Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of The Availability Heuristic On Student's Judgments Of Others Alcohol Consumption, Jennifer Mcenroy

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The primary purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that enhancing the availability of images that either portrayed liberal heavy drinking at college or the conservative academic side of college would serve to influence students’ perceptions of peer norms. It was hypothesized that students would rely on the availability heuristic to make judgments of peer norms, so that exposure to a movie clip that emphasized drinking would increase estimates of peer drinking norms when compared with exposure to a movie clip that emphasized academic work. It was further hypothesized that the film clips would assist participants in making …

An Exploratory Study Of Arts Participation And Wellbeing In Regioinal Western Australia: A Quantitative Study Of Denmark In The Great Southern Region, Julia Anwar

Theses : Honours

This thesis explores the belief that engaging in the arts has a positive influence on wellbeing, not just for individuals considered disadvantaged or "at-risk", but also for the wellbeing of society and communities. An attempt was also made to determine how the benefits of participation in the arts compares to the possible benefits derived from other forms of community participation. An examination into the current literature on arts participation and its links with wellbeing, as well as social impact research was combined with a quantitative survey derived and adapted from wellbeing indicators. The survey was conducted via telephone interviews with …

Parental Monitoring And The Role Of Community Norms And Neighbourhood, Katrina Sims

Theses : Honours

This study used a qualitative approach to explore parent perceptions of community norms for keeping track of children's activities, within a low socio-economic neighbourhood. Semi-structured interviews based on a questionnaire used by Kerr and Stattin (2000) were used to explore parent beliefs about three sources of parent information: solicitation, parental control and child disclosure. A sample of eight mothers of children aged nine to twelve from two low socio-economic neighbourhoods in Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: shared emotional connections, influence, control versus trust, and communication. Results indicated that parents used varied methods of monitoring children …

Perceived Similarity, Expectation-Reality Discrepancies, And Mentors' Expressed Intention To Remain In Big Brothers/Big Sisters Programs, Benjamin Paul Madia, Catherine J. Lutz

Psychology Faculty Publications

Studies have begun to document the academic and psychosocial benefits of Big Brothers/ Big Sisters programs for at-risk youth (Rhodes, Grossman, & Resch, 2000). However, investigators have noted a problem with mentor attrition (Meissen & Lounsbury, 1981). The purpose of the current study was twofold. First, we explored the relative importance of specific dimensions of perceived similarity (including similarity in attitudes, interests, race, and personality) as well as mentors' expectation-reality discrepancies in predicting mentors' expressed intention to remain in Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs. Second, we examined a model whereby interpersonal attraction and relationship quality served as mediators of these associations. …

Experiences Of Anglo-Burmese Migrants In Perth, Western Australia : A Substantive Theory Of Marginalisation, Adaptation And Community, Simon D. Colquhoun

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The experience of migration and adaptation of ethnically mixed migrants; like the Anglo-Burmese migrants, has received little attention. This group began migrating to Australia, in particular Western Australia, in the 1960s due to changing socio-political circumstances in Burma. The examination of cultural issues in psychological research has operated in a number of different perspectives including cross-cultural psychology, cultural psychology and more recently, community psychology in Australia. The development of community psychology in Australia has led to the development of a community research approach by Bishop, Sonn, Drew and Contos (2002). This approach requires the exploration of the substantive domain using …

Reconfiguring Childhood Boys And Girls Growing Up Global, Cindi Katz

Publications and Research

Children are a spur, a commitment, a way of imaging the future—but all too often these sorts of phrases just rattle around a vacuum, their utterance the beginning and end of the commitment. We emphasize “the best interests of the child,”but this gloss provides a moral imperative to all manner of uncompleted projects and unfulfilled policies. Likewise, the use of children’s images or presence in public forums of all types gives a patina of honorableness to practices and plans that never actually make good on the promissory note of childhood. The 1992 Rio Earth Summit is a notable example. Such …

Can Joy And Reverence Coexist? A Look At Worship And Culture, Lilianne Douhkan

Faculty Publications

"What is the right form of worship? Is there only one correct form or style of worship? Have worship forms changed over time? Who is to decide which form or format is appropriate for worship? Almost everyone involved in the organization of worship has been confronted with such questions.

