Psychology Commons^™

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 …

Effect Of Music By Mozart And Sounds Claiming To Contain Beta-Frequency Enhancing Audio Signals On Backward Digit Span Recall, Bryan Pickett

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Neurofeedback is the process of monitoring and manipulating brainwaves. In 1976, Lubar and Shouse used neurofeedback to treat a child with Attention Deficit\ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The most typical method for treating ADHD is to increase beta waves (14+ Hz), which are linked with increased focus and attention and to decrease theta waves ( 4-8 Hz), which are linked to daydreaming states. Recently this principle of increasing focus and attention through increasing beta waves has been used in audio technology that claims to increase beta waves through sound. The idea that sound or music can increase a person's attention, and …

The Effects Of Cocaine And Morphine Alone And In Combination On The Development Of Behavioral Sensitization, James Espa Woods Ii

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by James Espa Woods II on April 19, 2001.

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 …

Promoting Healthy Behavior Change In Skin Cancer Risk Reduction Using The Transtheoretical Stages Of Change Model, Sherry L. Pagoto

Dissertations

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States with 20% of people developing some form of skin cancer in their lifetime (American Cancer Society, 1999). In spite of the high incidence of skin cancer, it is highly preventable. Approximately 90% of the cases are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun (Skin Cancer Foundation, 1992). The effect of an intervention aimed at reducing skin cancer risk was compared to a survey only control group in 99 Chicago beach-goers. The intervention was based on the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model (TTM) and included sun sensitivity …

Gender And Parenting Stress Using Abidin's Parenting Stress Index, K. Penny Nicholls

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effect of gender on parenting stress was studied on a sample of 56 parents at the time of custody disputes. Each pair of parents completed the Parenting Stress Index or the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form. Results were not significant when gender was matched to the total parent stress scores, indicating parent child stress was not associated with parent gender as was found in previous research.

Locus Of Control And Aggression, Glenna Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationship between locus of control and aggression in children was investigated. Twenty-five students from grades 5 through 8 from a rural public school in southern West Virginia were involved in the research. The students - completed the Children’s Nowicki- Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control scale, and the students’ teachers completed the Conners’ Global Index for measuring psychopathology and hyperactivity. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was utilized to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Alpha was set at .05. There was no significant relationship between locus of control and aggression in the children. Research suggests that the expression of aggression is …

Cognitive And Emotional Variables In Childhood Anxiety, Robin L. Browning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research was conducted on 60 subjects from mental health agencies in order to determine that childhood anxiety and depression can be differentiated. The 60 subjects were given the CDI and the RCMAS self-report measures in order to be placed in groups. This allowed the subjects to be divided into 4 groups: Anxious, Anxious/Depressed, Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed. The 4 groups were then given 2 additional self-report measures, the STAIC and FSSC -R to measure whether Anxious and the Anxious/Depressed children exhibited more fears and anxious traits than did the Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed children. Analyses of variance revealed …

Individual Differences And The Effects Of Time Of Day And Interference On Memory, Keelon L. Hinton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Using the Wickens, Born, Allen (1963) release from proactive interference paradigm, subjects were tested at both a morning and afternoon period in hopes of observing the effects time of day, age, and interference have on working memory. 42 college students and 21 participants over the age of 65 first completed the Horne-Ostberg (1976) questionnaire for morningness-eveningness. While most younger adults were evening and neutral types, the vast majority of older individuals showed a stronger preference for earlier hours of the day. Recall results indicated that recall performance of older participants decreased from morning to afternoon, while recall performance of younger …

Perceptual Cues And Subjective Organization In A Virtual Information Workspace, Todd M. Eischeid

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The key to effectively using the immense body of data on the Internet is an efficient method of organizing relevant information. Researchers and designers are beginning to promote the advantages of three-dimensional (3D) models of information storage and retrieval; however, the potential benefits of perceptual depth cues have not been systematically studied.

The present study used a computer task to examine the effectiveness of three types of virtual desktops. A two-dimensional (2D) virtual desktop display, lacking in the cues that give the illusion of depth, was compared to two different 3D virtual desktops, both of which used perceptual cues to …

An Open Label Study Of The Effects Of Levetiracetam In Children With Autism, Teresa C. Samsock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This was an open-label study of levetiracetam in children with autism. Many anticonvulsant medications are used for management of externalizing behaviors and mood stability in autism; however, they are not consistently effective and adverse reactions limit their use. The objective of this study was to test the following research questions: (1) to determine whether levetiracetam reduces problematic externalizing behaviors in children with autism, and (2) to determine whether a nootropic effect from levetiracetam may be seen in cognition, memory, and/or language function in children with autism. Evaluations were gathered pre-treatment and during treatment using a battery of cognitive and behavioral …

Chimpanzee-Caregiver Interactions In Captive Settings: The Effects Of "Cultures" Of Captive Management, Sarah Angela Baeckler

All Master's Theses

Interactions between chimpanzees and human caregivers can have profound effects on both the humans and the chimpanzees. These interactions were studied at three different facilities. Twenty-one chimpanzees and five caregivers were observed during their daily interactions over the course of approximately two weeks per facility. Results indicate differences in the types and styles of interactions that take place at each facility, and the relationships between the chimpanzees and their caregivers.

