Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Peer-Managed Self-Control Program For Reduction Of Alcohol Consumption In High School Students, Richard Allan Carpenter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three treatments designed to reduce the consumption of alcohol by native American high school students were assessed and compared. Self-referred and staff-referred clients were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: (1) alcohol education and a peer-assisted self-control procedure, (2) a peer-assisted self-control procedure, and (3) a self-monitoring only procedure. All three treatments were conducted by trained peer counselors for 14 weeks. The alcohol education and peer-assisted self-control and the peer-assisted self-control demonstrated reductions in peak blood alcohol concentration, frequency of drinking incidents, and alcohol consumption. The self-monitoring only group demonstrated changes only in frequency of drinking incidents. No significant differences …

The Effects Of Psychodiagnostic Information And Therapist Accountability On Psychotherapeutic Outcome, Alan Leonard Zohner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of psychodiagnostic information provided by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Hopkins Psychiatric Rating Scale (HPRS), and therapist accountability on the psychotherapeutic outcome measures of goal attainment scaling (GAS), number of client-therapist sessions, length of treatment, therapist ratings of client improvement, and type and frequency of client termination. The subjects of this study were 72 persons who sought services at Bear River Community Mental Health Center, Logan, Utah, and who, subsequently, were assigned to one of eight participating therapists at this center. These clients were divided into three treatment groups …

Locus Of Control, Sex, Personal Adjustment And Vascular Stress Response, Kevin Timothy Larkin

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Diagnostic Considerations In The Identification Of The Hyperactive Child, Barbara Jagoda Draheim

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The hyperactive disorder of childhood and the enumeration of its features were described in two papers published in the mid-1950's, by Laufer and his colleagues (Laufer, 1957; Laufer, Denhoff & Solomons, 1956). It was a list that has since become familiar; short attention span, impulsivity, irritability, low frustration tolerance, poor academic achievement, and visual-motor difficulties. Like many who have since searched for definers of the syndrome, Laufer and his colleagues remarked upon the perplexing variability displayed by these children, and they noted that no single symptom could be considered diagnostic. They described the development of "secondary psychological difficulties" due to …

The Effects Of Public Progress Charts Upon Self-Pacing In A Psi Course In Social Studies In A Traditional Middle School, Lynnette Hager-Godat

Dissertations and Theses

The present study investigated the effects of public progress charts on self-pacing in a social studies course taught by the PSI method in a middle school (grades 5-8). It was found that public progress charts significantly enhanced a student's rate of progress, t(45) = 5.06, p < .01. Student satisfaction with the PSI method was measured and it was found that students liked the PSI method.

Metaphorical Interpretations Of The Neurotic Paradox, Mark J. Weaver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This is a theoretical/philosophical paper which is intended to bring to the reader's attention an emerging literature and discussion which holds potentially productive consequences for the understanding of man. This thesis does not offer completed formulations or empirical groundings. The purpose is to create a basis for dialogue.

This paper will initially specify a current conflict in psychology around the different metaphors used to define the image of man. A theoretical/philosophical basis for viewing the process of generating models of man and his behavior as essentially "metaphorical" is then presented. A specific category of human behavior known as the neurotic …

Biofeedback: A Possible Substitute For Smoking, Earl Eugene Griffith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Numerous agencies have accumulated evidence since 1964 which implicates habitual cigarette smoking as a causal or facilitating factor in the development of many circulatory and respiratory diseases. This study sought to identify those psychological variables which possibly contribute to the maintenance of cigarette smoking and therefore, had two main purposes. First, this study investigated the individual and simultaneous physiological changes, i.e., Electroencephalography, Electromyography, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Skin Temperature that occurred during and immediately after the smoking of one cigarette. Second, the study investigated the hypothesis that smoking frequency would decrease when individuals were trained via biofeedback procedures to …

Inter- And Intra-Sensory Modality Stimulus Scaling: A Method For The Determination Of The Relative Salience Of Stimuli In Poison-Based Aversion Learning By Pigeons, David L. Pounds

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the most rapidly expanding areas of research in psychology has been poison-based aversion learning (PBAL). The PBAL paradigm typically involves: exposing an animal to a novel substance; inducing illness following ingestion of that substance; and then providing access to the substance at a later time. The initial reaction to the novel substance is generally to reduce consumption, a finding labeled neophobia. The reduction of substance intake on test day is called learned aversion.