"Within the ensuing discussions there is an abundance of good intent, but also a plethora of personal opinions, and very often little understanding of what worship really is. I would like to suggest that when we inquire about forms and formats of worship, we are asking the wrong questions. Rather than …

Stereotype Beliefs, Contextual Age, And Knowledge Of Aging In The Elderly, Angela Walker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Stereotype beliefs, contextual ages, and knowledge on aging of independent and intervention-receiving elderly living in both rural and urban communities and institutions were examined in a convenience sample of 114 participants who were assigned to location and setting. Contextual age is defined as one’s quality of life in regard to environmental, social, and health factors. Participants’ acceptance of stereotypes about the elderly, contextual ages, and knowledge of aging was measured by questionnaires. Results indicated there were no significant differences regarding stereotype acceptance, contextual age, and knowledge of aging between rural and urban elderly. However, differences between community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly …

Moving Forward While Remaining Rooted: A Case Study Of The Ebytown Food Co-Operative In Waterloo, Ontario (Perspectives And Findings From A Member Turned Researcher), Maria Hatzipantelis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Retail food co-operatives provide a unique opportunity for community psychologists to work with democratically-controlled organisations that purport to offer each member control over the food she or he consumes on a daily basis. In this case study of the Ebytown Food Co-operative in Waterloo, Ontario, I document the activities of the co-op as it functions on a practical level, based both on my experiences as a researcher and an active member of the co-op. My thesis process was guided by the belief that research should be useful to the people with whom one works, and therefore, I followed a participatory …

Exposing The Needs Of An Invisible Community: Queer Youth In Kitchener-Waterloo, Meghan Kenny

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Using a participatory action research approach, and a steering committee composed of stakeholders from the community, this thesis focused on identifying the needs of queer youth in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Multiple methods were used including focus groups, key informant interviews, and an online survey. A total of 31 participants were involved in this study including youth between the ages of 16 and 25 (who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, or unsure), parents of queer youth and other community members. Barriers to queer youth wanting to access resources were addressed and strategies to overcome them are offered. In addition, suggestions …

'Skippers Of The Shore Crew': Women And A Fish Plant Closure (Labrador), Sheila M. Keefe

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The closure of the east coast cod fishery in 1992 resulted in the largest industry lay-off in the country, stripping 35,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians of their source of livelihood--l2,000 of whom were women, employed predominately in the processing sector. While the impacts upon Newfoundland women have been the subject of considerable research (e.g., CMHA, 1994), little to no information has been gathered about Labrador women displaced by the closure of fishery. This is a serious gap in the literature--one which the present study attempts to address. The present study examined how senior women fish plant workers in the Labrador Métis …

The Struggle For Community-Based Health Care: A Case Study Of The Rainbow Valley Community Health Centre (Ontario), Suzanne Galloway

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rural communities are particularly disadvantaged in terms of access and control of their health care. Community based health care settings have the potential to provide the collaborative and integrated wellness care espoused in government declarations and reports. In this ethnographic case study, I relate the real life struggle of a citizens’ group trying to establish the Rainbow Valley Community Health Centre (RVCHC), in the small rural town of Killaloe in Northeastem Ontario. My objectives in this research were threefold: to contribute to the setting and document its development process; to reflect on my role in this process; and to inform …

The State Goes Home: Local Hyper-Vigilance Of Children And The Global Retreat From Social Reproduction, Cindi Katz

Publications and Research

In an early scene in The Terminator, the Cyborgian Arnold Schwarzenegger walks into an L.A. gun shop and asks to see the wares. The shopkeeper lays out Uzis, submachine guns, rocket launchers, and other sophisticated means of overkill, nervously understating, "Any one of these will suit you for home defense purposes." The situation is likewise in the growing child protection industry. In keeping with the shopkeeper's sly comment, these businesses feast on an all-pervasive culture of fear, while creating a mockery, alibi, and distraction out of what they are really about - to remake the home as a citadel through …

Perceived Stress, Religious Coping Styles, And Collectivism Of Korean-Americans, Kyung Wha So

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study examined the associations among perceived stress, religious coping styles (Self-Directing, Collaborative, and Deferring), and collectivism in two generations of Korean-Americans. Three scales (Perceived Stress, Collectivism, and Religious Problem Solving) were administered to 145 first and second generation Korean-Americans who were attending Christian worship services, residing in the East and West Coasts of United States. Three hypotheses were tested. First, religious coping styles and collectivism would predict perceived stress levels. Second, Collectivism, Collaborative, and Deferring religious coping would be negatively correlated with the level of perceived stress. Third, the second generation Korean-Americans would have lower collectivism scores, higher …

