Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

About Our Contributors, Philippe L. Gross, S. I. Shapiro

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

No abstract provided.

Burnout Among Postsecondary Faculty In North Dakota, Justin J. Wageman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify burnout levels of full-time faculty holding rank of assistant, associate, or full professor in three categories of institutions in North Dakota. The three categories comprised eight North Dakota public colleges and universities. Specifically the research questions were: (1) What level of burnout exists among full-time, postsecondary faculty? (2) Are there differences in burnout levels by rank among full-time, postsecondary faculty? (3) Are there differences in burnout levels of full-time faculty members by category of institution? (4) Are there differences in burnout levels by certain demographic variables?

After a telephone pre-contact was made …

Biculturalism And Native American College Students' Performance On The Wais-Iii, Teton Ducheneaux

Theses and Dissertations

Consideration of cultural appropriateness in using Westem-European standardized intelligence measures with Native Americans for clinical and educational purposes has been neglected by professionals in the field of clinical assessment. Some studies suggest the possibility of a “Native American Pattern” on such tests, indicating a consistent, yet little-understood discrepancy. The present study investigated the impact of cultural identification of Native American college students on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III). The study assessed the relationship between cultural identification and cognitive-testing scores between two groups of Native American college students. The first group consisted of off-reservation Native American students attending the …

Modulating Effects Of Time Of Day On Age Differences In Memory Performance: Attention Versus Inhibition, Iwona Chelminski

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that some cognitive processes follow a circadian rhythm, and the peak performance periods correlate with individual patterns of physiological arousal. Recent findings in the literature suggest that the optimal time synchrony may modulate the magnitude of age differences in cognitive performance across time of day. The first goal of the present study was to further investigate the so-called “synchrony effects” in younger and older adults. The second purpose was to offer and examine an alternative explanation for the “synchrony effect” phenomenon related to deficits in attentional resources rather than inefficient inhibition. And the third purpose of this study …

Nicolas Berdyaev: An Intellectual Journey, Marianna Westbrook Byman

Theses and Dissertations

Nicholas Alexsandrovich Berdyaev, 1874–1948, was part of the historic events that changed the course of Russian history. He lived through them and wrote about them for his entire adult life. Berdyaev not only pondered the agony of Russia's past, but he contemplated the possibilities of Russia's future.

Berdyaev was a deeply Russian thinker, and like Russia, he presented the world with a paradox. Outside of Russia he was perhaps the best known and the most widely read of Russian philosophers, but inside of Russia seldom read and little known. The paradox of Berdyaev extended to his life, his writings, and …

The Red River Flood Of 1997: The Role Of Government Agencies In The Flood Plain, Deborah Marshall Pawley

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to identify the roles of three federal agencies in the Grand Forks Flood of 1997. The three agencies were selected for the scope of their impact on the disaster as well as their impact on the community. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, and Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed either to the the attempts to prevent flooding or flood recovery or both.

It is appropriate to determine both the physical factors that cause flooding and the agency policies that govern the ways in which people cope with disaster because these two are intricately …

Analysis Of The Caloric Expenditure Of Students In Middle School Physical Education Classes, Wendy Granum Frappier

Theses and Dissertations

According to the recent Surgeon General's Report guidelines, all Americans including children need to bum a minimum of 150 calories in daily physical activity or approximately 1,000 calories a week to meet minimum healthy activity standards. The purpose of the study was to assess the caloric expenditure of students in middle school physical education classes to determine if they were expending a sufficient amount of calories in physical education classes to meet the minimum healthy activity recommendations. More specifically, the study determined the differences in caloric expenditure and various physical activities, the relationship between heart rate and caloric expenditure, sex …

Take My Thesis…Please! The Art Of Stand-Up Comedy, Kyle J. Dukart

Theses and Dissertations

In my thesis, I explore the artistry of stand-up comedy primarily by concentrating on five aspects of the genre that one generally uses to discuss literature: theme, persona, language, narrative structure, and audience. My purpose is to critically analyze a mode of artistic expression that is rarely given serious academic consideration

To accomplish this purpose I researched various theories of comedy and then proceeded to listen to and read about dozens of stand-up comedians. Using my own and other's knowledge of comedy and literature, I then closely analyze parts of routines from ten of the comedians I studied, including Lenny …

Use Of Humor And Relationship Intimacy, Laura Warrenchuk

Theses and Dissertations

Humor is a unique social interaction that is ubiquitous in everyday life. Humor can serve a number of functions, including ones that may either enhance or detract from social intimacy. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between different uses of humor and intimacy in relationships. It was hypothesized that positive and expressive uses of humor would lead to increases in intimacy within the relationship, whereas negative uses of humor would lead to decreased levels of intimacy.