Implications for captive management were discussed.

Putting Quality Functional Assessment Into Practice In Schools: A Research Agenda On Behalf Of E/Bd Students, Mary M. Quinn, Robert A. Gable, Jim Fox, Robert B. Rutheford Jr., Richard Van Acker, Maureen Conroy

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The discipline provisions of the IDEA place emphasis on gaining an understanding of why the student is motivated to engage in problem behavior and to consider, when appropriate, positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address the behavior. These legislative mandates bring center stage a range of new duties and responsibilities for the IEP team. This article discusses the problems that school divisions across the country are encountering when implementing these requirements and recommends a course of research to address these issues.

Ivr Test & Survey: A Computer Program To Collect Data Via Computerized Telephonic Applications, Louis H. Janda, Michael Janda, Eric Tedford

Psychology Faculty Publications

Several studies have demonstrated the advantages of using interactive voice response (IVR) technology to collect self-report data from research participants and recipients of psychological/medical services. IVR allows participants to phone a computer and respond to recorded questions by pressing the appropriate touch-tone keys on their telephone. Because this technology offers substantial benefits in terms of cost and efficiency, it is surprising that it has not been more widely utilized by researchers and practitioners. Along with the automation of the administration and scoring of tests or surveys, IVR provides for questioning to be adapted to the participants' responses. One possible explanation …

Effects Of Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonism On The Development Of Behavioral Sensitization To Cocaine, Hong Dong

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Hong Dong on December 13, 2000.

Emotional Expressiveness And Problematic Behaviors Among Male Juvenile Sexual Offenders, General Offenders, And Nonoffenders, Carin M. Ness

Dissertations

This analytic variable study examined the potential differences that exist among male juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs), general offenders (GOs), and nonoffenders (NOs) on the emotional expressiveness variables of alexithymia and affective orientation, and three problematic behavior variables including self-defeating behavior, risk taking, and reckless behavior. It was hypothesized that JSOs and GOs would be statistically significantly different than NOs on all variables but not different from each other.

Hypotheses were tested by a MANOVA. When statistical significance was indicated, ANOVAs were computed to identify the specific groups and measures, which were statistically significant The significance level for all analyses was …

Causality Analysis Of Decision Entrapment, Chia-Wu Lin, Bor-Shiuan Cheng, Ming-Hong Tsai

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

"Decision entrapment" refers to the phenomenon that decision-makers commit to the negative or failure choices, and tend to throw more resources in some projects that seem to fail certainly. We try to combine two contradictory viewpoints, self-justification vs. information-processing perspectives, to clarify the causality of decision entrapment through experimental approach. Staw suggests that the emotional “self-justification" is the major mechanism of decision entrapment. Adopting the information-processing perspective, Kahneman & Tversky propose that “certainty effect" bring about perception distortion, which is the main cause of entrapment behavior. We used computer programs to simulate a decision-making scenario, and manipulated “personal responsibility" and …

The Supplemental Effects Of Feedback On Productivity Under Individual Incentives, Barbara R. Bucklin

Dissertations

This study examined the effects of an individual incentive system with and without feedback in order to determine if feedback supplements the effects of incentives. Participants were seven college students who performed a computerized work task called SYNWORK. SYNWORK presented four sub-tasks concurrently: memory, arithmetic, visual monitoring and auditory monitoring. Participants earned points for correct responses. Dependent variables were the total number of points earned, percent correct, and time-on-task. An ABAC within-subject reversal design was used with A = individual monetary incentives without feedback, B = individual monetary incentives with end-of-session feedback, and C = hourly pay with end-of session …

Affective Responses To Television Newscasts: Have You Heard The News?, Jessica Purtan Harrell

Dissertations

This study examined the impact o f television news viewing on affective responses in viewers. Participants watched a 10-minute newscast that contained only negative, only positive, or both negative and positive news stories at either 8:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. Negative news viewers showed elevations in anxiety and negative affect, while positive news viewers showed decreases in anxiety and negative affect. Watching a combined newscast resulted in no mood changes. Affective changes caused by watching the news were not maintained 3 hours after viewing, and morning versus evening viewing had no impact on mood responses to that news. While news …

The Experience Of Interpersonal Forgiveness: An Empirical-Phenomenological Investigation, Halimatun Halaliah Mokhtar

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the lived experience of interpersonal forgiveness of individuals (known as co-researchers) by employing the empirical-phenomenological method. This study aimed at identifying, understanding, and describing the general psychological meaning (Tesch, 1990) or the essences/structures (Moustakas, 1994) of the experience of the phenomenon through the protocols of these individuals. It was also a goal of this study to develop a psychological theory of interpersonal forgiveness.

