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Articles 5131 - 5160 of 5478

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Assessing Male Body Image: Development And Validation Of The Appearance Inventory For Men (Aim), Daniel Agliata Jan 2005

Assessing Male Body Image: Development And Validation Of The Appearance Inventory For Men (Aim), Daniel Agliata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite evidence suggesting that appearance dissatisfaction among men is on the rise, a void in appropriate forms of body image assessment for males remains. The current study reviews the literature on male body image, identifying the shortcomings and limitations of prior research, and introduces a psychometrically sound, male-specific body image assessment. An initial item-generation study was used to poll 253 males to inquire about their concerns, emotions, behaviors, and related body image topics to be sorted and synthesized into items for scale inclusion. The newly developed Appearance Inventory for Men (AIM) was then administered to 330 males and submitted to …

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Union Impact On Police Expenditures In Florida, Laurence Putchinski Jan 2005

Union Impact On Police Expenditures In Florida, Laurence Putchinski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The continued steady growth of public sector unions compels public administrators to understand the influence labor organizations exert upon local governments. The following study demonstrates the extent of union influence upon police expenditures in Florida. Union influence not only increases total police expenditures and personal services expenditures, it also causes operating expenses to rise. Union influence is less pronounced, and possibly even non-existent in capital outlays expenditures because of possible lack of interest on the part of the union in this area and also because of the existence of economically predetermined policies regarding capital outlays such as vehicle purchases. Public …

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As Two Become One : The Lived Experience Of A Twinless Twin, Jody Ness Jan 2005

As Two Become One : The Lived Experience Of A Twinless Twin, Jody Ness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twins enter life as a pair and are often viewed so in later life. After the death of a co-twin, twins feel like they have lost part of themselves, leaving them alone, often without professional help. No nursing research has provided insight into the experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the lived experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The aim was to generate an understanding of the unique bond and sense of loss experienced by twinless twins. Phenomenology and Attachment Theory were utilized to …

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Returning Home: Unhcr's Strategies For Repatriation For And Reintegration, Tania N. Domenech Jan 2005

Returning Home: Unhcr's Strategies For Repatriation For And Reintegration, Tania N. Domenech

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under what conditions is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) able to successfully repatriate and reintegrate refugees to their country of origin? This work aims to evaluate the success of UNHCR's initiative to sponsor the repatriation and reintegration of political refugees who voluntarily chose to return to their homeland. The study of political refugees is essential in International Relations, since it entails the failure of preventing ethnic violence and civil unrest. Overall, the emergence of refugees is the product of the inability of conflict prevention. Voluntary repatriation and reintegration of these refugees provides a message of mending relations, …

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Relationships Among School Counselor Self-Efficacy, Perceived School Counselor Role, And Actual Practice, Michelle Mitcham-Smith Jan 2005

Relationships Among School Counselor Self-Efficacy, Perceived School Counselor Role, And Actual Practice, Michelle Mitcham-Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships that exist among school counselor self-efficacy, perceptions of the professional school counselor's role held by counselors, and actual practice. Data were collected from 192 professional school counselors that attended a statewide counselor conference. Professional school counselors responded to two researcher-designed surveys; the first was a 14-item demographic survey; the second, a 20-item by four-question survey for a total of 80 responses. A Multiple Regression Analysis was used to ascertain what relationships existed between school counselor self-efficacy, school counselor perceived role, and actual practice. The questionnaire listed 20 different counselor and …

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Parental Attributions And Discipline Of Child Behavior, Arazais Oliveros Jan 2005

Parental Attributions And Discipline Of Child Behavior, Arazais Oliveros

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extant empirical evidence suggests that multiple risk and protective factors implicated in children's development of behavior problems are intertwined. This study, therefore, investigated the relationships among parental depression and anger, attributions of control, discipline, parent-child relationship variables, and children's behavior problems. Results were based on the responses of parents (55 mothers and 13 fathers) with children in Head Start and parents (52 mothers and 4 fathers) with children in Private School settings. All parents had children who ranged in age from 3- to 8-years. Compared to Private School parents, Head Start parents had lower levels of nonviolent discipline, involvement, and …

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The Effects Of Exposure To Feminist Ideology On Women's Body Image, Rachel Diane Peterson Jan 2005