Undergraduate college students (N = 93) completed the Functional Uses of Humor Scale and the Miller Social Intimacy Scale. Analyses focused …

The Historical Influence And Legacy Of The Alaskan Boundary Dispute, Steve Mallory

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis was an investigation into the historical significance and interpretation the Alaskan boundary dispute played in the tripartite relations of Canada, the United States, and Great Britain.

The first purpose of this work was to fully examine Hay- Herbert Treaty, emphasizing the hitherto unacknowledged benefits inherent in the treaty. The second purpose of this work was to reexamine Theodore Roosevelt's actions that have previously been the focal point of research in the Alaskan boundary dispute. The final purpose of this work was to explain the greater historical importance Canadians have maintained in the Alaskan boundary dispute and the affect …

The Twelve-Penny Chronicle: The Origins Of The Pequot War, Rod Guttormson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Traning Strategy Use And Its Effects On Working Memory Capacity, Jennifer Lynn Scott

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted to examine whether strategy use affects the storage component of a working memory task. In Experiment 1, all 21 participants were given training to create stories from lists of to-be-remembered words (i.e., chaining) within a short-term memory task (i.e., including only a storage task). Short-term memory task performance and working memory span task performance were examined before and after training. Both short-term memory and working memory task performance improved from pretest to post-test. In Experiment 2, the same strategy training was given to 30 participants. In addition, another 30 participants were assigned to a control condition. …

A Comparison Of Cognitive Development Between Whites And African Americans Based On William Perry's Scheme Of Intellectual And Ethical Development, Joan Johnson

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study compared cognitive complexity between student groups based on cultural background and academic class utilizing William Perry's (1970) cognitive theory of intellectual and ethical development. In addition, the study examined the influence of gender and socioeconomic status (SES) on cognitive development. The goal was to ascertain whether Perry's theory, developed from his research on a relatively homogeneous college student population without consideration of the impact of a culturally diverse environment, would be valid for culturally diverse students.

The research design employed to investigate cognitive development used a cross-sectional sample of entering freshmen and graduating seniors attending a predominantly White, …

The Relationship Between Workplace Aggression And Alcohol Use: A National Survey, Susan Kay Mcfarlin

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the relationship between alcohol use and workplace aggression. A nationally representative sample of civilian employees (N = 300) was interviewed with psychometrically sound measures of workplace aggression and alcohol use frequency. It was hypothesized that increased alcohol use would be associated with victimization from and perpetration of workplace aggression during the year before assessment and during the respondents' lifetimes. For the I-year time period prior to assessment, increased days of any drinking were significantly associated with increased verbal victimization from and verbal perpetration of workplace aggression. In addition, increased days of …

Do You See What I See?: A Study Of Actual And Perceived Physical Appearance Attitudes In Romantic Relationships, Laura Catherine Rieves

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present research investigated actual and perceived physical appearance attitudes within a romantic relationship. Past research has suggested that people are often inaccurate in perceiving the opposite sex's physical appearance ideals for one' own sex. Ninety-three heterosexual couples completed anonymous questionnaires measuring appearance satisfaction, perceived partner attitudes and effects, relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. Evaluative ratings of appearance were taken from three perspectives — Self, Perceived Partner, and Actual Partner. For both sexes, all three perspectives were significantly different from one another. Regarding the accuracy of perceived partner attitudes about one's appearance, men and women were only modestly accurate and …

Home Health Nurses: Are They Satisfied With Their Work Environment, Said Abu Salem

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

Objectives. This study addressed the questions, (1) To what degree are home health nurses satisfied in their job? (2) What variable ranks as the most important for home health nurses' satisfaction? and, (3) Is there a difference between job satisfaction of full time employment, part time, and per diem home health nurses?

