Psychology Commons^™

Discriminatory Analysis Of The Children's Depression Inventory, Montez Vaughn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was designed as a screening measure to assess the severity of depressive symptomatology experienced by school-aged children. This study attempted to determine the discriminatory capacity of the CDI among clinical populations. The subjects included 115 children ages 7 to 17, 6 female, 109 male. Twenty-two were Caucasian, 63 were Hispanic, 26 were Black. The study population was primarily homogeneous for the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder, incarcerated adolescent males (ages 16 to 17), limiting generalizability and findings.

Total Scores were not found to discriminate depressed subjects from non-depressed subjects. Total Scores were found to distinguish incarcerated …

Treatment Of Specific Animal Phobias And The Relationship Of An Opiate Antagonist To Outcome, Andrea T. Kozak

Dissertations

Previous research with non-humans, and humans to a lesser degree, suggest the endogenous opiate system is at work to assist an organism in times of pain or stress. One-session exposure treatment is an effective treatment for specific animal phobia and entails modest degrees of stress during implementation. At the present time, the mechanisms at work that facilitate the success of this intervention have been incompletely investigated. The focus of the present study was to determine whether the endogenous opiate system is activated during the treatment of persons with specific animal phobias. In a double-blind investigation, 15 individuals with specific animal …

A Behavior Systems Analysis Approach To Designing A Hlgh-Impact Knowledge Management System, Jacalyn S. Smeltzer

Dissertations

Behavior systems analysis is an approach to designing and managing systems that incorporates the human-performance-technology model of systems analysis and considers the basic principles of behavior when analyzing causes of performance deficiencies and in selecting interventions to address those deficiencies. Behavior systems analysis focuses on three major conditions that influence behavior: (1) the motivation of the individual, (2) the immediate environmental cues, and (3) the consequences of behavior (Malott & Garcia, 1987; Suarez, 2001). The present study used behavior systems analysis to design a knowledge management system (independent variable) for a small business, a consulting firm in the employer-provided training …

Cultural And Psychological Influences On Diabetic Adherence, Keikilani Mcmillin-Williams

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease that poses a particular healthcare challenge because progression is considered controllable (Cox, et al, 1985; Vinicor, et al, 1996) yet treatment adherence, and thus outcome, is very poor (Gonder-Frederick, Cox, & Ritterband, 2002; Goodall, 1991). Culture is a lethal risk factor for diabetic contraction and treatment maintenance. Latinos within the United States are two-to-three times more likely to develop complications and die than non-Latinos (Haffner et al, 1996; Rubin, Peyrot, & Saudek, 1991) and are less likely to adhere to treatment (Lipton, Losey, Giachello, Mendez, & Girotti, 1998). Efforts to eliminate health disparities have …

Changes In False Memories Over Time, Justin Arneson

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Effects Of The Selective Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonist, Nafadotride, On The Development Of Behavioral Sensitization To Cocaine, Yu Liu

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts by Yu Liu on April 3, 2003.

An Experimental Analysis Of The Effects Of Reading Interventions In A Small Group Reading Instruction Context, Christine M. Bonfiglio

Dissertations

The validation of specific reading intervention components in increasing oral reading fluency is evident within the literature for academic responding. However, much of the literature examines these components using single-case designs on an individual basis across students. This study utilized response-guided experimentation in the context of a small group reading instruction with four 4th graders (three male and one female) while examining individual patternsof student responding for oral reading fluency. Acquisition, fluency, and consequential components were examined in a dismantling fashion. Sequential modifications of the treatment package and its components were utilized within a multiple-baseline design in order to identify …

Identifying The Function Of Aberrant Behavior: Comparing Variations Of The Experimental Functional Analysis, Kathryn M. Potoczak

Dissertations

The advent of the experimental functional analysis has had a significant effect on the field of behavior analysis in shifting the focus from topography-based interventions for aberrant behavior to treatment based on function. The original method developed by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman in 1982 utilized attention, demand, alone, and play conditions in a multielement design. Its effectiveness in determining the function of aberrant behavior using both antecedents and corresponding contingencies of reinforcement is well established, and it is the most prevalent method of functional assessment used today.

