance with this population (Handen, Parrish, McClung, Kerwin, & Evans, 1992; Smith & Lerman, 1999; Tarbox, Wallace, & Penrod, 2003). Three children with developmental disabilities and one primary caregiver for each participated in the present study. Parents were trained in three-step guided compliance (i.e., command, …

Culturally Adapted Mental Health Interventions: A Meta-Analytic Review, Timothy B. Smith, Derek Griner

Faculty Publications

There is a pressing need to enhance the availability and quality of mental health services provided to persons from historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups. Many previous authors have advocated that traditional mental health treatments be modified to better match clients? cultural contexts. Numerous studies evaluating culturally adapted interventions have appeared, and the present study used meta-analytic methodology to summarize these data. Across 76 studies the resulting random effects weighted average effect size was d = .45, indicating a moderately strong benefit of culturally adapted interventions. Interventions targeted to a specific cultural group were four times more effective than interventions …