Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Perspective-Taking Training On Empathy Development In Adult Male Sex Offenders, Randall E. Haugen

Dissertations

Problem. Empathy training is considered a critical part of a sex offender program. Research has revealed that sex offenders are deficient in empathy, which may be a factor that contributes to their abusive behaviors. There is a surprising lack of research on empathy program outcomes, and there is a need to determine whether program formats are producing the desired outcomes. Research supports that sex offenders are deficient in perspective-taking, which is considered a critical part of the empathy process. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the inclusion of perspective-taking training in a traditional empathy-training module.

Method. …

Eating-Disorder Patterns In The Minnesota Multiphasic Personaity Inventory, Karen Baer-Barkley

Dissertations

Problem. Early intervention is crucial for effective treatment of eating disorders. While there have recently been many assessment tools developed specifically for eating disorders, a screening tool is still needed. This study sought to identify, in an eating-disordered sample, the existence of a v-shaped pattern on scales 4-5-6 of the MMPI, a commonly used general measure of psychopathology.

Method. The sample consisted of 356 females who were being treated for eating disorders through the HOPE program between 1989 and 1996. Past research on the MMPI has produced equivocal results on identifying significant patterns on the clinical scales. Since prior research …

A Discovery-Oriented Process Study Of Enactment In Family Therapy: Development Of The Family Therapy Enactment Rating Scale, Elizabeth Ong-Mythuan Fong

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

With the effectiveness of psychotherapy now well-supported in both the individual and family literatures (Garfield & Bergin, 1994), we are entering an era where questions of how and why therapy works are of interest. More specifically, there has been support and encouragement by some researchers (Rice & Greenberg, 1984; Mahrer, 1988) for the use of discovery-oriented methodologies to explore clinical phenomena that have yet to be empirically validated. The following is a discovery-oriented study of enactment, a structural family therapy intervention. The theoretical goals of enactments, their relevance to clinical practice, as well as how they are actually implemented in …

The Role Of Social Support In Mediating Stress And Illness, Valerie M. Stachour '98

Honors Projects

Social Support has been shown to be one important factor in the link between stress and illness. In this study, the role of social support is examined in light of the two different categorizations of social support: quality and quantity. High quality and high quantity social support groups were hypothesized to be correlated with lower illness levels. In an attempt to explore the relative merits of the main effect and the buffering hypotheses, the relative role of social support to stress and illness was examined. There was a significant correlation between quality of social support and illness levels. Quantity of …

A Case Study Analysis Of The Relationship Between Atherosclerosis And Alzheimer's Disease, Katie Larsen '98

Honors Projects

Several animal studies have brought the cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) into question. In addition, recent clinical studies have shown that the number of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles does not yield a conclusive diagnosis of AD. A reassessment of risk factors involved in AD development has led to findings that atherosclerosis is associated with dementia. The present study is a clinical analysis, through the use of case studies, of the relationship between atherosclerosis severity, based on autopsy results, and AD severity, based on scores from cognitive tests and functional assessments, as well as autopsy results. The age of …

Complex Scientific Testimony: Can Educational Psychology Turn Jurors Into Students And Lawyers Into Teachers?, Jason A. Krebs '98

Honors Projects

Jury trials are an integral part of the United States system of justice. However, as of late, the institution of the jury has been attacked on the front that much of the testimony presented to jurors is too complex for them to comprehend. For the proposed study, using the principles of educational psychology theorized by David Ausubel, a mock video of a trial hinging on a "complex scientific concept" will be created and then viewed by mock jurors. We are expecting that, by using Ausubel's principles, that jurors will, in effect, become "students" in a virtual classroom. Conversely, attorneys and …

A Comparison Of Prospective Memory And Executive Processes In Patients With Subcortical Illness, Milan Elmer "Trey" Folkers Iii '98

Honors Projects

Dementia is a common disorder affecting neuropsychological function in several spheres of mental activity including language memory, visuospatial function, and cognition. Studies into the cognitive deficits associated with dementia have allowed researchers to rank disorders into two subclasses: cortical and subcortical dementia. Cortical dementias such as Alzheimer's disease have been the focus of a plethora of studies. Subcortical dementia, which is commonly found in Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease patients, is marked by bradyphrenia, visuospatial abnormalities, personality alterations, memory disturbances primarily involving recall but not recognition, and loss of executive functions. The most recent disorder to be classified as a …

Aggression, Relational Aggression, Sociometric Status And The Quality And Authenticity Of Children's Friendships, Carrie C. Finch '98

