Psychology Commons^™

Preventing Childhood Depression By Building Resiliency In Children, Sarah Carroll

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature is a report of the success of programs designed to prevent childhood depression by building resiliency. Research results indicate that prevention programs focused on teaching children and parents coping skills, changing negative thought patterns, social problem solving, teaching the symptoms of childhood depression and how to discuss it with children, and fostering resiliency have reduced the incidence of depression in children (Comer, 1985; Gladstone & Beardslee, 2000; Seligman, 1995).

Additional research needs to address the following questions: a) How does building resilience differ for children from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds? b) . What are the …

When The Wildebeest Gets Your Berries : Adolescent Anger Management, Patresa A. Hartman

Graduate Research Papers

This study presents a review of literature regarding adolescent anger management. Problematic anger is defined as externalizing or internalizing behaviors that occur frequently enough and at a high enough level of intensity to: (1) disrupt one's everyday functioning at school, home, and/or in the community; and (2) impair one's relationships with others and one's own self-concept. The causes can be traced to a myriad of possible sources: cognitive problems; developmental problems; chronic irritability, agitation, volatility, or mood instability; or environmental stressors.

This review of studies regarding adolescent anger management programs leads to the following suggestions for school psychologists: (1) understand …

“In Our Own Words”: Exploring Female Psychosocial Student Development, Elizabeth Maier Marietta

Dissertations

On a continual basis student affairs professionals apply Chickering’s (1969) theory of psychosocial student development theory to their work with college students (Evans, Forney, & Guido-DiBrito, 1998; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). In order to best serve their students it is, therefore, critical that the theory be accurate and representative. While Chickering’s theory has received much acclaim, it has also been criticized throughout the years, particularly in the area of female student development (Straub, 1987; Straub & Rodgers, 1986; Taub, 1995; Taub & McEwen,1991). The purpose of the present study is to supplement existing theory by moving away from conceptual assertions …

Quality Of Life Factors Among Recovering Alcoholics, George Edwin Compton Jr.

Dissertations

The inspiration for undertaking the current research came from the Student Investigator’s own experience of 19 years in recovery from alcoholism. During his early years in graduate school, the Student Investigator witnessed occasional misunderstandings among some academics and helping professionals regarding the nature of alcoholism, and, specifically, the tasks involved in sustaining enduring recovery from alcoholism. Thus, this dissertation research, which has sought to examine, through qualitative research methodology, the factors involved in achieving and sustaining quality of life in extended recovery from alcoholism was undertaken.

Several authors have noted the need for research which focuses on long-term recovery from …

Understanding The Relationships Among Counseling Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, Developmental Level, Coursework, Experience, And Counselor Performance, Catherine E. Kocarek

Dissertations

Bandura’s (1977, 1982) Self-Efficacy Theory and later Social Cognitive Theory (1986) provided the theoretical framework for understanding counselor self-efficacy (CSE). Bandura’s theory has been utilized in many different areas; however, in this study the focus was counselor self-efficacy (CSE) and its importance to counselor training. Variables within the CSE literature such as anxiety, trainee developmental level, amount of training, counseling experience, and counselor performance were identified. The first purpose of this study was to use the first five variables to predict their influences on counselor performance. The second purpose was to examine two variables, CSE and developmental level, at three …

Self-Criticism As Experienced By Performing Artists A Phenomenological Study, Rosemary Hakes

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and document the essence of the experience of self-criticism for performing artists with the aim of providing recommendations for educational and therapeutic purposes. Moustakas (1994) defines essence as “that which is common or universal, the condition or quality without which a thing would not be what it is” (p. 100). In this study a phenomenological research paradigm was used. Each step in the data reduction process built directly toward revelation of essence through synthesis.

The central question guiding this research was: What is the essence of self-criticism as it is experienced by …

The Influence Of Race On Ethical Decision-Making Regarding Nonsexual Dual Relationships, Beatrice Antly Tatem

Dissertations

Ethical decision-making is a crucial part of the daily practice of psychologists. Psychologists are faced with the challenge of developing ethical decision-making strategies that effectively address the dilemmas associated with dual relationships. Nonsexual dual relationship is defined in this research as a clinical professional relationship that occurs simultaneously with a nonsexual professional and/or personal relationship. Psychologists, regardless of the environment in which they work or the client population with whom they work, can experience a nonsexual dual relationship.