Following demonstrations of cue-to-consequence specificity (i.e., the differential associability of some stimuli with certain consequences) in PBAL research with rats, recent research has focused on …

The Effect Of Item Format On Computation Subtest Scores Of Standardized Mathematics Achievement Tests, Larry Carcelli

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect on childrens' scores of different item formats used in standardized mathematics achievement tests was investigated. Second grade students were given a mathematics computation test using formats derived from five standardized achievement tests. Identical content was tested with each format. Differences in test scores between types of formats were statistically significant at p < .001 (F = 45.25). These results indicate that what a student appears to know is substantially influenced by the format of the particular test used in measuring achievement. These differences are not accounted for by the normative scaling of the different tests. Greater attention should be given to the effect of test item format in selecting and administering achievement tests.

Autoshaping Infant Vocalizations, Alexander Mcnaughton Myers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of five experiments was conducted to determine whether operant or respondent factors controlled the emission of a particular vocalization ("Q") by human infants 16 to 18 months old. Experiment 1 consisted of a pilot investigation of the effects of an autoshaping procedure on three infants' vocal behavior. All three subjects demonstrated increased emission of the target sound during the CR period. Experiments 2 through 4 attempted to replicate the findings of Experiment 1 under controlled conditions, and failed to do so. Experiment 5a presented infant subjects with a discrete-trial operant procedure (having the identical temporal parameters as the …

Marital Roles And Their Relationship To Marital Happiness And Self Concept, Gary L. Devries

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Marital roles have become a subject of major concern in recent years. Many critiques consider traditional marriage roles to be responsible for hindering appropriate social-emotional development of the wife, in particular, and also the husband. Past research in assessing the relationship between marital roles and the happiness and well-being of husbands and wives is limited in quantity and generally is inconclusive or controversial. This study was designed to clarify the relationship between marriage roles and two dependent variables, marital happiness and self concept.

The sample population consisted of 124 volunteer couples selected from the teaching staffs of eight school districts …

Retention And Attrition Factors Of Nonreturning Students At Utah State University, Amy L. Jordan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which affected the decision of students not to return to Utah State University after completion of the previous quarter. The factors were determined by a mailed questionnaire which was a modification of the Withdrawing/Nonreturning Student Survey developed by American College Testing (ACT).

One hundred twenty-two former Utah State University students who had attended fall quarter, 1979 but failed to register for winter quarter were randomly chosen for the study. The students were asked to complete the questionnaire and return it to Utah State University. The return rate through the mail …

A Humanistic/Existential Approach To A Universal Symbol, Linda Sweeney

Theses

This paper explores the therapeutic potential of the universal heart symbol in the context of humanistic–existential art therapy. The author situates the work within a tradition that emphasizes creativity, spirituality, and the search for meaning, presenting the heart as a transcultural and archetypal image capable of guiding clients toward self-discovery. Unlike symptom-focused or diagnostic approaches, this perspective underscores the transformative role of symbols and imagery in facilitating psychological growth and healing.

The heart, as both biological organ and cultural metaphor, is shown to occupy a central place in human imagination and artistic expression. Across history and across cultures, it has …

Social Validation: An Investigation Of Factors That Influence Social Validity Ratings, Dianne J. Smart

Student Work

The expansion in social validation literature has initiated a growing concern surrounding several methodology issues. In particular the need has arisen for social validation research to incorporate reliable and valid measurement scales and to explore the effects of extraneous variables on judges’ ratings. The current study socially validated the effects of a consultant training program and investigated the effects of four variables on judges’ ratings: judges' position, judges' program affiliation, viewed consultant-trainee's level of training and an individual consultanttrainee factor. Teaching-Parent and consultant judges from three different training sites viewed videotapes of consultant-trainees before and after training. The judges rated …

Biological Sex Differences In The Brain, Catherine Pearce

Whittier Scholars Program

This project is a research paper that documents anatomical brain differences between males and females as well as analyzes historical scientific hypotheses and findings concerning the human brain. “The goal of this project was to originally to study and document the structural and functional differences between male and female brains, and any philosophical implications, it has expanded into more of an overview of the general topic of biological sex differences. The more I researched, the more I realized that there are many factors related to this topic that are too important to be ignored, even though their involvement in actual …

Effects Of Preexposure To Shock On Autoshaping, Nancy L. Eldred

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The safety signal hypothesis suggests that during the absence of stimuli predicting impending shock, the organism is not fearful. The stimuli which predict the absence of shock are therefore called safety signals. The purpose of the present study was to investigate some critical properties of safety signals. Such stimuli in an avoidance or escape situation, according to the opponent process model, are expected to acquire hedonic value opposite to shock.

