Psychology Commons^™

Dimensions Of Functional Social Support And Psychological Symptoms, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

In the summer following graduation a sample of 125 female college graduates (mean age = 28) completed Cohen & Wills' ISEL (1985) which includes scales measuring four social support functions: belonging (social companionship), appraisal (availability of confidants), tangible (instrumental), and self-esteem support. In the summer and fall subject status on two outcome scales was ascertained: the Psychophysiologic Symptom Scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Reliability of the difference scores suggested that the ISEL scales do not measure entirely different constructs and the ISEL Self-esteem Scale is operationally redundant with the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale and the CES-D. …

Qualitative Evaluation Of Processes And Outcomes Of A Home Visiting Program For Developmentally Handicapped Preschoolers And Their Families, Nancy Lapointe

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A variety of programs reflecting a diverse array of philosophical approaches to early intervention for developmentally handicapped preschoolers have been developed over the past 30 years. Evaluations of these programs report that early intervention is effective for these children. Yet considerable controversy continues about the validity of most of these studies. A number of researchers have expressed the need for different methods of evaluation but to date few researchers have attempted to evaluate these programs with more appropriate methods or to examine aspects of the program other than child outcomes. This study assessed an early intervention program that involved home …

Training In Community Psychology At Wilfrid Laurier University: A Process And Outcome Evaluation (Ontario), Judit Alcade

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is to date no Canadian example of a systematic evaluation of a community psychology training programme, and the literature reveals few evaluations in the U.S. This paper describes an evaluation of the Community Psychology M.A. Programme at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU). A utilization-focused stakeholder model was used, whereby I worked closely with faculty, students, some support staff, and a graduate of the programme throughout the entirety of the evaluation. Because community psychology is strongly committed to process, both outcome and process goals were given equal emphasis. In addition, other aspects such as student satisfaction, course effectiveness, and an exploration …

Determinants And Distinguishing Variables Of Pro-Disarmament Behaviour And Responsible Environmental Behaviour, Lisa Sara Nemiroff

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The possibility of nuclear holocaust and the destruction of our environment are two issues that threaten all of humanity. As one would expect, disarmament proposals and proposals aimed at improving the quality of the environment have received overwhelming public support. However, while the public often engages in behaviour congruent with their attitudes toward environmental problems, they do not demonstrate attitude-behaviour congruence with regard to nuclear arms race issues. In addition to attempting to substantiate past research results concerning the determinants of peace and environmental activism, the purpose of this thesis was to identify the variables that bring about this discrepancy. …

Understanding Context And Process: The First Step In Building Communities, Dia Mamatis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

First, this study documents the context and process of community development by using the Southwood Neighbourhood Association (SWNA) within the Southwest Cambridge community in Cambridge, Ontario as an illustration. The community context is defined and described in terms of its physical and demographic characteristics, its social-relational features, and the psychological sense of community. Five key stages in the process of community development are identified and illustrated in the development of the SWNA. Second, this study documents the process of development of an inter-agency, community-based primary prevention research project proposal. This research is viewed as part of the community development process …

The Refugee Filtering Process And Host Country Resettlement Issues In Canada: A Critical Theoretical Analysis, R. Gary Edwards

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the present study, an attempt is made to integrate the diverse literature pertaining to host country resettlement and refugee mental health in Canada. A historical perspective is provided, reviewing the checkered Canadian responses to international refugee movements and the various influences on the humanitarian aims of refugee policy. A model is then developed, drawing on the literature of multiple academic disciplines. The models constitutes a critical generative theory whereby the resettlement issues of assimilationism, racial prejudice, employment difficulties, and domestic political pressures are respectively linked to the filtering processes of ideology, race, economics, and international diplomacy. A test of …

Developing A Sense Of Community: An Assessment Of The Needs And Resources Of A Church Congregation, Heather Hair

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The development of a psychological sense of community within various settings has been the focus of recent interest for many community psychologists. One setting, however, tint has received minimal attention is religious organizations. In Canada, churches and synagogues are prominent institutions standing between the individual and the larger structures of society. Consequently, religious organizations can be art important cost-effective resource for prevention and health promotion programs. Through collaborative and consultative work with congregations, the community psychologist can reach important, underserved segments of the population who are reluctant to use traditional mental health services. Using the community development process congregational members …

Development And Construct Validation Of Lane's (1989) Attitudes Toward The Elderly Scale Extending Fazio's Process Model Of Attitude-Behaviour Correspondence, Donna-Marie Martin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this study was twofold: to extend Fazio’s (1986) model of attitude-behaviour correspondence within the context of attitudes toward the elderly, and to further develop Lane’s (1989) Attitudes Toward the Elderly Scale (ATES) and assess its construct validity. In the first phase, 452 introductory students completed a modified version of Lane’s (1989) ATES, a measure of experience with the elderly, and Snyder’s (1974) Self-Monitoring Scale. During phase 2, six weeks later, participants evaluated a job candidate to investigate how the moderating variables of self-monitoring, salience, direct experience, and situational cues maximized or minimized attitude-behaviour correspondence. A total of …

Introducing The Living With Illness Group: A Specialized Treatment For Patients With Chronic Schizophrenic Conditions, Thomas G. Plante, Stephanie L. Pinder, David Howe

Psychology

This paper introduces a specialized psychotherapy/psychoeducational group treatment for patients with chronic psychotic symptoms who receive only partial benefit from psychotropic medications, psychotherapy, and milieu/activities therapy. The goal of the group is to assist patients to accurately identify the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that are dysfunctional symptoms of their disability and then use the functional aspects of their brain as well as learned coping strategies to compensate for their disability. The group format, philosophy, procedures, and typical topics of discussion are detailed.