A two-interview structure was conducted with eight individuals (three males and five females) who had forgiven their significant offending others. The first interview focused on the meaning and …

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.

Attitudes Of College Students Toward People With Disabilities, Doris M. King

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of college students toward individuals with disabilities. The instrument used was the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP), which was adapted to yield two additional scales. The words “mental illness” and “alcoholic” were substituted for “physically disabled”. The test was administered to undergraduate and graduate students in counseling and psychology.

Analysis of Variance was performed. The results showed a significant gender effect with females having more positive attitudes toward individuals with physical disabilities and mental illnesses. Both groups, males and females, had more positive attitudes toward individuals with physical disabilities …

A Holistic Approach To Managing Behavioral Issues With Persons With Mental Retardation In Extended Care Facilities, Darrell Lilly

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Providing long term care for individuals with mental retardation is one of the most difficult issues confronting mental health and extended care facilities. Inappropriate behaviors related to long term institutionalization present an exceptional challenge for those caring for persons with mental retardation. Applied Humanism emphasizes a holistic view of the person. It recognizes that encouragement, responsibility, the right of choice, and an understanding of human potential are important elements for helping mentally retarded persons develop socially appropriate behaviors. This study examined the principles of applied humanism in the management of inappropriate behaviors among mentally retarded persons in an extended care …

Macarthur Story-Stem Battery And Gender Differences, Gina Arnett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In this study the MacArthur Story-Stem Battery (MSSB; Bretherton, Oppenheim, Buchsbaum, Emde, & The MacArthur Narrative Group, 1990), an assessment tool that examines childrens’ ability to cope with conflict laden situations, was used to study gender differences in avoidance and aggression. Forty-three children (22 girls, 21 boys) participated in the third phase of a longitudinal study when they were between 7.5 and 8 years old (mean = 7.8). Results showed that males scored significantly higher than females on the variable of aggression in their story completions on the MSSB; however, gender differences for avoidance, while in the hypothesized direction, did …

The Effects Of Anxiety Management And Study Skills Training On Test Anxiety In College Students, Karen Carter-Harvey

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study measured the effects of anxiety management and study skills training on test anxiety in college students. Twenty-one college students from two sections of Introductory Sociology were involved in the study. The Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and exam scores were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test measures were obtained. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant difference on TAI scores or exam scores between the control and experimental groups. Recommendations for further research are given.

Drug Of Choice As A Predictor Of Program Completion In A 12-Week Intensive Outpatient Program And Continuing Care Program, James R. Myers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study consisted of a one year examination of a twelve week Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), followed by continuing care treatment, coupled with required attendance to a Twelve Step AA/NA Program. This study detailed the treatment plan available at a local Intensive Outpatient Program in Southern West Virginia. A sample, separating alcoholics from other substance abusers to obtain an estimated completion rate was used.

Tills thesis comprised a one-year history of subjects (6/30/98 -07/01/99). A total of 84 subjects entered into the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) within the above time frame. Determination of completion rates was based on a categorical …

Locus Of Control Orientation And Acceptance Of Disability, Hanoch Livneh, Erin Martz, Joseph Turpin

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in acceptance of disability scores between individuals with internal locus of control and external locus of control orientations. Ninety-seven out of 200 randomly-chosen participants with disabilities from a southern California community college completed the Reactions to Impairment and Disability Inventory (RIDI), Rotter's I-E Locus of Control Scale, and a demographic profile sheet. Acceptance of disability was defined as both acknowledgment and adjustment to a disability. Adjustment scores were found to be higher among those with an internal locus of control orientation but only among participants with mental/psychiatric disabilities. Also, …

Intensive Supervision In New Jersey: An Alternative To Incarceration, Michael A. Ramirez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Evaluating The Effects Of Postive Peer Reporting On Social Acceptance, Mary Short

Dissertations

The effects of a positive peer reporting procedure on social status and social interactions were assessed. Children who are socially rejected seem to be disliked by their peers due to their high frequency of negative behaviors and low frequency of positive behaviors. Therefore, to decrease the negative behaviors and increase the positive behaviors, rejected children were asked to make positive comments about their peers. Participants included 4 children, ages 10-15 years. A multiple baseline across subjects design was utilized. Collection of baseline data began immediately following the confirmation of consent and eligibility for the child to participate. Initial baseline data …

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 …