Honors Projects

The purpose of the present study is to assess how aggression, relational aggression, and sociometric status relate to the quality and authenticity of children's friendships. Relations between aggression, relational aggression, and sociometric status as well as between friendship quality and friendship authenticity were also explored. 136 fourth and fifth grade children (69 boys, 67 girls) completed several measures, including a sociometric measure, the aggression section of the Pupil Evaluation Inventory with a few items measuring relational aggression inserted, the Friendship Quality Questionnaire, and a questionnaire assessing friendship authenticity. Children's peer rated levels of aggression and their sociometric status did not …

Prospective Memory And Age-Related Impairment, Barry Robert Ardolf

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research on age-related changes in prospective memory has yielded mixed research results. Some research has shown no age-related impairments, while other research has shown age-related impairments. The present study investigated variables affecting these different findings in prospective memory research. Subjects between the ages of 18-92 were asked to identify pictures presented to them. The prospective memory task required subjects to identify individuals wearing glasses and to indicate this by circling the number on their answer sheet corresponding to the picture being presented. Order of instructions presented to subjects was also manipulated. Half of the subjects received the prospective memory instructions …

Parent Training Effects On Satisfaction With Parent-Child Relationships, Parenting Performance, And Conduct Symptoms, Conna Sue Bral

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of parent training in reducing conduct symptoms in adolescents. The study also investigated the relationship between parent training and parental satisfaction with the parent-child relationship and with their parenting performance. Participants in the study consisted of parents of adolescent children. The participants consisted of two groups: (a) the control group (N = 17) and (b) the parent training group (N = 11 ). The control group (C) completed a biographical data sheet and a scale assessing satisfaction with parent-child relationship and satisfaction with parenting performance. The parent training (PT) …

Frontal Lobe Dysfunction In Non-Clinical Compulsive Checkers, Christopher J. Boys

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Recent studies suggest deficits in set-shifting ability, as assessed by tasks such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The present study examined the extent to which these deficits were demonstrated by nonclinical "checkers" selected on the basis of scores on the Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive Inventory. A modified version of the WCST was used, the Milwaukee Card Sorting Test (MCST), in order to determine whether the deficits in set-shifting ability are due to a complete lack of switching or to a dysregulation in switching. In the latter case, the individual illustrates correct set shifting …

Gender, Gender Role Socialization, And The Tripartite Model Of Anxiety And Depression In Male And Female College Students, Sarina E. Abel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study, including 141 female and 71 male college students, investigated the relationship of gender and gender role socialization within the context of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that gender contributed significantly to the prediction of specific depression and mixed anxiety-depression, but not to the prediction of specific anxiety. Gender role contributed to the prediction of specific depression, but did not uniquely contribute to the prediction of specific anxiety or mixed anxiety-depression. Significant multivariate effects were found for gender role and for the interaction of gender and gender role, but not for gender. Univariate …

The Relationship Between Coping Strategies And Body Image Among Adolescent Females, Lisa Monae Yarrow

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between coping strategies and body image disturbance among adolescent females. Fifty-eight of 78 (74.4%) seventh grade female students at a midwestern middle school completed all phases of the research.

The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; Gamer & Garfinkel, 1979) identified subjects with maladaptive eating behaviors. The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS; Endler & Parker, 1990) and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ; Cooper, Taylor, Cooper, & Fairburn, 1987) provided information concerning the type of coping strategies employed as well as feelings concerning appearance.

Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the …

Employee Expectations And Job Stress: A Study Of Attrition In The Employment Of Telemarketers, Jeff Cooper

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study investigated the factors associated with the extremely high attrition rate of a large midwestern telemarketing firm. Factors associated with employee expectations, stressful organizational characteristics, and job satisfaction were explored. The research strategy involved multiple questionnaires, dissatisfaction surveys, and a semi-structured interview, that were developed by the researchers based on information obtained from the company. Current and former employees of the company participated in the study. Results indicated the presence of stressful organizational characteristics that were common between current and former employees. Sale conversion rate pressure from supervisors and inadequate training were identified as the most salient factors …

An Evaluation Of The Responses Of Clinical And Non-Clinical Boys On The Social Skills Inventory For Youth, Rachel Frederickson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the responses of adolescent boys on a newly developed measure, the Social Skills Inventory for Youth. Participants were recruited from two residential institutions, an outpatient clinic, a laboratory school associated with a medium-sized university, and two middle schools all located in the Midwest. Participants ranged in age from 11 to 17 years. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine if there were differences between boys diagnosed with AD/HD and appropriate nonclinical controls. Results showed a significant effect for group. However, only one subscale was found useful in differentiating between …

Thermodynamic Modeling And Analysis Of Human Stress Responses, Satish C. Boregowda