The Effect Of Residence Type On Adjustment To College, Matthew J. Facemire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the difference in adjustment to college between Commuters (students who lived at home with their parents) and Boarders (students who lived on campus in residence halls). The study was conducted at a rural teachers college in West Virginia. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was administered to 86 students from four English 102 classes. The results include 48 students who met the requirements of the study. The results of the SACQ were input into a SPSS computer program to produce a 2x2 design ANOVA. The Test of Between-Subject Effects showed three areas of significant difference between …

Acculturative Stress Appraisal And Acculturation Attitudes, Thomas Wojcicki

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Part One : The term acculturation describes an array of cultural changes that occur when culturally different groups come into continuous, first hand contact (Redfield, Linton, & Herskovits, 1936). Acculturative stress describes a multitude of psychological or social problems that are often encountered by individuals experiencing acculturation (Berry, 1994). This article reviews the empirical literature on acculturation and factors influencing the outcomes of the acculturation experience from the perspective of the research framework proposed by Berry (1974, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990). Methodological issues relevant to advancing this area of research are also addressed. In particular the influence of attitudes to …

'Love The Sinner, Hate The Sin': Reality Or Fiction?, Scott G. Veenvliet

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Do religious individuals “love the sinner, but hate the sin?” More specifically, is relatively higher intrinsic religious orientation linked to tolerant attitudes toward gays and lesbians, yet condemnation of homosexual behaviour? There have been conflicting conclusions within the relevant literature in answering this question (Batson, Floyd, Meyer, & Winner, 1999; Fisher, Derison, Polley III, Cadman, & Johnston, 1994; Fulton, Gorsuch, & Maynard, 1999). 169 undergraduate students completed several scales measuring religious orientation, church teaching of “love the sinner, hate the sin," and scales measuring attitude toward both homosexual people and homosexual behaviour. Intrinsic religion was associated with relatively less tolerance …

A Model Of Volunteer Progression: Supporting And Sustaining Volunteerism In A Primary Prevention Project, Nicole L. Kenton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined the developmental progression of volunteers involved in a community development project and the role of factors on various ecological levels (individual, familial, project and community) that impede and support this progression. In-depth interviews were completed using a narrative approach with a total of 11 individuals who were volunteers (n=5), staff members (n=4) and individuals who were once volunteers who later became frontline staff members (n=2) at the Highfield Community Enrichment Project. This project is one of the several Better Beginnings, Better Future program sites implemented in Ontario. Volunteer participants were asked to tell a story about their …

Venture Behavioral Health Southwestern Michigan Treatment Of Depression Collaborative Study: The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Activation Group Therapy: An Initial Investigation, Jeffrey F. Porter

Dissertations

A recent empirical study (Jacobson et al., 1996) suggested that the Behavioral Activation (BA) component of Beck’s Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CT) for depression (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979) may be as effective a treatment for clinical depression as the full CT treatment. BA involves intervention choices that are fewer in number and more straightforward than those contained in CT, making BA a more efficient treatment than CT. The purpose of this study was to extend the research on BA by administering it as a group therapy and to evaluate this treatment in a natural setting. This was achieved by classifying …

Ingroup, Outgroup, Out Of Group: Milosevic's Propaganda Failure, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes a social psychological perspective on Slobodan Milosevic's loss of political power in Yugoslavia.

Enabling Business - Community Partnerships, Seema Gupta

IIMB Management Review

The decade of the 1990s has perhaps seen the most profound changes in global economic structures. The effects of structural adjustment and globalisation and the emergence of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have meant that the role of business has dramatically changed throughout the world. Statistics of the number of corporations that are larger than nation-states abound and only illustrate the importance of the corporate sector and its impact on the world order.