The current study investigated whether ethnographic therapist characteristics influence the interpretation and application of the APA Ethical Guidelines and thus psychologists’ decision-making …

Using Systems Perspectives In Supervision, Marilyn J. Montgomery, C. Bret Hendricks, Loretta J. Bradley

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

This article emphasizes the important contributions of systems theory in the supervision process. A case study is used to illustrate how attention to the systemic contexts of the client, the supervisee, and the supervision process itself enlarges the possibilities for helpful change. The unifying themes of many systems theories are identified (diagnosing the system, viewing problems in context, and focusing on systemic change), and techniques for keeping supervision systemically focused are suggested. The usefulness of systems perspectives for conceptualizing diverse cultural influences and for framing advocacy efforts is explored. In addition, the supervision goals of three common systems-based approaches (structural, …

Theories Of Crying, Jeffrey A. Kottler, Marilyn J. Montgomery

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

It was dark outside, and cold, so cold the man’s eyes stung from the moisture on his lids. He was hunched over, trying to make himself as small a target as possible against the frigid wind. He shuffled along at an unsteady gait, trying to keep his balance on the slick sidewalk. Occasionally, he would stop, peek out from under his hood to reorient himself in the blowing snow, and then step cautiously but purposefully onward toward his destination.

Feminist Perspectives On Erikson’S Theory: Their Relevance For Contemporary Identity Development Research, Gwendolyn T. Sorell, Marilyn J. Montgomery

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

In view of recent controversies about theory and self, identity development re- searchers need to examine the utility of their own theory. In an effort to begin this enterprise, we define what we see as the central concerns of Erikson’s theory—a life- span, psychosocial emphasis, and the notion of agentic identity development—and use a feminist standpoint analysis to examine the usefulness of these aspects of his theory in a rapidly changing, multicultural context. We critique the theory’s emphasis on biology as a significant component of psychosocial development, including the emphasis on the biological distinctiveness of women and men as an …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : Is It A Behavior Disorder Or Active Childhood Behavior?, Larry G. Scheel

Graduate Research Papers

Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder constitutes 33 to 50% of mental health referrals for children, an increasing number of researchers has begun to question the validity of ADHD as a legitimate diagnosis. Eberstadt in her 1999 review stated, "Society has changed since the mid-1980s to view what may be normal childhood activity as lack of behavioral compliance" (p.1). Could the prevalence of ADHD simply be an increasingly active society's response to normal, active childhood behavior? The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of ADHD and explore assessment methods. Data from current literature and personal interviews with recognized professionals …

Opportunity Knocks Only Once? Challenging Common Beliefs About Adulthood, Marilyn Montgomery, Camille Debell, Patricia R. Mccarthy, Gerald Parr

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

Growth-oriented groups for adults are designed to help individuals learn about themselves for the purpose of making constructive life changes. While the success of such groups always depends to some extent on individual characteristics (e.g., motivation, openness to experience), group success can also be affected by members' beliefs or stereotypes about appropriate age-related behaviour. In this article, proverbs such as Don't change horses mid-stream or Opportunity knocks only once are targeted for discussion by group participants as a means of identifying irrational beliefs, confronting stereotypes, promoting flexible thinking, and examining acceptable adult behaviour.

Sorrow Into Joy: A Phenomenological Study Of Adult Women Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Eldine M. Webster

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn how six mid-life women who had been sexually abused as children perceived the way in which that early experience had impacted their life to date. Using a phenomenological qualitative life-history approach, each participant was interviewed for a period of from one to three hours. Content analysis of the interviews and member-checking with participants who volunteered to do so resulted in eight major themes emerging from the data: memories, family, career, addictions, depression, boundaries and embodiment, counseling, and synchronicity. The last theme, synchronicity, very closely related to the concept of spirituality and a …

Ultimate Coping Strategies: The Differences Among Parents Of Murdered Or Abducted, Long-Term Missing Children, Robert F. Deyoung

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to assess, through naturalistic inquiry, the differences between and relationships among coping strategies of parents of murdered or abducted, long-term missing children, where the offender was non-familial. Multiple data sources were used to examine two areas: The perceptive differences of coping among parents of murdered children in contrast to parents of abducted, long-term missing children, where the offender was non-familial; and the ways in which coping strategies of parents of murdered children differ from the coping strategies of parents of abducted, long-term missing children, where the offender was non-familial.

