Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Trastorno Por Déficit De Atención/Hiperactividad: ¿Mito O Realidad? [The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Myth Or Reality?], Joaquín A. Peña, Cecilia Montiel-Nava

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been defined as a disorder of self control characterized clinically by a short attention span, excessive motor activity and poor impulse control.

Objective: The main objective is to describe how methodological difficulties related to the design of epidemiological studies make an important contribution to the group of heterogeneous data which might lead to doubts regarding the validity of ADHD in children. In recent decades the psychiatric definition of this disorder has varied. This has affected the number and combination of clinical signs necessary for diagnosis of ADHD. The variation in the prevalence …

Intention To Pursue Post-Secondary Education, And Related Factors, Among Jamaican Senior High School Students, Teran T. Milford

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. The proportion of female students in post-secondary schools in Jamaica is approximately twice that of their male counterpart. This is in contrast to the observation that the proportion of male and female students in elementary and secondary schools is about the same. Little or no studies have been conducted to examine factors related to the disproportion of male and female students in tertiary institutions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perception of senior high school students regarding their intention to pursue post-secondary education, and to determine the extent to which the value …

The Phenomenon Of Woman-On-Woman Abuse And Its Relationship To Gender Profile And Personal Experiences Of Women, Deborah Johnson Spence

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. Female-on-female aggression is often inferred, or drawn from studies conducted with children or males. Little or no information is available that reports behaviors perceived as mistreatment or abuse among women. The purposes of this study were to investigate (a) behaviors demonstrated by women that women consider abuse or mistreatment; (b) the extent to which these perceptions of abuse/mistreatment were related to gender profiles; and (c) the extent to which personal experiences as victims or perpetrators of abuse were related to age, race, and education.

Method. This study used the survey research method in which questionnaires …

A Study Of The Influence Of Birth Order And Other Variables On Student Perceptions Of School Effectiveness In A Southwestern Michigan County, Hamil Tobias

Dissertations

Problem. There is an increasing demand for quality education. In his initiative for education reform, U.S. President George W. Bush promoted the concept of no child left behind, in which he calls for more accountability. It is useful to examine student perceptions of how well the education system functions. Instead of a monolithic view, their perceptions were analyzed by birth order, gender, and ethnicity. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent student perceptions differed by their birth order, gender, and ethnicity.

Method. This study utilized a 4 x 2 x 2 (birth order by …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Loneliness And Internet Use Among University Students, Katherine L. Dittmann

Dissertations

Problem . Research investigating the relationship between loneliness and various dimensions of Internet use is mixed. While some studies support the connection, other studies refute the link. More analysis in this area is needed to help clinicians, parents, college students, school counselors, and educators better understand the effects of the Internet on college-age students. This study attempts to expand understanding of the conflictual relationship that exists between loneliness and the dynamics of Internet use in undergraduate students.

Method . Four-hundred sixty-six randomly selected Andrews University undergraduate students who lived in residence halls, university apartments, and the community completed the UCLA …

A Comparison Of The Emotional Indicators On The House-Tree-Person Drawings And The Kinetic-House-Tree-Person Drawing, Denise Ann Stoddard

Dissertations

Problem. Robert Burns, author of the Kinetic-Family- Drawing, - has devised a projective test called the Kinetic-House-Tree-Person drawing. He has taken the House-Tree-Person projective technique and changed the instructions to include all of the figures on one page and also to include an action. In Burns's book on the K-H-T-P he claimed that his drawing gives a better clinical picture of the subject than the H-T-P. However, there is no research that compares the two tests for clinical information.

Method. The H-T-P and K-H-T-P were administered to 204 college students 18 years of age and older. These students came …

Judging Distance Across Texture Discontinuities, Cary S. Feria, M. L. Braunstein, G. J. Andersen

Faculty Publications

Sinai et al (1998 Nature 395 497 - 500) showed that less distance is perceived along a ground surface that spans two differently textured regions than along a surface that is uniformly textured. We examined the effect of texture continuity on judged distance using computer-generated displays of simulated surfaces in five experiments. Discontinuities were produced by using different textures, the same texture reversed in contrast, or the same texture shifted horizontally. The simulated surface was either a ground plane or a frontoparallel plane. For all textures and both orientations, less distance was judged in the discontinuous conditions than in continuous …

Understanding Grief And Loss With Children From Divorced Families, Angela C. Meyer

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to present information about how grief and loss affect children from divorced families. Divorce can be just as traumatic as the death of a loved one, and the divorce rate continually increases every year. Two models of grief and how they apply to children of divorce are presented, as well as an explanation the process of grief in relation to divorce. Finally, this researcher identifies prevention and intervention techniques that schools and the whole community can use to aid children through the grief process of divorce.