Power And The Social Order: Sex Role Stereotyping In Children's Television, Christine Burke

Honors Theses

The aim of this study is to offer an assessment of the common themes in feminist, Lacanian psychoanalytic and deconstructionist theory. It will then discuss the degree to which these three discourses allow us to grasp the implications of the political socialization which occurs through television programming directed primarily at children.

There are points of commonality and discordance between these approaches. My aim will not be to make the argument that one approach is best, nor to arrive at a final synthesis. Rather, I construe these theoretical approaches as different lenses through which we can apprehend and evaluate the messages …

Satisfaction With Social And Residential Environments Of Adults With Mental Retardation In Supported Independent Living And Group Homes, Shelley L. Potter

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The philosophy that has permeated Ontario’s policies and planning in the realm of adults with mental retardation has been that of integration into the community. Community based residences vary greatly in terms of size, type, and care given; however they generally fall in the category of the “least restrictive alternative”. The present study is focused on the similarities and distinctions between two of these alternatives, and in the satisfaction experienced by the consumers in these two programs themselves: community group homes and supported independent living programs. In the present study interviews with 40 adults with mental retardation were conducted. Twenty …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of A Community Development Process Within A Housing Co-Operative, Gwenith Page-Clemmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community development has been credited for numerous achievements since the turn of the century. Its premise and theory have been applied to a multitude of settings and cultures. Although the contexts are forever changing, the fundamental philosophy is still the same, to create in each individual a desire to work together for the overall good of the community. This thesis examines one community development project, its context, and process, and evaluates its effects using a qualitative approach. Russet Homes, a rehabilitative cooperative opened its doors to community development in 1985. Transformed from a typical townhouse project into a cooperative, Russet …

Silencing In Public Schools, Michelle Fine

Publications and Research

Demands for silencing signify a terror of words, a fear of talk. This essay examines these demands as they echoed through a comprehensive public high school in New York City. The silencing resounded in words and in their absence; the demands emanated from the New York City Board of Education, book publishers, corporate sponsors, religious institutions, administrators, teachers, parents, and students. In the odd study of what's not said in public schools, one must be curious about whom silencing protects, but vigilant about how silencing students and their communities undermines fundamentally the vision of education as empowerment (Freire 1985; Shor …

Stress And Social Support A Comparison Of Single And Partnered Adolescent Mothers, Lillian J. Burke

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Knowledge of stress and support experienced by adolescent parents may allow for the development of more appropriate or useful interventions. As some adolescent parents are single, and others are in a partnered relationship, it would seem that the examination and comparison of these two groups would yield information that could assist in making inventions more specific to the needs of each group. The current study was designed to examine the stresses being experienced by the adolescent mother and the supports which she perceives as being available to her. Thirty-two adolescent mothers participated in the research: Each had one child between …

The Creation Of A Multi-Ethnic Housing Cooperative A Social Intervention, Mary Sehl

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present study documents the development of the Housing Working Group—a group which investigated strategies to improve the housing situation of new Canadians in Kitchener-Waterloo—and the subsequent formation of the founding board of directors of a multi-ethnic housing cooperative. It emphasizes the importance of new Canadian involvement in the intervention and the need to view their empowerment as a long-term goal, attainable only after a series of small, measurable successes. The research revealed two dilemmas in the practice of community development. First, though the empowerment of powerless people requires their active participation in self-help projects, the interventionist cannot force them …

Finding Clinical Internships In Rural Settings: A Survey And Report, Jefferson A. Singer, Steven Heyman

Psychology Faculty Publications

Summarizes survey of American Psychological Association accredited clinical internships to determine extent of involvement with rural clients and opportunities for rural clinical/community work. Tables include list and brief description of 19 clinical internship programs with rural placements and 28 names and addresses for clinical internships with rural components.

The Counseling Center As A Healing Community : The Development Of A Model, Talitha Day Fair

Dissertations

In a pluralistic society alternative models for delivery of mental health services are needed to enhance theeffectiveness of professional therapy, to provide appropriate care for persons from various subcultures, and to increase job satisfaction and reduce the level of stress for therapists. This study proposes an alternative modelbased on the concept of a healing community.