The Effects Of Exposure To Feminist Ideology On Women's Body Image, Rachel Diane Peterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body image disturbance has become an increasing problem among women (Cash & Henry, 1995). Thus researchers have begun to focus on methods of prevention and intervention. Programs utilizing psychoeducation and Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, for example, have been found to reduce body image dissatisfaction and related symptomatology. The information provided and potential impact are limited, however, because the interventions do not offer women an adaptive method of interpreting the many appearance-related messages they experience. This study sought to determine if exposure to feminist theory of body image may act as a buffer – a filter through which cultural messages about …

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The Influence Of Counselor Education Programs On Counselor Wellness, Leila Roach Jan 2005

The Influence Of Counselor Education Programs On Counselor Wellness, Leila Roach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counselor education programs strive to promote the personal development and wellness of counselors in addition to cognitive, skill, and professional competencies. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in self-reported levels of wellness of master's level counseling students. The cross-sectional study investigated the influence of time in a counselor education program on the wellness levels of counseling students. Students were surveyed at three points in their counselor education training: the beginning, middle, and end. Participants included 204 master's level counseling students enrolled in three CACREP-accredited counselor education programs located in the southeastern United States. Each participant completed the …

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A Measure Of Entrepreneurial Risk Preference And Optimism Using Field Experiments, Mark Schneider Jan 2005

A Measure Of Entrepreneurial Risk Preference And Optimism Using Field Experiments, Mark Schneider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have underscored the economic importance of the role of the entrepreneur, and empirical studies testing the nature of the entrepreneur are notably lacking. This study directly addresses this issue by examining newly gathered field data which captures the decision making and risk behaviors for a group of high-technology entrepreneurs. Two decision making tasks were used to elicit risk aversion measures and to test for any 'joy of winning' or judgmental errors, possibly in the form of over optimistic behavior. These elicitations were made with the use of multiple price formats and winner's curse experiments. 62 responses were collected …

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Couple Play As A Predictor Of Couple Bonding, Physical Health And Emotional Health, Linda Vanderbleek Jan 2005

Couple Play As A Predictor Of Couple Bonding, Physical Health And Emotional Health, Linda Vanderbleek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional couple counseling research focused on why people end relationships, with research only recently addressing what factors contribute to relationship satisfaction and stability. Yet, throughout this research, minimal attention has been paid to the role of play in couple counseling. The research available on play in couple counseling had varied definitions of couple play and was not based on current couple counseling theory. The research and anecdotal data on couple play proposed a strong relationship between couple play and the factors that predict successful, long-term couple relationships, individual physical health and emotional health. This study applied current couple counseling theory …

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College Students' Well Being: The Role Of Parent-College Student Expectation Discrepancies And Communication, Allison Kanter Agliata Jan 2005

College Students' Well Being: The Role Of Parent-College Student Expectation Discrepancies And Communication, Allison Kanter Agliata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parental influence on college students' well being is underestimated frequently in the developmental literature. College students often set social and academic goals according to their perception of what their parents expect from them. The discrepancy between college students' performance and their perceptions of parents' expectations can impact their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine various parent-college student expectation discrepancies and communication levels as predictors for college students' psychological well being. Results revealed that college students reported experiencing higher levels of anger, depression, and anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem and college adjustment when higher expectation-performance …

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Availability Of The Felony-Murder Rule Today: Equitable And Just Or Unfair And Excessive?, Traci Rose Francis Jan 2005

Availability Of The Felony-Murder Rule Today: Equitable And Just Or Unfair And Excessive?, Traci Rose Francis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current research provides an examination of felony murder to determine the similarities and differences among jurisdictions in the nation. It provides a current analysis of jurisprudence to update the literature as to practices in the United States pertaining to the availability of felony murder and the specific elements that make up the rule. This research conducts a survey of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal System. It provides an overview of the felony-murder rule and its availability, the degrees to which the doctrine is utilized, and the subsequent sentences allowable for defendants convicted under the …

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Performance Implications Of Alternative Color-Codesin Airport X-Ray Baggage Screening, Matthew Hilscher Jan 2005