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A novel approach based on the second law of thermodynamics is developed to investigate the psychophysiology and quantify human stress level. Two types of stresses (thermal and mental) are examined. A Unified Stress Response Theory (USRT) is developed under the new proposed field of study called Engineering Psychophysiology. The USRT is used to investigate both thermal and mental stresses from a holistic (human body as a whole) and thermodynamic viewpoint. The original concepts and definitions are established as postulates which form the basis for thermodynamic approach to quantify human stress level. An Objective Thermal Stress Index (OTSI) is developed by …

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity, Self-Esteem, Emotional Well-Being And Depression Among Lakota/Dakota Sioux Adolescents, Susan M. Pittenger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Despite conceptual support linking ethnic identity and psychological adjustment among Native Americans, empirical research examining this relationship remains limited. In light of recent developments in the area of ethnic identity research, including alternative conceptual models, improved methodologies, and more sophisticated measures, this study examined the relationship between ethnic identity, self-esteem, emotional well-being, and depression among Native American reservation youth.

The relationship between the predictor variables of American Indian ethnic identity, White-American identity and bicultural identity, and the criterion measures of self-esteem, emotional well-being, and depression were examined for 137 Lakota/Dakota Sioux reservation youth. Participants completed surveys including the Multigroup Ethnic …

Child Sexual Abuse In Ireland: An Historical And Anthropological Note, Kevin Lalor

Articles

Child sexual abuse in Ireland has entered the public domain only in the last twenty years. This process was accelerated by a number of high profile cases which became public in the mid 1990s. Prior to the recent past, few references to child sexual abuse in Ireland exist. The first written evidence is found in the Penitentials of the early Christian period. Penance is specified for those that “misuse” children. Mention of adult child sexual relations is also found in the Brehon law texts. Historians, sociologists and anthropologists of childhood suggest that patterns of child rearing vary across time and …

School-Based Primary Prevention Programs For Eating Disorders, Suzanne D. Holmes

Graduate Research Papers

The primary purpose of this paper is to provide an extensive review of the literature and research related to anorexia nervosa, and to emphasize the importance of prevention programs in school settings and the role of school psychologists in the prevention and intervention process. Chapter two of this paper covers anorexia nervosa and the theories regarding its etiology, complications, co-morbidities, risk factors, and treatment. Because anorexia nervosa is a disorder which most frequently begins during adolescence, chapter three addresses the specific factors of adolescence that can lead to eating disorders.

Throughout the paper, there is an emphasis on the lack …

Calming Anxiety: Developmental Interventions For Multigenerational Parent-Child Therapy, Marilyn J. Montgomery, Camillel Debell, Judith Wilkins

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

When parents bring a child or an adolescent to therapy, they often are anxious and want problems to be resolved as soon as possible. Sometimes, the counselor realizes that targeting interventions toward only the child will lead to limited change and might perpetuate the family's view of the child as a "problem." On the other hand, parents might resist suggestions for family therapy, believing as they do that the problem is located in the child. This article presents a method of working with both parents and the child that provides supportive therapy for the child while intervening with the parents …

The Causal Role Of Selective Information Processing Biases Towards Threat In Anxiety, Sarah J. Egan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The causal link between selective information processing biases and vulnerability to anxiety was investigated by examining change in emotional vulnerability as mediated by attentional training. Training was given on a modified dot-probe detection task, where participants were trained either to attend towards threat or towards neutral stimuli. Pre and post training assessment consisted of the anagram stress task (measure of emotional vulnerability), the dot-probe detection task (measure of training effectiveness), and the emotional Stroop task (measure of generalisation of training). The 54 undergraduate student participants, who were in a mid-range of trait anxiety, were randomly allocated to one of 3 …

Psychological Well-Being In The Victims Of Bullying Among Primary School Children, Catherine A. Rice

Theses : Honours

A replication and extension of Rigby and Slee's (1993) study and an investigation of Seligman, Reivich, Jaycox and Gillham's (1995) theory of self-esteem was conducted in one private primary school in Western Australia. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the age and gender of victims of bullying with self-esteem of the students and their attitudes towards attending school (Rigby & Slee, 1993), and their explanatory style (Seligman et al., I 995). Four anonymous questionnaires: Peer Relations Assessment Questionnaire (Rigby & Slee, 1997), Self-Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1989), Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (Seligman, Kaslow, Alloy, Peterson, Tanenbaum …

How Do You Do Your Rage? : A Qualitative Investigation Into Contemporary Women's Experience Of Their Rage, Verena Homberger

Theses : Honours

Feminist researchers investigate women’s lives. This project is looking at a tiny thread embedded in a small section in the huge fabric of women's lives. The section is women’s capacity for violence, and the thread within it is women’s rage. This is a qualitative study of contemporary women experiencing and expressing their anger and rage. Discussions of violence within feminist literature have been largely restricted to accounts of male violence against women and children, and may have inadvertently endorsed the mainstream construction of femininity, which perceives rage in women to be an inappropriate emotion. In this project, I argue that …

