Psychology Commons^™

Comparisons Of Videotape Observation To Direct Observation, John W. Hanlan

Dissertations and Theses

This research examined the validity of videotaped analyses of clinical sessions in comparison to direct (live) observations. The subjects were eleven student clinicians and their respective clients, enrolled Fall Term, 1979, in Portland State University's Speech and Hearing Sciences Articulation and Language and Urban Language Clinics. The Boone-Prescott Interactional Analysis System, a numerically coded system, was used to record clinician/client interactions. Data were obtained for a randomly selected five-minute period from each of thirty clinical sessions.

Mental Health Services In Prepaid Health Care Plans In St. Louis, Karenlee Robinson

Theses

This project examines the integration of mental health services into prepaid health care plans in St. Louis, with a focus on their role in preventive health care and cost reduction. Conducted in 1979, the study explores the philosophical and structural shifts in health care delivery, particularly the growing adoption of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and prepaid group practices. It emphasizes the evolving understanding within the medical field of the importance of psychosocial factors in health, illness prevention, and treatment outcomes.

The author, Karenlee Robinson, argues that traditional fee-for-service models often neglect the psychological components of patient care, leading to inefficiencies …

Adjustment To Psycho-Social Stress, John William Carnes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between adjustment to life-event stressors and selected psycho-social variables. Recent research has consistently identified an etiological link between stressful life-events and physical and/or emotional disorders. It has often been noted, however, that exposure to seemingly identical stressors results in varying levels of adjustment among individuals. Lazarus (1966, 1967, 1971, 1974) has proposed that variations in stress responses are attributable to differences relative to the implicated individual's appraised threat from the stressor. Based on this conceptualization, adjustment to stressful life-events was selected as the dependent variable for the study. Five independent …

The Effectiveness Of Rational Behavior Therapy In Reducing Anger Of Inmates, Dennis Jerome Meers

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relative effectiveness of Rational Behavior Therapy and a waiting-list control condition for reducing the frequencies and intensities of anger of inmates. The sample consisted of 46 adult male inmates who attained elevated psychopathic deviate scale scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and who expressed a desire to join an anger treatment group. The subjects in the treatment condition were exposed to fifteen group sessions of Rational Behavior Therapy, over an eightweek period. The subjects in the control condition experienced a no-treatment waiting-period. All subjects responded to pretest and posttest measures on the Novaco Anger Scale …

The Effects Of Stimulus Flooding Procedures With Acrophobia: A Test Of Nonspecific Treatment Effects, Gil Krawitz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Twenty acrophobics recruited from the community and 11 undergraduate student acrophobics were assigned randomly to either a stimulus flooding condition or a placebo control condition.

Initially, care was taken to ensure that the treatments were not significantly different on the dimensions of treatment credibility and generated expectancy for improvement. Additional

measures of expectancy for improvement and treatment believability were taken during and after treatment. Results indicated that neither treatment was significantly different on any of the expectancy measures or on behavioral and self'-report measures of outcome performance. Furthermore, subjects' belief in the efficacy of treatment was significantly correlated with improvement …

Feminine Sex Roles And Depression In Middle-Aged Women, Emily Gaines Tinsley

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The preponderance of females in the depressed population is a well established fact. Various hypotheses for this fact are reviewed and the hypothesis that females accepting the feminine role will be more likely to become depressed during their middle years than a more androgenous woman is submitted. To support this hypothesis a study was designed utilizing a Clinical group consisting of females, 35 to 50 experiencing depression and undergoing treatment for depression at one of three mental health centers and a Non-clinical group consisting of women, same age group, not experiencing depression and who had never undergone treatment for depression. …

Which Therapy?: An Analysis Of Value Judgments In Psychotherapy, David Shaw

Theses

• The Problem: The author addresses the lack of systematic guidance for laypersons in selecting a psychotherapy model that aligns with their individual lifestyle, personality, and values. 

• The Method: The study utilizes a comparative analysis of Moral, Illness, Psychoanalytic, Behavioral/Learning, and Existential/Humanistic perspectives, incorporating literature from theorists like Freud, Rogers, and Wolpe alongside practicum experience at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute and the Growth Art Therapy Program.