Parental Reports Of The Development Of Autism In Their Children: The Relevance Of Regression, Comorbidity, And Genetics In The Detection Ofearly Characteristics, Robin Page Goin

Theses and Dissertations

Early detection of autism plays an important role in enhancing developmental outcomes for affected children. Identifying potential characteristics of the disorder evident during infancy and toddlerhood aids efforts to screen for such symptoms, which may lead to earlier and more accurate diagnoses; however, it is unclear to what extent certain factors encourage or impede early detection. Because parents are responsible for making decisions on behalf of their children based upon their perceptions of children's developmental progression, caregivers were queried in terms of their beliefs about the development of autism characteristics in their children. Participants included 393 caregivers of children with …

Effects Of Domestic Violence Exposure In Colombian Adolescents: Pathways To Violent And Prosocial Behavior, Roberto Mejia

Theses and Dissertations

A multidimensional model of associations between domestic violence exposure and risk of violence and prosocial behavior was tested in a sample of Colombian adolescents, with attention to impulsivity and substance use problems as mediators of these associations. A representative sample of 1,152 school youths and a convenience group of 148 juvenile offenders aged 11-19 years was recruited from Medellin, the second largest city in this South American country. Assessment was carried out in classrooms in the school sample and in correctional institutions for juvenile offenders. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the conceptually derived models. Similarly, multisample analyses …

Self-Multilating Borderlines: A Hierarchical And Empirical Examination Of Ego And Object Relations Deficits, Julia L. Prillaman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Measuring Anger In A Prison Population Using The Anger Disorders Scale And The Personality Assessment Inventory, Michael R. Wydo

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

In comparison with other emotions, such as anxiety and depression, the research literature on anger-related problems is lacking. Anger, and anger-related behaviors pose a critical problem to clinicians and researchers. The inability to identify and treat individuals with a propensity toward aggressive behavior is related to the insufficient empirical evidence defining anger as a diagnosable disorder. An ongoing argument has existed as to the causes and related concepts of anger and aggression. The present study validates a new assessment measure for anger and explores the correlation between prisoners' offense records and specific type of anger expression. The Anger Disorder Scale …

From The Individual To Individualism: A Critique Of The Helping Professions, Timothy B. Smith, Matthew R. Draper

Faculty Publications

Individualistic values characterize contemporary society and many popular approaches to mental health treatment. This paper critiques the individualistic values embedded in the helping professions that implicitly contradict the teachings ofJesus Christ, the surest foundation for mental health interventions. Members of AMCAP are encouraged to search out and replace problematic values that contradict gospel teachings which have been integrated into contemporary mental health practice.

Work And Family Variables As Related To Paternal Engagement, Responsibility, And Accessibility In Dual-Earner Couples With Young Children, Suzanne M. Nangle, Michelle L. Kelley, William Fals-Stewart, Ronald F. Levant

Psychology Faculty Publications

Fathers and mothers (N = 75 dual-earner couples) of preschool-aged children completed questionnaires that examined work and family variables as related to paternal involvement in three areas: engagement (i.e., directly interacting with the child), responsibility (i.e., scheduling activities and being accountable for the child's well-being), and accessibility (i.e., being available to the child but not in direct interaction). Fathers' reports of responsibility and accessibility were significantly predicted by structural variables and beliefs; however, fathers' reports of engagement were not predicted by work and family variables. Mothers' reports of work and family variables did not predict their reports of father involvement. …

Moving Forward While Remaining Rooted: A Case Study Of The Ebytown Food Co-Operative In Waterloo, Ontario (Perspectives And Findings From A Member Turned Researcher), Maria Hatzipantelis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Retail food co-operatives provide a unique opportunity for community psychologists to work with democratically-controlled organisations that purport to offer each member control over the food she or he consumes on a daily basis. In this case study of the Ebytown Food Co-operative in Waterloo, Ontario, I document the activities of the co-op as it functions on a practical level, based both on my experiences as a researcher and an active member of the co-op. My thesis process was guided by the belief that research should be useful to the people with whom one works, and therefore, I followed a participatory …

'Why Should We Learn About Crime?': Exploring The Perceptions And Fear Of Crime Among Recent Immigrants In Waterloo Region (Ontario), Jennifer Robena Bernier

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research project was to achieve a greater understanding of the perceptions and fear of crime among recent immigrants in Waterloo Region, including how recent immigrants define crime, the types of activities that recent immigrants considered to be criminal in both Canada and their countries of origin, and how perceptions of crime are similar and different among the various countries that the participants represented. Furthermore, in this study I hoped to identify the types of crime(s) that recent immigrants in Waterloo Region fear and the factors that may be important in explaining fear of crime among recent …

The State Of Our Union: Appraisals Of Romantic Relationships, Stephen Allan Michael Gallant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