Sequential Testing Effects Re-Visited : Is The Effect Of Test Presentation Contingent Upon Slide Linearity?, John D. Jones

Theses : Honours

Evidence regarding the potential mediating effects sequential test presentation has upon eyewitness suggestibility is divided. Bekerian and Bowers' (1983) research suggested that sequential test presentation reduced misinformation effects, whilst McCloskey and Zaragoza's (1985) results failed to indicate any effect of this presentation method. A possible reason for these conflicting results is that the respective research groups have used different sets of slides. Bekerian and Bowers' (1983) slides appeared to contain more thematic content (i.e., linear content), which in turn increased participants' resistance to misleading postevent information. Conversely, McCloskey and Zaragoza's (1985) slides appeared to lack this feature (i.e., they are …

Testing The Matching Hypothesis : Implementing A Minimal Stress Intervention By Matching Writing Task To Emotional Coping Style, Pamela D. Mcneill

Theses : Honours

The theory of inhibition and psychosomatic disease supports the concept that failure to express emotion is psychologically and physically stressful, and associated with long-term health problems. One aspect of this study was to investigate the discrepancy hypothesis proposing that specific emotional coping styles elicit patterns of discrepant self-report and physiological responses. The major focus of the study tested whether matching therapeutic writing tasks to specific emotional coping styles would significantly decrease stress and somatic symptoms, and whether mismatching such writing tasks to emotional coping styles would not decrease stress and somatic symptoms. Undergraduate students were identified as having an emotional …

Does The Conceptual Nature Of Worry Contribute To Its Uncontrollability? : Unravelling The Complex Interactions Of Some Of The Properties Of Worry, Jacinta M. Willans

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This project aims to examine a particular property of worry that some therapists claim interferes with the treatment of clients who worry. Research has shown that worry is predominantly composed of concepts or thoughts rather than images (Borkovee & Hu, 1990). In particular this project aims to investigate whether the verbal linguistic nature of worry contributes to the sense that participants have that it is uncontrollable. Attempting to control an image results in a paradoxical effect of an increase in the frequency of the image (Wegner, Schneider, Carter & White, 1987). Does the same paradoxical effect occur when thoughts and …

Burnout In Academics : The Role Of Humour And Optimism As Stress Buffers, Natalie R. Fairclough

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The relationship between university lecturers' perceived stress, use of humour to cope with stress, optimism, pessimism, and burnout was investigated. Participants included 180 lecturers from a range of Perth universities and disciplines. Questionnaire packages were delivered to the participants at their universities and were later returned to the researcher by mail. A principle components analysis was first performed on the Life Orientation Test-Revised, a self-report instrument designed to measure optimism, and demonstrated support for a two-dimensional model of optimism and pessimism. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was subsequently conducted to determine the ability of perceived stress, humour, optimism, and pessimism, …

Perceptions Of Elder Abuse Among Australian Elderly Individuals And General Practitioners, Marianela Cuevas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research available on elder abuse is limited. There continues to be a lack of uniformity in how to define and identify the problem, as well as how to intervene. One group which continues to be excluded from the process of gaining knowledge on the issue of elder abuse is the elderly themselves. As general practitioners are the primary source of health care for older people, their perspectives on elder mistreatment should be explored as well. The first objective of this study was to examine whether differences existed in the perceived severity of potentially abusive situations between three groups of older …

Causal Attributions For Crime Involving Aboriginal And Non-Aboriginal Juvenile Offenders, Elke K. Graf

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of crime-specific racial stereotypes upon the Jay person's judgement about the cause of and appropriate punishment for juvenile crime. A pilot investigation (n= 30) revealed that the crimes of motor vehicle theft and possession of an illegal drug were perceived to be more strongly associated with the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal offender respectively. This information formed the basis for the type of crime and offender's race experimental manipulations of the main study. Attribution theory variables and the revised version of a previously validated questionnaire (Furnham & Henderson, 1983) were the two …

Predictability Of Everyday Task Performance By Perceived Health, Self-Efficacy And Cognitive Ability, Joan Klinger

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This exploratory research investigated the relationship between a brief neuropsychological measure and everyday functional ability in older community dwelling adults. The association between these two areas is complex, as a specific functional domain often involves several of the cognitive skills typically assessed by a neuropsychological instrument. Whilst there is an extensive literature linking neuropyschological tests to everyday functioning in cognitively impaired older adults, little research has been directed at investigating the relationship between cognitive test performance and everyday competence in non-dementing older people who reside independently in the community. A brief cognitive instrument able to predict coping deficits in instrumental …