• Qualitative Finding: The analysis determines that effective therapy depends on the compatibility between the client's personal characteristics and the therapist's theoretical orientation, as evidenced by the author's observation that theoretically conflicting therapies can both be …

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The Use Of The Rorschach With Young Children: Special Considerations In Administration, Scoring, And Interpretation And In The Measurement Of Cognitive Functioning, Patricia Parry Barber

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A discussion of the Rorschach's validity as a diagnostic tool seems most manageable when validity is addressed not in terms of global personality descriptions, but rather in terms of specific subquestions. This paper investigates the Rorschach's usefulness as an indicator of cognitive functioning in preadolescent children. Within a developmental framework and focusing primarily upon the cognitive theories of Jean Piaget, predictable stages of the child's intellective growth are described with an emphasis on Rorschach response patterns which seem to best chronicle that growth. Empirical data from both clinical and educational spheres are offered as supportive evidence for the Rorschach as …

Operant Techniques For Teaching Speech Behavior To Severely Language Handicapped Children: A Review, James Archbold

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This paper is a detailed review of published research related to the use of operant procedures and techniques in the development of speech behaviors in severely language handicapped children. Review of this literature suggests that there currently exists an operant technology for the development of speech behaviors in a great many severely language handicapped children. Based on the procedures reviewed, a general program for the development of speech behaviors is suggested, which includes behavioral referents by means of which a therapist may both determine the potential utility of the recommended techniques and decide upon an appropriate starting point for training.

How To Make A Token Economy Work: Goals And Variables Of Token Economies With The Institutionalized Mentally Retarded, Laura Ann Wade

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Token systems of reinforcement are an increasingly popular method of modifying the behavior of the institutionalized mentally retarded. The dramatic success of the token economy has resulted in its programmatic use without full consideration for the relevancy of treatment goals and the numerous variables that may contribute to the successful implementation and maintenance of the token economy. An examination of the treatment goals found in the existing literature reveals that two orientations presently exist: management/control and therapeutic/educative. Furthermore, a review of the literature reveals differing methods or variables may contribute to achieving a successful token economy with the mentally retarded. …

Children's Test Behavior And Examiner Bias On The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children, Charesa Mae Kirchner

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the effect of chi1dren 1s test behavior on examiners' scoring, questioning, and confidence in test resu1ts. The variables under investigation were leve1 of inte11igence and extraversion-introversion as operationally defined in terms of sociabi1ity, response speed, and persistence. E1even-year-old male accomplices read scripts containing responses to the Verba1 Scale of the WISC and operationally defined test behaviors. The test responses to the Verba1 Scale of the WISC were designed to yield superior (IQ= 128) or average (IQ= 97) test scores by varying the quality of test responses. Extravert-Introvert test behaviors independent of the scoring of …

The Relationship Of A Counselor-Guided Meditation To Counselor Presence As Defined In Psychosynthesis, David Bradley Green

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the relationship, in a counseling session, of an initial guided meditation by a counselor to presence, a core condition of counseling and psychotherapy as defined in psychosynthesis. Presence consists of two variables--the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the ability of the counselor or therapist to disidentify from his or her personality and become identified as a 11 Self. 11 The quality of the therapeutic relationship was measured by the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory. Counselor disidentification-"Self"identification was assessed by the number of distracting thoughts, feelings, and body sensations experienced by the counselor during the counseling …

Emg Biofeedback As A Generalized Relaxation Technique, David Cunningham

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Ten college students serving as volunteer subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received EMG biofeedback training using feedback from the frontalis muscle only, and the other group received EMG biofeedback training using feedback from several muscle sites. It was hypothesized that subjects who were given EMG biofeedback relaxation training sequentially from several muscle sites would be able to lower EMG levels at these sites to a significantly greater degree than subjects who received EMG biofeedback relaxation training using feedback from the frontalis muscle only. Both groups were given a pre-training baseline session, nine training sessions, …

A Descriptive Study Of Parish Clergy And Their Counseling Practices, Gregory J. Ludlow

Masters Theses

First paragraph:

It has been the function of societies throughout history to provide comfort and support for it's troubled members. In the past, this function was performed by the society's religious institutions.Today, as in the past, people who want solutions.to the problems they experience, or who want to gain pathways to possible solutions, look to their religion, their church organization, their clergyman, to their God. The clergymen of a community are apt to be the first professionals of that community to be consulted when the need for help is felt.