How do romantic partners determine if they are happy in their current relationship? What standards do they use when appraising their romantic relationship? The present thesis examines people’s preferences among various comparison standards (social comparisons, temporal past comparisons, temporal future comparisons and previous relationship comparisons) for relationship appraisal, the direction in which people prefer to make various relationship comparisons and the reported and actual impact of these comparison standards on relationship appraisals. The present research also examines the hypothesis that certain relationship beliefs and characteristics (controllability and satisfaction) affect how one interprets these comparison standards. In study 1, 140 undergraduate …

French And English Word Reading And Word Decoding Performance In Bilingual Children: How Are Phonological Processing Skills Related?, Catherine Adèle Lafrance

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The French (L1) and English (L2) reading development of bilingual children in French schools was examined using measures of oral language proficiency, letter-name and letter-sound knowledge, phonological processing (phonological awareness, naming speed and working memory), and word decoding over an eight month period. At Time 1 (Senior Kindergarten), a series of multiple regressions indicated that, when controlling for oral language proficiency, letter name knowledge and non-verbal reasoning, L1 phonological awareness was the only consistent and unique predictor of French and English word reading and word decoding performance. At Time 2 (Grade 1), French and English phonological awareness were consistent and …

Effect Of Conditioned Taste Avoidance Learning On Elevated Plus Maze Performance As A Measure Of Potentiated Fear, Shadna Rama

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The terms conditioned taste aversion and conditioned taste avoidance are often used interchangeably in the literature; however considerable evidence indicates that they may represent independent processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that conditioned taste aversion is mediated by conditioned sickness; however the mechanism(s) responsible for the establishment and expression of conditioned taste avoidance remains unknown. An early theory suggests that a taste that has been previously paired with a drug produces avoidance of that taste because it elicits some novel change in physiological state which signals danger to the rat. The emotional state produced may be one of conditioned fear. The …

Motivated Prediction Of Future Feelings: The Effects Of Mood And Mood Focus On Affective Forecasts, Vassili Spyropoulos

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

People often predict they will experience more positive or more negative emotional reactions to upcoming pleasant and unpleasant events respectively, than they actually do. Although researchers have identified several cognitive processes underlying this bias in affective forecasting, the present research examined the role of motivational factors. We proposed that people sometimes generate relatively positive affective forecasts to fixture positive events (or less negative affective forecasts to future negative events) as a mood regulation strategy. That is, they may attempt to cope with threatening negative feelings by anticipating pleasant emotions in the future. More specific hypotheses were derived from recent research …

The Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Identity Distress, Steven L. Berman, Marilyn J. Montgomery, William M. Kurtines

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

The most frequently used measures of identity development do not contain a scale to measure the distress that can sometimes be associated with the process. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Identity Distress Survey. The measure was found to have high internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Identity distress was related to the constructs of identity style and identity status. Identity distress was positively correlated with identity exploration and associated with the informational style and was negatively correlated with identity commitment. This measure could help identify those people who are having exceptional difficulties …

Datos Epidemiológicos Del Trastorno Por Déficit De Atención Con Hiperactividad En Una Muestra De Niños Marabinos [Epidemiological Data About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In A Sample Of Marabino Children], Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Joaquín A. Peña, Isabel Montiel-Barbero

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Aims: This study reports the findings of a research project aimed at determining the rate of prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in school aged children.

Patients and methods: Different behavioural and cognitive measures were administered to a sample of children between 3 and 13 years of age obtained by means of a multistage sampling procedure that was stratified by socioeconomic and educational level. The sample was made up of 394 children; 33.25% (n = 131) were females and the remaining 66.75% (n = 263) males. The mean age of the sample was 7.64 years old (SD: 2.33). The …

Epilepsia Mioclónica Juvenil: Estudio De 13 Pacientes Venezolanos [Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy: Study On 13 Venezuelan Patients], Joaquín A. Peña, Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Sandra González-Ferrer, Jessica Freda, Enoe Medrano

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

La epilepsia mioclónica juvenil (EMJ) es un síndrome hereditario no progresivo caracterizado por convulsiones con sacudidas mioclónicas bilaterales, únicas o repetitivas, de predominio en brazos. Objetivo: Analizar las características clínicas y electroencefalográficas en pacientes con diagnóstico de EMJ. Metodología: Se revisaron las historias clínicas de 13 pacientes evaluados en el Hospital Clínico de Maracaibo entre 1990 y 1999 quienes reunieron los criterios diagnósticos de EMJ. Analizamos los siguientes parámetros clínicos y electroencefalográficos: sexo, antecedentes personales y familiares, edad de comienzo, semiología, distribución, duración y frecuencia de las crisis, examen neurológico, tiempo de seguimiento y evolución. Resultados: Nueve pacientes eran varones …