However, an alternative to the Iwata et al. (1982) procedure exists. …

A Comparison Between Amount Of Television Viewing Time And Attentional Abilities, Gwendolyn Lawrence Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between television viewing time and auditory attention with the effects of development examined. The study used 64 females and 29 males who were in regular and special education classes (i.e., 24 third graders, 32 fourth graders and 37 fifth graders). The researcher constructed two instruments to obtain data about TV viewing time. The Stanford Achievement Test - Ninth Edition (SAT9) Listening Subtest raw score was used as a measure of attention, while the SAT9 Total Basic Skills (TBS) raw score was used as a measure of overall achievement. Data about …

Analysis Of Locus Of Control And Educational Level Utilizing The Internal Control Index, Valerie L. Smith

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study is a comparison of Locus of Control as measured by the Internal Control Index (ICI) between adult subjects of high school education or less and adult subjects attending graduate school or of graduate school education or above. The study was conducted to determine if the Internal Control Index for the graduate level educated population was significantly different from that of the non-college-educated population. The Internal Control Index (ICI), by Patricia Duttweiler was used as the instrument for this study. A sample of 100 male and female subjects was used from the West Virginia and Ohio areas. Each participant …

An Examination Of Personality As A Predictor Of Guard Behavior In A Virtual Environment, Jean M. Catanzaro

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Military personnel need access to realistic training tools that can provide a safe environment in which to acquire skills that will generalize to real world tasks. A virtual environment (VE) is one such tool. The focus of the present study was to evaluate a VE as a training tool for military guards. The first goal was to examine the potential of VE technology to provide effective training for standing watch at a military checkpoint. The second goal was to study a set of personality traits that might predict performance. Participants completed the NEO Personality Inventory and were trained to perform …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Loneliness And Internet Use Among University Students, Katherine L. Dittmann

Dissertations

Problem . Research investigating the relationship between loneliness and various dimensions of Internet use is mixed. While some studies support the connection, other studies refute the link. More analysis in this area is needed to help clinicians, parents, college students, school counselors, and educators better understand the effects of the Internet on college-age students. This study attempts to expand understanding of the conflictual relationship that exists between loneliness and the dynamics of Internet use in undergraduate students.

Method . Four-hundred sixty-six randomly selected Andrews University undergraduate students who lived in residence halls, university apartments, and the community completed the UCLA …

The Effects Of Group Size On Incentive Effectiveness: A Meta-Analysis, Angelica C. Grindle

Dissertations

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effects of group size on incentive effectiveness using data obtained from incentive systems implemented in 13 companies. Other predictor variables included the organizational level targeted for improvement, long/short-term profitability type, company number, and length of exposure to the incentive system. The main dependent variable was the monthly score for each measure of performance. Three types of meaningful comparisons were defined for these data: (1) Between-Group - Within-Company comparisons in which a performance measure was in place in two or more units of an organization; (2) Between-Group - Across-Company comparisons in which a performance …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Activation Therapy In The Treatment Of Acute Unipolar Depression, Jenifer M. Cullen

Dissertations

The present study sought to investigate the clinical effectiveness of Behavioral Activation (BA) Therapy, the behavioral activation component of Beck's Cognitive Therapy (CT; Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979). Seventeen adults seeking mental health services for Unipolar Depression were recruited from the Kalamazoo and Southwestern Michigan regions. All participants were randomly assigned to either (a) an Immediate Treatment Group, or (b) a waitlist control group, while both received 10 weeks o f BA therapy. Depressive symptomatology for both conditions were assessed at pretreatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, Ball, & Ranieri, 1996), the …

Social Anxiety: Attentional Bias In Reaction To Emotional Faces Before And After Participation In A College Level Public Speaking Course, Scott Walter Maieritsch

Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a semester-long public speaking course in reducing the self-reported levels of communication anxiety and social anxiety among college students enrolled in such a course. The current study also sought to replicate and extend a recent line of research that has demonstrated that highly socially anxious individuals show an attentional bias away from emotional faces under conditions of social-evaluative threat. The current study extended this line of research by conducting the same reaction time procedure with participants in a pretest/post-test design. The project was designed to determine if groups (rating high vs. …

An Examination Of The Effects Of Fluency Training On Retention, Distractibility, And Generativity, Victoria Mary Pellettiere