Emotional Disturbances And Mental Retardation, Jeannie Willard Ervin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pre-Psychotherapy Characteristics Of Prematurely, Unilaterally Discontinuing Families At A Community Mental Health Center, Robert Lee Dyer

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the ability to discriminate, at the point of intake, those families who unilaterally and prematurely discontinue psychotherapy before the fourth session at a community mental health center from those who remain in therapy longer.

Effectiveness Of Professionals Vs. Paraprofessionals In The Group Management Of Test Anxiety, Matthew P. Bars

Theses and Dissertations

This research was concerned with the relative effectiveness of professional and paraprofessional therapists in group management of college students exhibiting test anxiety. It was predicted that both the professional and paraprofessional therapists' groups would exhibit significant pre-post decreases in debilitating test anxiety. It was also predicted that there would be no significant pre-post differences between the professional and paraprofessional therapists' groups. Subjects were 26 participants in five Illinois State University Student Counseling Center Test Anxiety Workshops. Subjects completed a modified State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Achievement Anxiety Test at the beginning and end of the test anxiety workshops.

The hypothesis that …

The Effects Of Progressive Relaxation Training And Biofeedback-Assisted Relaxation Training On Control Of Stress Arousal, Barbara S. Lindley

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Patient-Technique Orientation, Personality Factors, And Training Effects In Nursing Students, Gerald Case

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if nursing students could be differentiated along a patient-technique nursing orientation continuum, and whether there would be a shift in the orientation of student nurses subsequent to participating in a training program for nurses. This study attempted to determine if personality traits could be used as predictors of the patient-technique orientation of the student nurses and if the personality of the student nurses remained stable over one year. Thirty-four student nurses in the two-year associate degree nursing program in a southern regional university were administered the nursing Pictures Interest Test (NPIT), the …

A Review Of The Behavioral Techniques For Weight Reduction And Control In Adults, Carol Kerr Hardee

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has been an increasing health problem in the United States. In recent years, extensive research has been on the use of behavioral techniques for weight control. Although traditional methods of treatment have not proven to be long-term, some behavioral studies have indicated maintenance. Findings indicated that self-control methods are most effective when they are presented through therapist instruction, which is gradually faded. A full behavioral program for weight control would also include basic adjunct procedures, i.e., monitoring of calories or food, exercise, stimulus control, and social reinforcement, as well as major behavioral methods such as covert sensitization, contracting, bibliotherapy, …

The Effects Of Coverant Control Therapy Under Two Different Conditions On Depression, Steven Brian Lucks

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Twenty seven undergraduate psychology students were randomly assigned to two treatment groups and one no treatment control group to assess the effects of Coverant Control Therapy (CCT) under 2 different conditions on depression. The research was an analogue study. The first treatment group received CCT in a didactic format, while the second treatment group received CCT in an encounter group format. The control group assembled jigsaw puzzles. All subjects were administered the Multiple Affective Adjective Check List (MAACL) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory "D" scale for pre-, post-, and followup testing. Groups met for 4 sessions. Separate one-way analyses …

Parent Education: Its Impact On Parental Well-Being, Jean M. Anderson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The study understood to determine the effect parent training program have on parental mental well-being and whether the reason parents enter training affects their initial level of mental well-being or the outcome of the training. A review of the research literature reveals that parents are the appropriate subjects to train to change children's behavior and personalities. The literature does not support the theory that parents cause children's behavior and personalities, but we can conclude that parents are a definite, important influence in these areas. In the process of learning to impact their children, the parents participating in parent education programs …

Loneliness: Origins, Manifestations, And Treatment, Andrea Schalman

Theses

This thesis explores loneliness as a multifaceted psychological and social phenomenon, examining its origins, manifestations, and potential avenues for treatment. Beginning with a historical overview, the work situates loneliness within cultural and theoretical contexts, noting how the experience has been interpreted through philosophy, literature, and psychology. Drawing heavily on psychoanalytic theory, the thesis considers the role of early childhood attachment, separation, and loss as central contributors to the development of loneliness. The impact of maternal deprivation, insecure attachment patterns, and unresolved separation anxiety are analyzed as formative influences that shape one’s vulnerability to chronic isolation.