Methods. The data were collected from six home health agencies in the Hampton Roads Area resulting in a sample of (N = 72). The McCloskey and Mueller Satisfaction Scale developed in 1990 (MMSS) was used to measure home health nurses' satisfaction.

Results. The home health …

Fairness In Chinese Organizations, Kai-Guang Liang

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the roles of organizational justice and individual cultural characteristics in affecting employees' work attitudes and behaviors, in particular, the contextual aspect of job performance in Chinese organizations. Data were collected from 232 employee-supervisor dyads in three Sino-western joint ventures in the People's Republic of China. Results indicated that distributive justice had a significant impact on one dimension of contextual job performance, i.e., interpersonal facilitation, and various attitudinal outcomes, such as job satisfaction, pay satisfaction, affective commitment and turnover intention. Among the three procedural justice variables (participation at company level, participation at job level, and appeal mechanism) examined, …

An Analysis Of Two Forms Of Self-Defense Training And Their Impact On Women's Sense Of Personal Safety Self-Efficacy, Darcy Shannon Cox

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

It is estimated that a quarter to a third of women will be sexually assaulted in some way over the course of their lifetimes. Ozer and Bandura (1990) sought to study the ability of a mastery model self defense program for women to increase women's self efficacy about their ability to prevent assault. They found significant changes for all dependent variables used in their study at posttest and at a six month follow-up. The current study sought to compare their findings to those found using a mastery model self defense program for both genders and a vicarious model self defense …

The Effects Of Group Counseling On The Self-Esteem, Anxiety, And Behavior Of Children With Deployed Parents, Nancy Taylor Mitchum

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a six-session group counseling intervention for children who had a parent experiencing military-induced deployment. Participants were 65 children (30 boys, 35 girls) of enlisted military personnel attending elementary schools near the Norfolk Naval Base. Elementary school counselors facilitated the counseling groups.

An experimental/control group pretest-posttest design was employed. Independent variables were the child's participation in the Children of Deployed Parents-Group/control group, child gender and age. Dependent variables were self-esteem, anxiety, and behavior as measured by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), the Child …

Perceptions Of Childhood Relation With Parents Related To Current Functioning, Peter O. Lielbriedis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships between perceptions of childhood relationships with parents, certain current self-conscious emotions, current religious orientation, and current risk-taking behaviors. The study also sought to develop models that would predict risk-taking behavior based on the other variables.

At an eastern university, 174 students (79 males) completed the Test of Self-Conscious Affect, Religious Life Inventory, Clark-Parent Child Relations Questionnaire, and the Past Frequency scale of the Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Events Questionnaire. Of these, 30 students were solicited from on-campus, religious organizations.

The data did not show an inverse relationship between “positive parenting” and shame proneness or risk-taking …

African American Community Mental Health Center Service Utilization: A Test Of The Cultural Compatibility Hypothesis, Alicia Michelle Marsh

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory study examined whether community mental health centers (CMHCs) in Virginia that had services evaluated as being more compatible with the cultural needs of African Americans attracted a higher percentage of adult African American service users from their catchment areas than CMHCs which were evaluated as being less culturally compatible. The cultural compatibility of 36 CMHCs was assessed via a telephone interview with their clinical directors using a modified version of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire: Administrative Version (Mason, J., 1995). This study did not find a correlation between CMHCs' cultural compatibility and their success at attracting African American …

Marital Decision Making Scale: Psychometric Properties, Kathy Szynklewski Babel

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The psychometric properties of a revised version of the Marital Decision Making Scale (MDMS) were evaluated in this investigation. Sixty-eight couples served as participants. Distressed couples (n=34) were recruited from a community-based outpatient mental health clinic where they were seeking conjoint therapy for relationship problems; demographically matched nondistressed couples (n=34) were recruited from the community through a local survey research firm. The MDMS showed high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, interjudge agreement, and convergent and discriminant validity. A second independent sample of 60 couples (30 distressed couples and 30 nondistressed couples) was also recruited to cross-validate the results found with the …

Use Of Selected Mmpi-A Factors In The Prediction Of Clinical Outcomes In A Community-Based Treatment Program For Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Linda Marks Hunter