Dissertations

The Precision Teaching movement grew out of a commitment to use frequency as a universal measure of behavior, as well as the desire to employ research methods derived from the experimental analysis of behavior in education (Lindsley, 1991). One component of instruction employing the precision teaching model is fluency training that typically involves exposing learners to the training materials until they have met criteria for both accuracy and speed. Proponents of fluency training ascribe a number of specific benefits to this instructional tool. Lindsley (1992, 1995) and others (Binder, 1993, 1996; Haughton, 1981b) suggested that fluency training enhances retention, endurance, …

Lever-Press Acquisition By Rats: Effects Of Some Historical Variables, Susan M. Snycerski

Dissertations

Traditionally, behavior analysts and behavioral pharmacologists have emphasized the study of steady-state behavior, while neglecting behavior in transition. In the last 10 years, researchers in these fields have begun to investigate behavioral transitions, particularly the transition from near-zero to above-zero responding involved in response acquisition. This research has focused on variables (e.g., reinforcement delay) that affect acquisition and on procedures (e.g., resetting vs. nonresetting delays) used to assess acquisition. Most studies of acquisition have provided their subjects with behavioral histories prior to testing for acquisition, but few have systematically investigated the importance of historical variables. Consequently, the present study examined …

The California Psychological Inventory As An Assessment Method Of Behavioral Change In First-Time Expectant Fathers, Michaela R. Jellen-Tennant

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty-four randomly recruited first-time expectant fathers, ages 24 years to 38 years were individually administered the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) during the first and third trimester of their wife’s pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to assess whether there are attitudinal, behavioral, and personality changes that occur in an expectant father over the course of his wife’s pregnancy. It was hypothesized that the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), which is designed to measure interpersonal behavioral attitudes, behavioral patterns, and personality traits, was able to detect that change. The results suggested that no significant change occurred in the expectant father’s attitude, …

Love Attitudes: A Developmental Process In First Time Fathers, Dennis Klenowski

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty-four first time expectant fathers age 20 to 38 were individually administered a set of behavior and attitude assessments during the first, second, and third trimesters of their wives pregnancy. This particular study focused on the Love Attitudes Scale. Research indicates that fathers are expected to go through behavior and attitude changes during their wives pregnancy due to several possible reasons like stress, an unhappy marriage, or love development. The main objective of this study was to measure whether or not first time expectant fathers experienced any significant attitude changes during the pregnancy. A second objective was examining if certain …

The Relationship Between Education And Police Stress: Bachelor's Degree Versus High School, Cathy S. Gatson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sixty law enforcement officers from the largest municipality in the state of West Virginia were evaluated concerning levels of stress or anxiety experienced from organizational issues and interdepartmental rules and regulations. These findings were subsequently compared with the officers level of educational attainment, specifically Bachelor’s degree versus high school education. Specifically, comparisons were made regarding officers with a Bachelor’s degree and those with high school education and scores from the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, the Job Satisfaction Index, and the Stress Quiz. Additionally, comparisons of the scores were made between officers with a Bachelor’s degree and officers with a …

Attitudinal And Behavioral Changes Demonstrated By Expectant Fathers As Measured By The Index Of Self Esteem, Terry G. Savage

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty married men who were expecting their first child were tested in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy with the Index of Self Esteem to see if the subjects experienced a significant drop in self esteem during the course of pregnancy. The current study focused on the attitudinal and behavioral changes in the subjects as measured by the index of self-esteem. A decrease in self-esteem of the expectant fathers was not found, however the lack of diversity within the sample may account for the results. It would be necessary to conduct more extensive research to be more representative …

Marital Satisfaction In First Time Fathers, Sonya J. Tarsoly

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty-four randomly recruited first time , married fathers were individually administered a battery of tests in the first trimester, second trimester and third trimester of their wives' pregnancies to ascertain if attitudinal and behavioral changes occured. This study focuses on the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) which was part of the battery. The RAS is a self -reported assessment of relationship satisfaction. Only thirty-one participants were included due to attrition. No significant change was found.