The Relationship Between Age, Years Of Service, Gender, Education, And Job Satisfaction Among Mental Health Professionals, Veria L. Hicks

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The study explored the relationship between age, years of service, gender, education, and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Thirty subjects (15 males and 15 females) were involved in the study. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant relationship between age, years of service, gender, education and job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

The Ties That Bind: Jamaican Elders' Testimonies Of Community Life, Jacqueline Ann Russell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores the meanings of community, participation, activism and being old with eight older Jamaicans. The roles of culture and religion are examined in reference to the participants’ community and social aging experiences. The researcher used a culturally relevant research paradigm [Diasporic African] incorporating indigenous methods [testifying] grounded in the participants’ cultural and religious identifies and experiences as older Christian Jamaicans of African descent. The use of testimonies is described in Stanfield’s (1998) work on ethic modeling in qualitative research design. Demographic information and life histories focussing on community roles, sites for participation across the life span, and the …

Public Participation In A Government Land Decision In Prince Edward Island: The Case Of Tracadie Cross Waste Watch Facility, Billie-Jean Flynn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Public participation is a comerstone of democracy and a central value of Community Psychology. The purpose of this participatory action research was to develop an understanding of public participation as through the experiences of Islanders engaged in land decision making in Prince Edward Island. In particular a case study of the Tracadie Cross Waste Watch Facility was developed through document analysis and in-depth interviews. A sketch of public participation in Prince Edward Island was grounded in in-depth interviews from case study participants. as well as additional in-depth interviews with Islanders who have been engaged in land decision making independent of …

Listening To The Voices Of The Land: Stories Of Prince Edward Island Organic Farmers Sowing Hope In The Struggle For Survival, Kara L. Griffin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Changes within agriculture towards an industrialized approach to farming have had detrimental effects on people, communities, and the environment. There is a need for methods of farming that preserve and protect the natural and social ecology. In this thesis, I explored the experiences and stories of a small group of PEI organic farmers, who have an important role in preserving the Island's natural and social ecology. Informed mainly by the narrative theory of Rappaport (1995), I conducted qualitative interviews with seven farmers, in an effort to hear their stories as organic farmers on PEI and leam from their experiences. While …

Policies And Programs To Prevent Child Maltreatment And Promote Family Wellness In Ghana, Bright Isaac Asante

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined policies and programs to prevent child maltreatment and promote family wellness in Ghana. In the thesis, I discussed values that guide child-care in Ghana, the daily realities of children and families, and policies and programs to promote family wellness and prevent child maltreatment. Lastly, I looked at the climate for prevention and early intervention. I presented recommendations under each of these sections. In the first part of the literature review, I examined some definitions of child maltreatment, the prevalence rate, etiology, and consequences of maltreatment. In the second part, I reviewed some policies and programs to prevent …

Planning And Developing School-Based Community Supports For Refugee Children, Peggy (Margaret) Nickels

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite the growing numbers of refugee families settling in Canada, there is little or no documentation on how to support the healing process of refugee children. The purpose of this study was to learn about planning and developing school-based community supports for these children by examining and documenting several school-based community initiatives in Kitchener-Waterloo. Data collected included three focus group interviews, seven key informant interviews, a document review, and a research process journal. Findings were organized around motivation, guiding values and principles, resources, processes, actions, partnerships, dynamics, and sustainability. Shared values and principles emerged as the passion and the glue …

Community Gardeners: Planting The Seeds Of A Sustainable Future, Janet Ann O'Reilly

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

My personal and academic journey with community gardening began in the spring of 1997, when I joined my first community garden and became involved in a local community group called the Community Gardening Network of Waterloo Region. It was during a graduate course that I first heard about community gardens and other community food projects. I had not been aware of the significant participation of citizens, like me, in such projects. In the classroom, we had discussed community food projects, like community gardens, as alternative settings in the context of broader social change considerations. Due in part to this exposure …

Reconsidering Solidarity In The Mormon Village, Todd L. Goodsell

Theses and Dissertations

In what became a classic rural community study, Lowry Nelson concluded in his first Mormon village series in the 1920's that the Mormon village is characterized by an extraordinary sense of solidarity. He claimed that this strong solidarity can be primarily explained by four factors of the social group: leadership, conflict, cooperation, and ideology. After resurveying the Mormon village in 1950, he concluded that solidarity had declined. However, a few problems become apparent to the present researcher looking back upon Nelson's findings. One of them is that Nelson never had a clear definition of solidarity to begin with. Another is …

Public Participation In Resolving Environmental Disputes And The Problem Of Representativeness, Peter T. Allen

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Allen, the symposium organizer, reviews recent .efforts to increase public involvement in environmental disputes.