Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Announcements, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

IBPP announcements pertaining to reader requests, editor nominations, and relevant conferences, as well as online and print publications.

Definitional Problems Of Terrorism In A World Of Terrorism: An English Example, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes definitional problems with the construct of terrorism as employed by antiterrorism and counterterrorism experts, terrorist targets and victims, as well as members of general publics throughout the world.

Trends. Security, Stigma, And Biological Weapons, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses the political psychology of security concerns pertaining to unclassified information relating to biological weapons and/or biosecurity and how it might be used to harm US security.

The Political Psychology Of Cybersexuality: The Example Of Child Pornography, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article analyzes rationales behind legislation banning certain aspects of cybersexuality.

Trends. North Korea, The United States, And Causal Relevance: Relevant To The Contemporary Conflict?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses the importance of social inferential differences in the analysis of the intentions of adversaries, especially in crises. Countries discussed include North Korea (DPRK) and the United States.

Psychological Profiling Of Terrorists: Recent Findings From Singapore On Jemaah Islamiyah, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article reviews the contemporary history of psychological profiling of terrorists and then relates this history to recent psychological profiling data on detainees who are allegedly members of a group that allegedly engages in terrorist behavior.

Trends. Subtle And Obvious Items In Psychological Assessment: The Case Of Iraq, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses the types of questions asked of Iraqi authorities by United Nations weapons inspectors in the process of searching for weapons of mass destruction as well as validity for the questioning process.

Announcements, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

IBPP announcements pertaining to reader requests, editor nominations, and relevant conferences, as well as online and print publications.

Trends. Double Standards On Double Standards: War With Iraq And The Middle East Peace Process, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses the nature of public statements from two national governments – the United States and the United Kingdom – in reference to a potential war with Iraq. Of special interest is the possible double standard pertaining to the differences in the international treatment of Iraq vs. the role of Israel in the Middle East Peace Process.

The Psychology Of Secrecy: A Commentary On The Critique Of The Codeword Compartment In The Cia, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article provides commentary on a segment of an intelligence monograph (formally declassified with redactions) prepared through the Central Intelligence Agency Center for the Study of Intelligence and focused on compartmentation of information.

Announcements, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

IBPP announcements pertaining to reader requests, editor nominations, and relevant conferences, as well as online and print publications.

Trends. Quantitative Versus Qualitative Analysis, Nuclear Reactors, And Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses the possibility of meaningful analysis pertaining to the possibility of terrorist threats against nuclear installations.

Trends. Thinking On Transportation Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses the necessity of gathering intelligence successfully to combat terrorism as it pertains to commerce.

Announcements, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

IBPP announcements pertaining to reader requests, editor nominations, and relevant conferences, as well as online and print publications.

North Korea And The United States: A Nuclear Family Of Conditionings, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article posits several cognitive heuristics that may at least metaphorically constitute the North Korean and United States Governments’ operational codes of international security decision-making.

Obedience To Authority As Obedience To Authority: Current Perspectives On The Milgram Paradigm, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article considers political implications of the Milgram obedience studies and of how these studies have fared in professional and lay discourse. A point of departure for the article is a volume edited by Thomas Blass on the studies.

Trends. The 9/11 Commission: Personnel Selection And The Problem Of Caesar’S Wife, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discussed the controversial appointment of Henry Kissinger to the Commission to investigation and make recommendations concerning the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and his subsequent resignation from it. Of particular emphasis: the idea of being above reproach.

Task Demands And Age-Related Differences In Retrieval And Response Inhibition, Steffan Wilson, Katherine Kipp, Jennifer Daniels

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

This study investigates the role of task demands on children's ability to inhibit irrelevant information using a block-cued directed-forgetting task. Recall performance was compared in a block-cued directed-forgetting task in which task demands had been decreased by presenting blocks of semantically related words with that in which unrelated words were presented. Inhibition patterns of recall were found at a younger age in the task that contained the related words than in the task that contained the unrelated words. These results suggest that previous results charting the development of cognitive inhibition may not have been exclusively the product of the development …

Validating Internet Research: A Test Of The Psychometric Equivalence Of Internet And In-Person Samples, Paul Meyerson, Warren W. Tryon

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the psychometric equivalency of Web-based research. The Sexual Boredom Scale was presented via the World-Wide Web along with five additional scales used to validate it. A subset of 533 participants that matched a previously published sample (Watt & Ewing, 1996) on age, gender, and race was identified. An 8 X 8 correlation matrix from the matched Internet sample was compared via structural equation modeling with a similar 8 X 8 correlation matrix from the previously published study. The Internet and previously published samples were psychometrically equivalent. Coefficient alpha values calculated on the matched Internet sample yielded reliability …

Fully Proportional Actigraphy: A New Instrument, Warren W. Tryon, Robert Williams

Psychology Faculty Publications

The relevance of activity measurement is reviewed. Technical information regarding a new, small, lightweight, fully proportional accelerometer-based activity monitor suited for a wide range of wrist, waist, and ankle activity measurements over extended time periods in free-ranging persons is presented. Calibration data demonstrating within- and between-device reliability and validity are presented. Field trial data are presented showing that wrist and waist actigraphs can predict kilocalories of energy expended. The issue of how activity monitors should be validated is discussed. Instrument reliability is distinguished from clinical repeatability. Recommendations are provided to assist investigators with instrument selection.