Using Latent Semantic Analysis To Assess Reader Strategies, Joseph P. Magliano, Katja Wiemer-Hastings, Keith K. Millis, Brenton D.. Muñoz, Danielle Ncnamara

Psychology Faculty Publications

We tested a computer-based procedure for assessing reader strategies that was based on verbal protocols that utilized latent semantic analysis (LSA). Students were given self-explanation-reading training (SERT), which teaches strategies that facilitate self-explanation during reading, such as elaboration based on world knowledge and bridging between text sentences. During a computerized version of SERT practice, students read texts and typed self-explanations into a computer after each sentence. The use of SERT strategies during this practice was assessed by determining the extent to which students used the information in the current sentence versus the prior text or world knowledge in their self-explanations. …

Social, Religious, And Personal Contributors To Prejudice, Robert Lundblad

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Prejudicial beliefs and behaviors have been viewed from numerous perspectives. Four factors, religious attitudes, pride of in-group membership, traditional beliefs, and certain personality types, have individually been shown to be associated with prejudice. Some researchers have looked at a few of these factors together, but none have looked at all four together to examine potential relationships and their individual contribution to prejudicial thinking. This research is designed to investigate attitudes toward out-groups, sources of prejudice, and religious outlook. Four measures of religious attitudes, the Quest scale of the Religious Life Inventory (RLI), the Intrinsic and Extrinsic scales from the Religious …

Comparison And Generalization Of Behavioral And Cognitive-Behavioral One-Session Exposure Treatments For Small Animal Phobias, Ellen I. Koch

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Factors Involved In Ratings Of Treatment Acceptability For Trichotillomania, Amy J. Elliott

Dissertations

Based on the literature, trichotillomania (or chronic hair pulling) appears to be responsive to behavioral interventions, with habit reversal as the most promising intervention. Habit reversal has been shown effective with children and adults of varying levels of severity, but some have questioned the generality and acceptability of the procedure. Little is known about the acceptability of interventions for habit disorders. These two research studies were designed to answer questions regarding the acceptability of behavioral and pharmacological interventions for trichotillomania and to expand the conceptual knowledge of treatment acceptability.

Study 1 compared the acceptability of four interventions targeting trichotillomania. The …

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 …

Executive Coaching As An Individually Tailored Consultation Intervention: Does It Increase Leadership?, Sheila Kampa-Kokesch

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: (a) consolidate/critique the executive coaching practice literature and empirical research to determine what is known about executive coaching as an individual consultation intervention, and (b) provide additional knowledge about outcomes by testing whether executive coaching affects leadership as measured by the MLQ 5x (Short Form) (Bass & Avolio, 1995).

Twenty-seven coaches, 50 clients (pre/early- or post/later coaching), and 62 direct-report/peers participated. Coaches provided demographic information, invited client participation, and distributed surveys to clients. Clients provided demographic information, rated themselves on a leadership instrument, and invited direct-report/ peer participation. Direct-report/peers rated clients’ leadership using …

New Teachers’ Perceptions Of Discipline-Related School Problems And Teacher Satisfaction, Amy L. Kavanaugh

Dissertations

Satisfaction The public is concerned with school safety because of recent school shootings resulting in multiple deaths. Educators are concerned that perceptions of school safety may affect new teacher attrition.

Three questions were examined in this study: (1) What is the trend of new teachers’ perceptions of discipline-related school problems? (2) Do new teachers’ perceptions of school problems vary by teacher gender, school level, size, location, and percentage of minority students?, and (3) Are new teachers’ perceptions of school problems related to their professional satisfaction?

National data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics through the Schools and Staffing …

Chronic Restraint Stress Enhances Radial Arm Maze Performance In Female Rats, Rachel E. Bowman, Mark C. Zrull, Victoria N. Luine

Psychology Faculty Publications

Effects of chronic restraint stress (21 and 28 days) on physiological and behavioral parameters in female rats were examined. Total (bound and free) and free corticosterone (CORT) levels were measured at different time points during the stress period. Higher total CORT levels were observed in stressed rats during the stress period but returned to baseline at 15 days poststress. Additionally, free CORT levels decreased across the stress period. Estrous cyclicity was monitored daily in all animals. Stress had no apparent effects on estrous cyclicity, in rats with either normal length or elongated estrous cycles, but stressed females gained less weight …