Performance Implications Of Alternative Color-Codesin Airport X-Ray Baggage Screening, Matthew Hilscher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated both cognitive and affective influences of alternative color combinations in a search task paradigm. The effects of re-mapping the existing, comparatively arbitrarily color codes of baggage X-ray images, were explored. Alternative color-codes were evaluated for improving the economy of visual search in X-ray baggage screening. Using a 2 x 2 between-groups design, the perceptual aspects of color-codes varying in degree of visual agreeability (accordant or discordant) and color contrast (high or low) were examined in terms of effectiveness (detection accuracy) and efficiency (reaction time). Three hypotheses were put forth; two postulated main effects for color contrast and …

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Non-Acute Cognitive Sequelae Associated With Recreational Ecstasy Use: A Meta-Analysis, Tiffany Leigh Linkovich Kyle Jan 2005

Non-Acute Cognitive Sequelae Associated With Recreational Ecstasy Use: A Meta-Analysis, Tiffany Leigh Linkovich Kyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies using animal models have found considerable evidence of neurological damage resulting from exposure to 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy). Yet, studies comparing the cognitive performance of human recreational ecstasy users to ecstasy naïve controls have produced inconsistent results. The present study is a meta-analysis of the published empirical literature on the cognitive sequelae of human recreational ecstasy use. The pooled effect size estimate for combined cognitive domains was statistically significant and moderate in size. Small to large, statistically significant aggregate effect sizes resulted for eight of the nine cognitive ability domains included in the analysis. Moderator analyses suggested that frequent …

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Ritual, Myth, And Symbol In The Field Of Nuclear Posturing, Sean Noah Walsh Jan 2005

Ritual, Myth, And Symbol In The Field Of Nuclear Posturing, Sean Noah Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since their inception, the actual use of nuclear weapons in conflict is extremely limited. There have been only two documented occurrences which were committed exclusively by the United States. By contrast, however, state posturing with nuclear weapons occurs with regularity transcending historical situations, national wealth, military power, or even the actual possession of nuclear weapons. Rationalist arguments that depict nuclear posturing as a means of deterrence appear insufficient given its tendency to unbalance perceptions of equilibrium, and the public nature in which it occurs. Instead, I examine nuclear posturing by the United States during the Cold War as a form …

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Green Building: Public Opinion, Semantics, And Heuristic Processing, Christina Michelle Webb Jan 2005

Green Building: Public Opinion, Semantics, And Heuristic Processing, Christina Michelle Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research on public support for green building has, to date, been incomplete. Understanding the demographics of individuals that support green building has remained secondary to merely determining real opinions on the topic. The identity of supporters and the motivation behind their support is the focus of this research. Specifically, is support for green building dependent on the way in which the issue is framed? This research aims to focus on those that are spreading the message about green building, industry experts, and the mass public. By exposing how green building experts talk about the issue, we may begin to understand …

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Empirical Modeling Of A Marijuana Expectancy Memory Network In Children As A Function Of Age And Marijuana Use, Jacqueline Alfonso Jan 2005

Empirical Modeling Of A Marijuana Expectancy Memory Network In Children As A Function Of Age And Marijuana Use, Jacqueline Alfonso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation modeled the expectancy memory organization and likely memory activation patterns of marijuana expectancies of children across age and marijuana use. The first phase of the study surveyed 142 children to obtain their first associate to marijuana use. From their responses, the Marijuana Expectancy Inventory for Children and Adolescents (MEICA) was developed. The second phase of the study administered the MEICA to a second sample of 392 children to model marijuana expectancy organization and probable memory activation paths of marijuana users versus never-users. Results indicated that irrespective of age, adolescents who have used marijuana tend to emphasize positive-negative …

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Race, Socio-Economic Status, School Level-Resources, And Parental Influences On Fcat Scores In Florida: A Quantitative Study., Tara King Jan 2005

Race, Socio-Economic Status, School Level-Resources, And Parental Influences On Fcat Scores In Florida: A Quantitative Study., Tara King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is an abundance of literature that focuses on the standardized test score difference between minority and non-minority students. Within this literature, socio-economic factors, parental influences, and school-level resources have been used to explain the difference in test scores. The purpose of this study is to identify the variables that are thought to significantly influence test score achievement. The data come from the Florida Department of Education and the US Census. Linear regression analyses results are used to examine the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables. The results showed that overall economic factors are more closely related to …

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Acculturation, Social Acceptance, And Adjustment Of Early Adolescents, Jenny Klein Jan 2005