An Analysis Of The Relationships Between The Perceived Organizational Climate And Professional Burnout In Libraries And Computing Centers In West Virginia Public Higher Education Institutions, Arnold R. Miller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between the perceived organizational climate and professional burnout in libraries and computing services units in West Virginia higher education. Research questions were defined to investigate the differences between libraries and computing services units in the perceived organizational climate, professional burnout, organizational climate vs. burnout, demographics vs. organizational climate, demographics vs. burnout, and the combined effects of demographics and organizational climate upon burnout. The Work Environment Scale (WES) Form R, third edition, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) HSS, third edition, and a demographic questionnaire measured the organizational climate, burnout, and demographics. …

A Comparison Of Traditional Versus Computerized Anxiety Assessment Using Personal Digital Assistants, Wesley Alan Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The usage of the personal computer has become more prevalent in the field of psychology. The advent of the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) has opened a new area of possible clinical application. These pen-based devices allow for a more natural interface and more mobility. The feasibility and application of the PDA for personality assessment will be examined in this study. Does having a test administered by a PDA lead to a significant change in response patterns compared to a test administered by the traditional pen and paper method? The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the anxiety …

Stereotype Beliefs, Contextual Age, And Knowledge Of Aging In The Elderly, Angela Walker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Stereotype beliefs, contextual ages, and knowledge on aging of independent and intervention-receiving elderly living in both rural and urban communities and institutions were examined in a convenience sample of 114 participants who were assigned to location and setting. Contextual age is defined as one’s quality of life in regard to environmental, social, and health factors. Participants’ acceptance of stereotypes about the elderly, contextual ages, and knowledge of aging was measured by questionnaires. Results indicated there were no significant differences regarding stereotype acceptance, contextual age, and knowledge of aging between rural and urban elderly. However, differences between community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly …

The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Individual Productivity, Sephra L. Snyder

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Being sleepy on the job can have a vital impact on how well workers can do their job. The study examines the effects of partial sleep deprivation on productivity. It included a nonrandom sample of thirty participants, of which, sixty percent were female and eighty percent were Caucasian. All participants were employed and possessed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

Participants were asked to keep a sleep journal recording behaviors that could possibly affect sleep. Participants were also asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and a task log sheet. The percent of tasks completed daily on the task log sheet …

Comparing Behavior Assessment Measures With Behavior Specific Responses To Assess Aggression In First-Time Expectant Fathers, Lynn Allen

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty- four randomly recruited first-time expectant fathers, ages 20 years to 40 years, were administered a battery of survey questions each trimester of their wives’ pregnancy. This study compared Behavior Assessment Measures (Clinical Anxiety Scale, Selfism-Scale, and the Index of Self-Esteem) to Behavior Specific Measures (Non-Physical Abuse of Partner Scale and the Aggression Inventory) to see if any correlations exist among the test data. The study is trying to identify specific test or survey questions that measure attitudinal or behavioral changes in first-time expectant fathers over the nine months of their spouse’s pregnancy. The results indicated a statistically significant correlation …

Analysis Of Impulsive Behaviors Among Prison Inmates Convicted Of Violent Crimes, Inmates Convicted Of Non-Violent Crimes And Undergraduate College Students, Lonnie Kishpaugh Sr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sudden explosive episodes of rage and human aggression by individuals occur daily in our society. While impulsive aggressive behavior is included in several established psychological disorders, the etiology of such behavior has been widely debated.

This study tested the hypotheses that prison inmates who have committed violent crimes were no more likely to exhibit impulsive behavior, than like numbers of prison inmates who had committed non-violent crimes, or college students who have no criminal record. Groups of 20 each of the respective populations were randomly administered the Kipnis Impulsiveness Scale in accordance with instructions from the manual.

With an alpha …

The Relationship Between Student Achievement And Level Of Parent Satisfaction In A Summer Enrichment Program, Royna Faye Lattimore

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parent satisfaction and student achievement in an activity based, multiage, inclusive, summer enrichment program. The researcher constructed a survey that was mailed to parents the first day of the last week of the program (n=139). Thirty five surveys were returned by mail and five surveys were conducted by phone for a total of forty surveys. The average score for this sample of parents on the whole survey was 3.98 (SD=1.41). The average parent satisfaction score on question fourteen was 4.40.

Multiple regression analysis on 40 parent surveys revealed that …

A Comparison Between Amount Of Television Viewing Time And Attentional Abilities, Gwendolyn Lawrence Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between television viewing time and auditory attention with the effects of development examined. The study used 64 females and 29 males who were in regular and special education classes (i.e., 24 third graders, 32 fourth graders and 37 fifth graders). The researcher constructed two instruments to obtain data about TV viewing time. The Stanford Achievement Test - Ninth Edition (SAT9) Listening Subtest raw score was used as a measure of attention, while the SAT9 Total Basic Skills (TBS) raw score was used as a measure of overall achievement. Data about …

Analysis Of Locus Of Control And Educational Level Utilizing The Internal Control Index, Valerie L. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study is a comparison of Locus of Control as measured by the Internal Control Index (ICI) between adult subjects of high school education or less and adult subjects attending graduate school or of graduate school education or above. The study was conducted to determine if the Internal Control Index for the graduate level educated population was significantly different from that of the non-college-educated population. The Internal Control Index (ICI), by Patricia Duttweiler was used as the instrument for this study. A sample of 100 male and female subjects was used from the West Virginia and Ohio areas. Each participant …

The Fear Of Femininity Vs. The Fear Of Death And Attitudes Towards Lesbians And Gay Men, Timothy Andrew Caswell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Decades of research on attitudes toward non-heterosexuals has found that heterosexual males are significantly more negative towards gay men than lesbians, while females generally have similar attitudes toward both. Using a terror management research design, the current research investigates the influence of the fear of femininity and the fear of mortality on attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. Two hundred forty-seven introductory psychology students were primed to fear their own mortality, their femininity or masculinity, or dental pain. Sexual prejudice scores were consistent with prior research, but the findings were not consistent with either a mortality salience effect or femininity …