The study also examines the …

Street Survival Skills Questionnaire: The Design And Investigation Of A Measure Of Adaptive Behavior For The Mentally Retarded, Danny D. Linkenhoker

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study involved the design and investigation of a measure of adaptive behavior (Street Survival Skills Questionnaire) for the mentally retarded. Following a careful review of existing measures of adaptive behavior, a comprehensive review of research relating to prediction of independent living, and interviews with rehabilitation staff, a group of nine areas were targeted for inclusion in the instrument. These areas included Basic Concepts, Functional Signs, Measurement, Monetary, Time, Public Services, Safety and Personal Health, Domestic Management, and Implements and Tools. Items were then generated for each area in a multiple-choice, pictorial format that required a minimum of reading and …

The Relationship Between Number Of Sessions And Client-Judged Outcome, Jay Athy

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Outpatient clients from a community mental health center were surveyed by questionnaire to examine the relationship between number of therapy sessions attended and client-judgments of therapeutic outcome. The results indicated that client-judgments of therapeutic benefit tended to be independent of length of therapy when the client-judgement is a global assessment of therapeutic benefit. Controls for mode of therapy, initial diagnosis, type of referral, and status of case yielded similar findings. The nature of these relationships was nonlinear with the possible existence of different zones of sessions that account for varying degrees of client-perceived success. It also appeared that clients evaluated …

Sunshine Outpost, Nez Smith

Theses

"Sunshine Outpost" by Nez Smith presents a comprehensive thesis integrating historical, cultural, and conceptual perspectives on mental health care with the proposal for a community-based mental health center in North Hollywood, California. Rooted in the author's academic journey and personal commitment to community service, the document explores the evolution of mental health treatment, from ancient spiritual interpretations to modern-day community psychiatry. It highlights key developments such as moral treatment in the 19th century, the rise and fall of state institutions, and the legislative reforms of the 20th century, including the Short-Doyle Act and the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act in California.

The proposed …

Prediction Of Premature Termination Of Psychotherapy In A Community Mental Health Center, Jane Hoppin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if prediction of premature termination of psychotherapy through the use of the Barrett-Lennard Inventory. The Study was conducted at health center and involved the clients could be attained Relationship a community mental of five therapists. The Relationship Inventory which assesses the relationship between client and therapist was mailed to clients who had terminated therapy against the advice of their therapists, and to clients who were still in therapy. The clients were asked to fill out the questionnaire anonymously, and send it back to the Center. Demographic data, such as age, sex, marital …

Suicide And Depression In Children Within The Ages Of Five To Twelve Years: A Review, Esther R. Munizzi

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Distance And Sex On Verbal Productivity And Anxiety, Peter Lindsay Rogers

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to determine whether physical distance between male and female interviewees and a female interviewer affected verbal productivity and anxiety level when interviewees discussed academic, social, and personal topics. The interview was conceptualized as an information-gathering interview. Crucial variables in such interviews are client participation and information flow. Client verbal productivity appears to be directly related to these variables, and was used as one dependent variable to measure the impact of distance on interviewee verbal behavior. A self-report measure of anxiety, the Fear Thermometer was used as a second dependent variable.

The experimental distances used in …

Locus Of Control As Related To Personality Variables In Special Adolescent Populations, Mary Ellen Moore Kinnaird

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Locus of control refers to the individual's perception of the degree to which he controls the outcome of events in his life through his own behavior. Locus is further defined and related concepts discussed. Literature is reviewed, exploring determinants in the development of personal locus. Differential descriptions of the Internal and External individual are outlined, according to studies on locus as it affects personality and social-interactions. Delinquent, socially maladjusted and dependent-neglected adolescents were tested and significant differences in locus and personality characteristics examined. Final discussion is directed to implications of the results of this study with regards to the needs …