Acculturation, Social Acceptance, And Adjustment Of Early Adolescents, Jenny Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A majority of research regarding disruptive behavior disorders in youth has focused primarily upon Caucasian children and adolescents. As a result, more investigation of the unique characteristics of youth from ethnically diverse backgrounds, particularly those from Hispanic American and African American backgrounds, is needed (Balls Organista, Organista, & Kurasaki, 2003). This study investigated the relationships between several characteristics (e.g., ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, social acceptance, and emotional and behavioral symptoms) of early adolescents belonging to diverse ethnic groups. Results suggested that socioeconomic status and degree of early adolescents' social acceptance were important factors in predicting the development of internalizing and …

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Investigating The Effects Of 3-D Spatialized Auditory Cues On The Development Of Situation Awareness For Teams, Laura Milham Jan 2005

Investigating The Effects Of 3-D Spatialized Auditory Cues On The Development Of Situation Awareness For Teams, Laura Milham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the effects of spatialized auditory cues on the development of situation awareness for teams. Based on extant research, it was hypothesized that 3-D spatialized auditory cues can be utilized by teams to develop knowledge about team member location in addition to supporting the usage of team behaviors for developing and maintaining situation awareness. Accordingly, the study examined how situation awareness would be differentially influenced by varying the type of auditory cues incorporated into virtual environment (VE) team training scenarios within the context of a MOUT team task. In general, the results of this study provided partial support …

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An Hedonomic Evaluation Of Pleasurable Human-Technology Experience: The Effect Of Exposure And Aesthetics On The Experience Of Flow, Lauren Murphy Jan 2005

An Hedonomic Evaluation Of Pleasurable Human-Technology Experience: The Effect Of Exposure And Aesthetics On The Experience Of Flow, Lauren Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A framework was developed called the Extended Hedonomic Hierarchy (EHH) that provides a basis for evaluating pleasurable human-system experience. Results from a number of experiments within this framework that evaluated specific dimensions of the framework are reported. The 'Exposure' component of the EHH framework and hedonics of the system were investigated to see how changes would affect other dimensions, such as the occurrence of flow, the mode of interaction, and the needs of the user. Simulations and video games were used to investigate how repeated exposure affects flow, interaction mode, and the user needs. The Kansei Engineering method was used …

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Rejection In The Job Selection Process: The Effects Of Information & Sensitivity, Clayton Yonce Jan 2005

Rejection In The Job Selection Process: The Effects Of Information & Sensitivity, Clayton Yonce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most people will experience rejection in the job selection process. Rejection from job opportunities is often issued via a letter from a hiring manager. These letters elicit reactions from applicants who may, in turn, have less favorable self perceptions and less favorable perceptions of the organization from which the applicant was rejected. Numerous research articles have been published that deal with delivering notification of selection and/or rejection to applicants in the job selection process. However, relatively few use a realistic laboratory design to obtain results. This study examined the effects of sensitivity and information in notifications of rejection when applicants …

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Old And Homeless,A Second Look At Two Surveys, Brian Bigelow Jan 2005

Old And Homeless,A Second Look At Two Surveys, Brian Bigelow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the comparison between the Rich et al (1995) study done in Tampa Bay, Fl and Burt et al (2001) national study. Rich et al conducted a study of elder homeless Americans and later, Burt et al conducted a replication study on a national level using a similar study. My secondary analysis of the data covered four aspects: Demographics between the two groups of respondents; current housing issues; current alcohol, drug and mental health issues; and finally homeless services being used by both homeless, formally homeless and never homeless respondents. This was all compared to those that were …

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Testing An Intervention To Address The Sociocultural Influence Of Mass Media On Body Image: Can We Reverse The Curse?, Janet Derosier Murray Jan 2005

Testing An Intervention To Address The Sociocultural Influence Of Mass Media On Body Image: Can We Reverse The Curse?, Janet Derosier Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adverse effects of exposure to unrealistic ideals in the media are well documented, however, this is the first study to explore the possibility that women may experience improvement in body image and affect via social comparison to women with realistic, non-ideal body shape and size. Using material from The Century Project©, the impact of exposure to nude, non-pornographic photographs of women of varied shape, size, age, and physical condition, and the photographed women's personal commentaries about how they successfully cope with body image concerns was tested using an experimental design. It was hypothesized that exposure to the photographs and …

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A Constructionist Analysis Of Same-Sex Marriage, Sandra Kay Nead Jan 2005