This phenomenological study used …

Religion And Spirituality In Counseling : A Multicultural Perspective, Linda G. Culbertson

Graduate Research Papers

As the counseling profession moves into the 21st Century a greater emphasis is being placed on multicultural and spiritual issues. It is difficult to see how the two entities can be separated. When counselors ignore that a client is Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Christian with the unspoken assumption that religion is irrelevant .to their issues, this may jeopardize the forming of an effective therapeutic relationship (Burke, et al., 1999). Knowledge of religion and spiritual beliefs of ethnic groups can help professionals provide care that is culturally specific and sensitive to the beliefs of the individual (Bibbins, 2000).

Membership At Risk: Representation Of Disability In Popular Counselor Education Textbooks, Nancy A. Rosenau

Dissertations

Representations of disability in American culture are saturated with negative images and meanings. Pervasive negativity threatens full societal membership and its related benefits of a sense of belonging, connectedness, and inclusion, and a source of identity, social networks and empowerment for people with disabilities.

Disability pride is a resistant movement that seeks to denaturalize assumptions about the negative experience of disability. The multicultural turn in counseling recognizes that competent practice requires awareness of diverse groups in society. Disability as the largest minority group in the U.S. requires counselor awareness. This study examined the representation of disability in a sample of …

Counselor-Client Value Similarity And Dissimilarity, The Working Alliance, And Counseling Outcome, Lynn Nylund Lupini

Dissertations

Previous research in client-counselor value similarity and outcome studies has produced contradictory results. In the present study, an expanded model of Vervaeke, Vertommen, and Storms’ (1997) value similarity construct was used to measure the degree of similarity and dissimilarity of values within the counseling dyad. The first purpose of the present study was to investigate the interrelationships among the client-counselor value similarity and dissimilarity, the working alliance and counseling outcome. The second purpose was to determine if the working alliance was a mediating factor between value (dis)similarity and counseling outcome, thus, providing insight into the previous contradictory results within the …

Online Counseling: Much To Do About Nothing In The Political World?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes some of the common issues in assessing the efficacy of online counseling.

"Spiritual Roots Of Ethical Marital Therapy", Wendy Watson Nelson

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Research Into The Relationships Among Multicultural Training, Racial And Gender Identity Attitudes And Multicultural Competencies For Counselors, Debbie Koeltzow

Dissertations

This study explored the relationships among multicultural training, racial identity attitudes, gender identity attitudes, and multicultural competencies in counseling trainees. Two principal research hypotheses were generated. The first generally stated hypothesis was that racial identity and gender identity represent parallel processes for those whose racial and gender identities share a cultural status (minority-minority or majority-majority) and are independent processes for those whose identities do not share a cultural status (minority-majority). The second generally stated hypothesis was that multicultural training predicts racial identity attitudes, gender identity attitudes, and multicultural competencies, and that both racial and gender identity attitudes predict multicultural competencies. …

The Role Of Amcap And The Amcap Journal: Past, Present And Future: A Conversation With Burton C. Kelly, Phd, Carrie M. Wrigley

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Burton C. Kelly, PhD, has been one of AMCAP's most faithful and fruitful contributors since its earliest years. He served from 1977-1978 as AMCAP's third President, and from 1982- 1987, as Journal Editor, during the journal's most prolific season to date. He has also served in a number of leadership capacities in other professional organizations. He earned a PhD in Human Development and Psychology from the University of Chicago and has served in many Church capacities over the years, including Bishop and Stake Mission President, and has served four full-time missions. Dr. Kelly retired ten years ago from BYU after …

Integrating Spirituality Into Mental Health Counseling, Mary Jane Madsen

Graduate Research Papers

This paper represents an attempt to bring together information from the existing literature that, when combined, could form a basic framework of thought and application for counselors who wish to integrate spirituality into mental health counseling. As mental health counseling students or more seasoned professionals consider this information, they may choose to take practical ideas into their work with clients, or at least become more involved in further reading and research on the topic. The paper concludes with a presentation of ethical issues that specifically relate to the integration of spirituality into the traditional mental health counseling paradigm.