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate the use of MMPI-A factors to make predictions about clinical outcomes within a community-based treatment program for juvenile sexual offenders. Specifically, selected MMPI-A factors were used to predict client acceptance into the program and client compliance with program expectations over a 12-month period. Results showed that program acceptance was best predicted by the MMPI-A factor, “Immaturity.” No MMPI-A factors were found to be statistically significant in the prediction of program compliance. A high degree of collinearity was found between MMPI-A factors, raising questions about their discriminative utility. Results are discussed with regard to the …

The Effectiveness Of An On-Line Graduate Engineering Management Course, Rosemarie Maffei Evans, Madison Daily, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the summer of 1997, the Engineering Management Department of the University of Missouri-Rolla's (UMR) began offering its first Internet-based graduate level course. This course, Advanced Production Management, was designed to utilize a combination of Internet-based tools, such as EMail and Chat rooms to create a alternative means for the delivery of course material. This paper will draw these following conclusions from more than a year of research, which included over 100 students in six different course offerings. First, the Internet-based students performed equally as well as the control group students. Second, students tend to have exaggerated time requirement expectations …

From Maternal Representations To The First Relationship By Way Of Maternal Sensitivity: A Reconceptualization Of The Developmental Model, Greg Moran, David Pederson

Psychology Publications

No abstract provided.

Overcoming Response Bias Using Symbolic Representations Of Number By Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Sarah T. Boysen, Kimberly L. Mukobi, Gary G. Berntson

Sentience Collection

We previously reported that chimpanzees were unable to optimally select the smaller of two candy arrays in order to receive a larger reward. When Arabic numerals were substituted for the candy arrays, animals who had had prior training with numerical symbols showed an immediate and significant improvement in performance and were able to select reliably the smaller numeric representation in order to obtain a larger reward. Poor performance with candy arrays was interpreted as reflecting a response bias toward the intrinsic incentive and/or perceptual features of the larger array. In contrast, the Arabic numerals represent numerosity symbolically and appear to …

Intuitive Understanding Of Time And Space At The Age Of Four, Josephine Barry-Davis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the central hypothesis that “children by the age of four years construct accurate and lasting conceptions o f time (past, present, future) and space (near and far away).” In order to test this hypothesis the researcher relied on qualitative research guidelines developed and published in recent years to address social science and educational research issues. The research design is especially applicable to young children where the researcher assumes the role of participant observer. In order to control for the context of the research, the children were observed for time and space cognitive …

Visuomotor Adaptation Without Vision?, Frank H. Durgin, A. Pelah

Psychology Faculty Works

In 1995, an aftereffect following treadmill running was described, in which people would inadvertently advance when attempting to run in place on solid ground with their eyes closed. Although originally induced from treadmill running, the running-in-place aftereffect is argued here to result from the absence of sensory information specifying advancement during running. In a series of experiments in which visual information was systematically manipulated, aftereffect strength (AE), measured as the proportional increase (post-test/pre-test) in forward drift while attempting to run in place with eyes closed, was found to be inversely related to the amount of geometrically correct optical flow provided …

Effects Of Methylphenidate On The Sensitivity To Reinforcement In Children Diagnosed With Adhd: An Application Of Matching Law, Laura Kay Murray

Masters Theses

This experiment evaluated the effects of methylphenidate on sensitivity to reinforcement of children diagnosed with ADHD using matching law.

Four children (2 males and 2 females) between the ages of 6 and 10 who were previously diagnosed with ADHD completed easy math problems to earn tokens under four different variable-interval (VI) schedules of reinforcement presented in random order. The rate of completed math problems was plotted against the mean frequency of obtained reinforcers at each schedule value in tokens per minute. The data were fit to the following single-rate hyperbolic equation (Herrnstein, 1970): R = kr/r+r₀.

Results show …

Correlates Of Health And Success Among Psychology Graduate Students: Stress, Distress, Coping, Well Being, And Social Support, Nancy G. Nelson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study was designed to examine factors associated with academic success among graduate students i n clinical psychology. Success was defined as higher GPA's, higher scores on the G R E (total, verbal and quantitative) and the acquisition of a "special commendation" from psychology faculty members. After a careful review of the literature, it was hypothesized that graduate students in clinical psychology who were more successful would be likely to have lower resting heart rates and lower blood pressure, and to report less stress, less distress, higher levels of social support , use of more " positive" and fewer " …