Five alternative mental health programs qualifying as healing communities were observed to identify thetherapeutic dynamics in such settings. Communities observed were a self-contained village with mentally handicapped and normal adults, a church that functions as a community, a juvenile center, a self-help group, and a …

A Methodology For The Study Of Children's Environmental Knowledge In Other Cultures, Cindi Katz

Publications and Research

This paper presents a methodology which I used to study the content and acquisition of children's environmental knowledge as central to the social reproduction of a rural agricultural economy in the Sudan. My approach was forged drawing on methods of geography, linguistics and anthropology to provide information on (1) how children learn to interact productively with their environment, (2) the nature of their interactions and (3) their knowledge of environmental processes and resources. In this paper I will describe first the methodology adopted including participant observation, ethnosemantic interviews, child-led walks, environmental modeling and "geo-dramas". I will then discuss its use …

The Evolution In Canada Of The Citizen's Movement Against Nestle, 1978-1984: A Descriptive Study, Deacute Bryant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This is an historical study of a social action. The purpose of the study was two-fold: 1) to document the evolution in Canada of the infant formula controversy, and 2) to use the intervention as a case example with which to propose a theoretical model of social action. In Canada the history of the controversy went from 1978 to 1984. During that time action groups for activists and industry reported similar changes in focus. Their targeted audiences changed from being the general public to being the “power elite”: professionals with political clout and money. The primary topics and groups advocated …

Recipient Reactions To Aid Reciprocity And Self-Esteem, Ronald Douglas Rankmore

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to determine to what extent the clients of the Ontario March of Dames – Assistive Device Program experienced negative reactions to aid across three conditions: 1) no reciprocity condition, 2) voluntary reciprocity condition and 3) financial reciprocity condition. Dependent variable measures assessing negative reactions to aid were: a) self-esteem scores on the Phillips Self-Acceptance Scale (Phillips, 1951), b) length of delay to approach the program, c) feelings of approaching the agency as measured by a seven item, five point semantic differential scale and reason for delay if any was indicated, and d) choice for …

A Case Study Of A Utilization-Focused Evaluation Involving Two Community-Based Family Services, Giles Reneacute Charbonneau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to study a utilization-focused model developed to evaluate two small community-based family services. The case study method allowed for an intensive investigation of the model so that it could be determined whether or not it contributed to increased utilization of evaluation findings. The research, conducted over a period of two years, involved the participation of committees, selected by the Board of Directors of both organizations, to work with a researcher to develop a program evaluation. Results indicate that involving decision-makers from these organizations in the design and implementation of the evaluation was critical to …

The Latin American Experience In Applying Social Psychology To Community Change, Gerardo Marín

Psychology

No abstract provided.

Validity Of The Revised Beta Examination Second Edition For Use With A Multiply Handicapped Population, Cluster Glenn Robbins Jr.

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Cluster Glenn Robbins, Jr. in January of 1983.

An Exploration Of Native Leadership In One Community, Sylvia L. Kahgee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined leadership structure and processes in one reserve community. Forty Native subjects (21 males and 19 females) volunteered to participate in the study. Their mean age was 33.45 years (S.D. = 16.70 years), and ranged from 16-72 years. Three groups were studied: 1) Formal leaders, who currently held elected positions of chief or councilor. 2) Informal leaders, identified by community members as those people, excluding formal leaders, who help others in the community. 3) Community members presently living on the reserve. The chief and three councilors (all males) were the formal leaders. There were two male and two …

Developing A Sense Of Community: A Description Of The Process And Theoretical Considerations, Patricia Irene Mcinnis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study develops an understanding of the process of community development. The first part of the study presents a historical and theoretical consideration of the value of a psychological sense of community and the absence of this in today’s society. This section also introduces the concept of community development and its potential for creating a sense of community within a specific locality.

The research approach is described and is supplemented by an explanation of the role of the researcher as a part of the setting. The researcher’s entry and effort to gain a sense of legitimation in the setting is …

Sexual Attitudes And Behavior As A Function Of Religiosity In The Appalachian College Student, Kimberly Kay Mcclanahan

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Psychology by Kimberly Kay McClanahan in August of 1980.

The Effects Of High Versus Low Amplitude Training Of 9-13 Hertz Eeg Activity On The Seizure Rate Of Refractory Epileptics, Bob Dubinsky

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assimilation And Acculturation In The Middle Eastern Community Of Jacksonville, Florida, Gladys David Howell

Correspondence and Textual Material

No abstract provided.

Intrinsic-Extrinsic Religious Motivation And Patterns Of The Self-Concept : An Analysis Of Selected Single Young Adults Of The North Caribbean Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Eugene F. Daniel

Dissertations

Problem. The development of an authentic Christian lifestyle is commonly accepted as a desirable goal which the church organization seeks to foster. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has accepted the development of the Christian personality within the youth and young adults as one of its goals. The purposeof this study was to investigate the relationship between intrinsic-extrinsic religious motivation and patterns of self-concept for a selected sample of single young adults of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Since earlier studies have postulated negative and positive relationships between religious motivation andthe self-concept, there was a need to know if a significant relationship existed …

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.