Trastornos De La Conducta Alimentaria. Prevalencia Y Características Clínicas En Adolescentes De La Ciudad De Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela [Eating Behavior Disorders. Prevalence And Clinical Features In Adolescents In The City Of Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela], Evelyn Quintero-Párraga, Ana Cristina Pérez-Montiel, Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Dexy Pirela, María Fernanda Acosta, Ninoska Pineda

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Resumen. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la prevalencia y las características clínicas asociadas a los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en sujetos masculinos y femeninos en etapa de adolescencia. Para esto, se consideró como base los criterios diagnósticos descritos en el DSM-IV. Este estudio tomó 1.363 adolescentes de una población conformada por 23.831 estudiantes, los cuales fueron seleccionados de manera aleatoria y estratificada, de acuerdo al tipo de institución (públicas o privadas) y los grados correspondientes a la tercera etapa de educación básica y ciclo diversificado. Para recolectar los datos se aplicó la lista de chequeo A.B.A. desarrollada por …

Two Facets Of Competitiveness And Their Influence On Psychological Adjustment, Elaine Kayhan '03

Honors Projects

This study was conducted to explore the influence of competitiveness as a personality trait on psychological adjustment. Competitiveness was differentiated into two distinct facets referred to as superiority competitiveness and mastery competitiveness. In terms of psychological adjustment, the effects of these facets of competitiveness on depression, loneliness, self-esteem, anxiety, and eating patterns were examined. Questionnaires were used to assess the aforementioned dimensions. The results of the study revealed some noteworthy gender differences. Among females, superiority competitiveness was associated with higher levels of depression. Among males, superiority competitiveness was associated with less loneliness. A significant association was also observed between mastery …

Differences In Friendship Qualities Of Korean And American College Students, Yun-Sun Alexis Bae '03

Honors Projects

The present study explored the friendship characteristics of Korean and American college students. Participants (41 Koreans and 87 Americans) described their friends using a questionnaire (Friendship Quality Questionnaire) and an interview. Because of the inadequacy of the interview coding system, the interview data were not analyzed. Analysis of the FQQ supported the hypothesis that Koreans exhibit higher exclusivity than Americans, but no other country effects emerged. Both U.S. and Korean women reported more intimate disclosure than men. Friendship characteristics of Korea and U.S. students were conceptualized using concepts such as Individualism and Collectivism, Confucianism, and the Korean term "cheong" (affection). …

Masculinity And Homophobia: Does Masculine Threat Increase Homophobic Behavior?, Julie M. Longo '03

Honors Projects

Threatened masculinity may play a role in homophobic responses in college men. In this study, homophobic or non-homophobic responses to a gay confederate were measured after a masculine threat or no threat manipulation. 49 college men participated in the study: 24 in the masculine threat condition and 25 in the no threat condition. Masculinity level was pre-determined in an initial phase one testing using the Male Role Norms Scale (MRNS). In the masculine threat condition, participants were given a test that was said to measure masculine knowledge and then received false negative feedback. The no threat condition involved a general …

Selected Influences On The Smoking Behavior Among Female And Male College Students Of The University Of Northern Iowa, Evelyn Adom-Boateng

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study primarily, was to investigate and identify the influence of the four focus areas (media, family, peer, and psychological coping technique) on the smoking behavior among female and male college students of the University of Northern Iowa. A description of differences in the influences of the focus areas on the smoking behavior on gender was included in the study. A non-random (convenient) sample of 100 students was drawn from the various Departments and Schools from five colleges in the University (57% males and 43% females).

The Sample responded to a 44-item self-report (survey) questionnaire. Overall means …

The Effects Of Gender, Gender-Role, And Type Of Relationship On Self-Reported Intimacy, Keith Karl Buhr

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Gender issues in the understanding and experience of intimacy have been in debate for the last 30 years. The gender and gender-role of the participant, the type of relationship studied, and the way in which intimacy has been defined have affected the conclusions drawn about gender differences in the understanding and expression of intimacy. The purpose of this study was to examine how these factors influenced perceptions of the amount and expression of self-reported intimacy in relationships. College students (N = 164) at a Midwestern university completed questionnaire packets including measures of self-disclosure and social intimacy for credit in their …

To Read Or Not To Read: The Usefulness Of Informed Consent, Natasha E. Webb, Elizabeth D. Taylor

Modern Psychological Studies

Informed consent is an important ethical factor for medicine, psychology, and other needed disciplines. It is necessary for participants to understand an intended research project or procedure in which they plan to take part. This study examined the usefulness of informed consent by administering such a form prior to an irrelevant questionnaire. A simple task was inserted into the reading, which allowed assessment of whether participants actually read the form. Results obtained through the experiment supported the hypothesis that the majority of the participants would not read the consent form. While less than half of each sex actually read the …