This study examined differences in conditioning variables between safety signals predicting different intensities of shock, and between safety signals present in procedures using predicted shock, and procedures using unpredicted shock. …

Comparison Of The Standard And Computerized Versions Of The College Level Examination Program General Examination In English Composition, Alan L. Muhlestein

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to test whether the computer-administered College Level Examination Program (CLEP) General Examination in English Composition produced scores equivalent to those obtained from the traditional paper-and-pencil version. The CLEP examination and its adaptation for computer administration and the results of a pilot study are presented.

The subjects in this study were volunteers who took the CLEP English Composition Examination in order to earn college credit and were randomly assigned to either the computer-first or paper-and-pencil-first groups. Each subject took both forms of the examination with approximately one half of the subjects taking each version first. …

Ego Strengthening Hypnotic Suggestions Versus Specific Hypnotic Suggestions In The Treatment Of Obesity, Richard A. Hutchison

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A comparison was made of two types of hypnotic suggestions. Twenty seven subjects in two groups participated in eight weekly one-hour group hypnotic sessions. All subjects were given the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and were weighed pre, post and at four month follow-up. Both types of hypnotic suggestions were equally effective in helping individuals lose weight. The average weight loss was 10 pounds at follow up. Both groups showed improvement on the personality tests. Those who received the ego-strengthening hypnotic suggestions showed more improvement and more long lasting improvement than did those who received the specific …

The Effect Of Individual Instruction Versus Group Instruction On Compliance In C.O.P.D. Patients, Renee L. Hills

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Because of the evolution of hospitals from general care to acute care centers, the need for more outpatient therapy programs had increased in an effort to aid patients in managing their health care at home. As a result, health care professionals were concerned with the extent to which patients would follow their medication and treatment programs. Marston estimated that approximately 30 to 35 percent of patients fail to follow their physicians' medical recommendations (Marston, 1970).

Discovering a means of insuring patient compliance was a prevalent concern in the nursing and medical professions. Previously we had attempted to blame noncompliance on …

Lifestyle As A Determinant Of Participation Among Dispersed Forest Recreationists, John R. Butler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study assesses the usefulness of lifestyle as a determinant of outdoor recreation behavior. Two objectives of the study are: (1) develop an operationalized concept of lifestyle that is based on theory, and (2) apply this concept in a model which uses lifestyle as a variable influencing recreation behavior.

The first objective was approached through an integrative review of the literature. Lifestyle was set in context of cultural theory. The basic postulate of the proposed theory of lifestyle is: If an individual's lifestyle is similar to that of another, certain social psychological processes are similar. Therefore, their patterns of needs, …

Personality And Skill Fluency In A Teacher Training Context, Richard Young Moody

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thirty-six Utah State University educational psychology students were randomly assigned to visual or verbal groups and were taught a set of teaching skills derived from a process learning model. Pre- and post-tests of fluency in which subjects described kinds of teaching skills were given. An in-depth personality analysis was given using the Wechsler-Bellevue Test with Gittinger modifications. From the Wechsler test a Personality Assessment System (PAS) profile was constructed on each student.

The major premise of the study was that students with similar personality profiles, according to the PAS, would show fluency regarding teaching skills in the same areas. The …

Reality Orientation : Is It The Answer To Old Age "Senility"?, Kay W. Hardy

Honors Theses

The only way that an outsider can appreciate the inner turmoil of a confused older person in a nursing home is to imagine a short scene. Think of the lonely old woman who sits alone day after day in the same chair waiting for her husband to come pick her up so that she can go home. At first glance, nothing seems unusual, but in probing deeper into this woman's personality, one finds that her husband has been dead for fifteen years, and furthermore, she does not have any conception of where she is, what city she is in, or …

Developmental Sentence Scoring Sample Size Comparison, Marilyn May Valenciano

Dissertations and Theses

Assessment of language abilities is an integral part of accruing information on the development of concept formation and the learning of grammatical rules. The maturity and complexity of a child's language can be assessed through the use of a language sample. The sample consists of a specified number of utterances which are emitted spontaneously and then analyzed according to a given procedure.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference among the scores obtained from language samples of 25, 50, and 75 utterances when using the DSS procedure for ages 4.0 through 4.6 years. …