A Constructionist Analysis Of Same-Sex Marriage, Sandra Kay Nead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Same-sex marriage has been heavily debated in academics and in the public sphere. During the 2004 Presidential election same-sex marriage became an issue that polarized the candidates. It has become a lightning rod for public debate. Due to the increasing attention to the controversy of legalizing same-sex marriage, it is an important topic for research. This paper seeks to contribute to the research of same-sex marriage by providing insight into claims-making efforts to define same-sex marriage as a social problem. My findings shed light on this topic from a social constructionist perspective by examining the use of rhetorical idioms of …

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Warning Compliance: Effects Of Stress And Working Memory, Jessica Helmick-Rich Jan 2005

Warning Compliance: Effects Of Stress And Working Memory, Jessica Helmick-Rich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of cross-modality warning presentation and retention in a dual-task paradigm in a simulated military environment under various task-induced stress levels. It was also intended to determine what role working memory played in the mode of warning presentation that resulted in the highest retention and subsequent compliance. An all within participant design was created in order to determine if scores on working memory span tasks predicted performance across the varying forms of warning presentation. Furthermore, task-induced stress levels were varied over the course of the experiment to identify if workload transitions affected performance. Results revealed that …

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Internet Advertising: Are We Breaking Ground Or Moving Dirt?, Jaime Marshall Jan 2005

Internet Advertising: Are We Breaking Ground Or Moving Dirt?, Jaime Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Seeking to validate the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of Persuasion for the online advertising context, a laboratory experiment utilizing 240 undergraduates was conducted at a southeastern university. The quality of banner advertisement contents--product endorser (spokesperson) and arguments (headlines)--were manipulated testing the variables' effect on click-through and attitude toward the advertisement for groups with high and low levels of product category involvement. Exploring a replica of a popular music website, participants were exposed to the test banners on the site's homepage. Due to the limited number of click-throughs, the relationship between the independent variables and click-through could not be established. However, …

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Classroom Observations Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Patterns And Characteristics Of Attention Over Time, Thomas M. Timko Jr. Jan 2005

Classroom Observations Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Patterns And Characteristics Of Attention Over Time, Thomas M. Timko Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Investigated differences in attentional processes between children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their classroom peers. Models of attention gleaned from laboratory experiments provided a theoretical structure for hypothesizing between-group attentional differences. Seventy-five children with ADHD and 36 normal control children were observed in their regular classrooms over a 1-week time interval. Explication of between-group differences revealed that children with ADHD were approximately 21% less attentive on average. Both groups exhibited an accelerating-decelerating pattern of attention over time, however, children with ADHD cycled at a rate twice that of same-aged peers. Six variables derived from observed attention were examined for …

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Measuring Quality Of Life In Pediatric Cancer Patients: The Relationships Among Parental Depression, Anxiety, Stress, And Concor, Angela Roddenberry Jan 2005

Measuring Quality Of Life In Pediatric Cancer Patients: The Relationships Among Parental Depression, Anxiety, Stress, And Concor, Angela Roddenberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advancements made in the treatment of the physiological aspects of childhood cancer have resulted in a greater need to conceptualize the disease psychologically as a chronic illness that causes significant stress and requires ongoing adjustment. This study investigates the relationships among parental characteristics, child characteristics, and the quality of life of children diagnosed with cancer. Forty-seven mothers and sixteen fathers, as well as nineteen children diagnosed with cancer, completed measures of their own psychological functioning. Measures of the diagnosed children's quality of life also were completed. Mothers' ratings of their children's quality of life were found to be correlated positively …

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The Influence Of Past Abuse On Heterosexual Cohabiting Couples' Relationship Types, Page Thanasiu Jan 2005

The Influence Of Past Abuse On Heterosexual Cohabiting Couples' Relationship Types, Page Thanasiu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the influence of past witnessed or experienced abuse on heterosexual cohabiting couples' Premarital Personal and Relationship Evaluation for Cohabiting Couples (PREPARE-CC) couple relationship types. The researcher utilized preexisting data from 5,000 cohabiting couples who had previously participated in the PREPARE marriage preparation program and had completed the PREPARE-CC inventory including a demographic section that elicited information about past abuse. Discriminant analysis was conducted in SPSS to answer the question of whether the presence of past witnessed or experienced abuse could successfully predict relationship type among cohabiting couples. Results of the discriminant analysis yielded no significant ability to …

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