Self-Mutilation : Using Pain To Cope, Wendy S. Cook

Graduate Research Papers

Self-mutilation is a serious mental and physical health problem that is often under-reported and misdiagnosed. The mutilation is a reaction to negative internal feelings, such as despair, anxiety, anger, or cognitive constriction. The goal of the self-mutilation is relief from emotional pain by using physical pain. The self-mutilator has low self-esteem, bouts of depression, difficulty forming intimate relationships, and usually suffered some type of trauma such as physical or sexual abuse. Pharmacological treatment for the self-mutilator has been experimental but has not been well researched. However, research seemed to indicate that individual and group therapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy, is helpful …

The Effects Of A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Intervention On Irrational Beliefs And Burnout Among Middle School Teachers In The State Of Iowa, Shirley Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) bibliotherapy intervention on the level of burnout and irrational beliefs. This study specifically examined the impact of a REBT bibliotherapy intervention on middle school teachers' irrational beliefs and level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1986) and the Irrational Beliefs Test (Jones, 1968).

The subjects in this study consisted of 167 middle school teachers in the State of Iowa. These teachers taught sixth, seventh, or eighth grade or a combination of these …

The Relationship Between Multicultural Counseling Competencies And Attitudes Toward African Americans Among White Female Graduate Students, Dianne T. Robinson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between multicultural counseling competencies and attitudes toward African Americans among White female graduate students in counseling psychology. Participants were 67 White female students enrolled in either the master’s or doctoral level counseling psychology programs in a large Midwestern university. Subjects were administered four instruments. Participants’ self-perceived competencies in multicultural counseling were measured by the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI, Sodowsky, Taffe, Gutkin, & Wise, 1994) and racial attitudes were measured by the Attitudes Toward Blacks Scale (ATB, Brigham, 1993). Demographic information as well as subjects’ level of participation in several activities …

Perceptions Of The Division Of Labor Roles In Dual-Career Households Of Married African American Couples, Karolyn H. Thompson

Dissertations

Perceptions and experiences among married African American couples residing in the Southeastern United States were examined in terms of the performance of tasks and childcare giving in dual-career households. A qualitative approach was used in this study and was guided by conceptual frameworks of cultural variations that include behaviors, attitudes, values, and beliefs. In-depth interviews conducted in the couples’ homes were used for data collection. The research population included 15 married African American couples affiliated with a Greek fraternal organization located in the Southeast. The couples were selected using purposeful sampling.

Participant perceptions of the division of labor roles in …

Majority And Minority Supervisees' Perceptions Of Clinical Supervision, Vivian Barnette

Dissertations

Perceptions of clinical supervision of 175 majority and minority counseling psychology doctoral students selected from a national pool was the study’s focal point. Instruments used were the Revised Relational Inventory (RRI; Barrett- Lennard, 1962; Schacht, Howe, & Berman, 1988) and the Supervision Perception Form-Trainee (SPF-T) developed by Heppner and Roehlke (1984). Participants were instructed to based their ratings on their last supervision experience. Data were collected and scored on the five subscales o f the RRI (Congruence, Empathetic Understanding, Regard, Unconditionality, and Willingness to be Known) and the two subscales of the SPF-T (Willingness to Learn and Supervisory Impact).

A …

Cognitive Components Of Social Anxiety: A Comparison Of Elderly And Young Adults, Jeffrey Alan Mcneil

Dissertations

The present study investigated the underlying cognitive elements of social anxiety in elderly and young adult samples. The young adult participants in this study were 99 undergraduate students from a Midwestern university, recruited through scheduled undergraduate classes from both the Communication and Education Departments. Fifty elderly participants from two independent living senior residence centers were recruited through organizational meetings and contacts coordinated through the housing director or the wellness director. One senior residential center was located in the Midwest, while the other was in the Southeast. The study employed well recognized self-report cognitive measures to assess social anxiety: the Fear …

Beyond The Study Of The Natural Man: A Gospel Perspective On Human Nature, Timothy B. Smith, Matthew Draper

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Paranoid Personality Disorder., Nancy S. Thurston

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Excerpt: "The core feature of a paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a longstanding, pervasive pattern of mistrust in the motives of others. Persons with this disorder assume that others have malevolent intentions to harm, exploit, or deceive them, even when no objective evidence exists. They ruminate over unfounded suspicions that their family and friends are disloyal and will scrutinize these relationships for evidence of untrustworthiness. In particular they are prone to pathological jealousy of their spouse or lover. They are often reluctant to confide in others out of fear that anything they say will be used against them. This makes …