The Effects Of Total Darkness On Stimulus Control, Richard E. Schulman

Masters Theses

This experiment examined auditory stimulus control in a totally darkened as opposed to an illuminated chamber. All subjects (pigeons) were trained to keypeck in the presence of only a dimly lit green keylight, which was faded until responding was reliably occurring in a totally darkened chamber. When behavior stabilized under a Variable Interval (VI) 30 second schedule of reinforcement in a darkened chamber, subjects were divided into two groups for discriminating training. A Multiple VI 30 second Extinction (EXT) schedule was in effect, with 1-minute components separated by 5-second time-outs. The discriminative stimulus correlated with the VI component was a …

A Comparison Of Concurrent And Removed Component Procedures For Teaching Toothbrushing Skills To Preschoolers, Timothy Ian Mckinley

Masters Theses

The study compared the use of a removed component program to a concurrent training program in teaching toothbrushing skills to preschool children. The removed component program separated three response components from the terminal toothbrushing response and taught them separately out-of-the mouth before requiring them in the mouth. The concurrent training program required the three response components but did not train them separately in or out of the mouth. The removed component program taught the skills faster than or equal to the concurrent program, with a significantly higher percentage of correct responses.

Psychological Factors That Predict Reaction To Abortion, D. T. Moseley, Diane R. Follingstad, H. Harley, Robert V. Heckel

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Investigated demographic and psychological factors related to positive or negative reactions to legal abortions performed during the first trimester of pregnancy in 62 females in an urban southern community. Results suggest that the social context and the degree of support from a series of significant persons rather than demographic variables were most predictive of a positive reaction.

The Influence Of Confidentiality Conditions On The Amount Of Self Disclosure Of The Early Adolescent, Bella Kobocow

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

While the importance of confidentiality in eliciting sensitive information in psychotherapy is generally assumed, there has been little experimental testing of this hypothesis. Therapists are understandably reluctant to manipulate conditions of confidentiality in a therapy situation, since such manipulation may adversely affect the progress of the client. In view of this circumstance, analogue experiments are an alternative in producing empirical data. The current study in an analogue. Forty-five male and forty-five female subjects were orally administered the same structured interview by a female experimenter. Interview questions were derived from existing standard personality and clinical assessment instruments, and school regulations and …

Involvement In Leisure Activities By Mental Health Center Clients And Non-Clients, David H. Roby

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A survey on the level and frequency of leisure activity in individuals getting clinical aid was compared with that of individuals not presently contemplating or receiving such help. The subjects, 26 females and 24 males in each group, responded to a questionnaire which requested information regarding demographics, and the rate (days per week), and duration (minutes per day), or participation in selected leisure activities. As was expected, based on Galsser's concept of Positive Addiction, the nonclinical group showed significantly more involvement in activities rated as possible Positive Addictions. No significant difference was found between groups on absolute numbers of leisure …

Reduction Of Self-Stimulatory Behavior Through The Use Of Appropriate Toy Training And Sensory Reduction, Jacquelyn A. Rouh

Masters Theses

Reduction of self-stimulatory behaviors in retarded and autistic children is desirable for a variety of reasons, including prevention of self-injurious behavior and increase in appropriate leisure activities. In this study, three autistic boys who exhibited hand-clasping, chin-grazing, and finger-waving were exposed to toys and received toy training on selected groups of toys. The toys consisted of stimulating toys, selecting toys, selected to replicate the sensory effects of their self-stimulation, and non-stimulating toys, selected to replicate a modality different from their self-stimulation from 85% of intervals observed and 11.3% to 0% and 7%, respectively. The third subject required the use of …

Congruence And Development Of Beliefs And Hierarchic Position Among Institutional Mental Patients, Keith T. Handell

Masters Theses

The institutional mental patient is trained to function within the institutional setting. Relegated to the lowest organizational stratum, the inpatient adjusts his behavior accordingly. The present study was designed to find support for the contention that these institutionally induced changes are internalized. It was expected that (a) evidence of congruence between inpatients' beliefs and their organizational status would be detected, and (b) belief system change as a function of institutional experience would also be discernible. The results generally supported these main hypotheses; however, due to the nature and number of uncontrolled variables, the data are inconclusive. Alternative interpretations of these …