Psychology Commons^™

Personality Characteristics And Locus Of Control Of Asthmatic, Diabetic, And Chronic Renal Failure Children, Mary Margaret Dwyer

Masters Theses

Past research has demonstrated that there are personality differences between individuals suffering from chronic illnesses and those who are “healthy”. Personality correlates of chronically ill children have also been evidenced, especially regarding specific illnesses.

The present study sought to determine if children suffering from asthma, diabetes, and chronic renal failure exhibit personality characteristics unique to and/or common to these particular groups. A second objective was to determine if Asthmatic, Diabetic, and Chronic Renal Failure Children display a difference or commonality in locus of control expectancies.

Ten male and 13 female outpatients at the Pediatrics Clinic of Michael Reese Hospital and …

The Relationship Between Empathy And Socially Deviant Behaviors In Delinquent Adolescents, Terrie L. Fisk

Masters Theses

Past research has demonstrated that empathy, traditionally defined as the ability to discriminate, label and then experience the emotional response of another, acts as an inhibitor of aggressive behavior. Additional evidence has shown an increase in empathic functioning can be the result of various empathy training strategies. It has recently been hypothesized that aggressive behavior might be decreased as empathic functioning increases. The present study sought to determine if an inverse relationship existed between empathy and socially deviant behavior, which is a less extreme degree of aggression characterized by disruptiveness and attention seeking. In addition, it was hypothesized that if …

Personality, Counseling And The Cancer Patient, Janet March, Ann Maxwell

Dissertations and Theses

The researchers in this study are concerned about what factors are involved in determining who actually does seek out adjunctive counseling for help in dealing with their diagnosis. In particular, personality factors of those who have cancer are examined. The more known about what motivates a patient to seek counseling, the easier it will be to develop rehabilitation and supportive programs to meet the needs of cancer patients. Hence, sanction for a research project such as this lies in the fact that the question of motivation regarding adjunctive counseling has not been dealt with specifically in the past.

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Relationship Between Personality And Intelligence With Community-Living And Institutionalized Elderly Females, Richard D. Stolp

Masters Theses

The Hand Test and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale were administered to 25 institutionalized (Mage = 80.00) and 25 community-living (Mage = 72.92) elderly females to investigate personality differences between the two groups, and to explore the relationship between personality and intelligence in regard to the aged. It was discussed that the results of the present study should be interpreted with caution, since significant age and educational differences were found between the groups that may have contributed to the results. The hypothesis concerning greater personality deterioration in institutionalized subjects than in community-living subjects was given partial support inasmuch as depletion …

Moral Education: An Investigation And Experiment, Ellen L. Throm

Masters Theses

One purpose of this investigation of moral education in the elementary schools, was to find information in order to evaluate the current status of moral education at this level.

Another part of the investigation was to experiment with presenting and teaching moral education principles in a fifth-grade classroom, and make a report of the results.

The thesis was written to satisfy the final requirements for a Specialist Degree in Guidance and Counseling, at Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois.

In order to conduct the investigation on moral education, several books were researched (a bibliography is included) for information.

A commercially prepared …

An Exploratory Study Of Black And White College Students On The Hand Test, Marie Clark

Masters Theses

In the past Blacks have not been used in the construction or development of norms for psychological tests, though they are routinely administered to Blacks. Several researchers have made an effort to determine whether tests which have been standardized on White subjects are applicable to Blacks (Megargee, 1966; Johnson & Sikes, 1965; Mussen, 1953). These authors found that differences in personality of Blacks and Whites on personality tests should not be used to make inferences unless the two groups are matched on a number of prominent variables.

In general, the research suggests that there are significant differences between Black and …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And The Use Of "I-Statements", Patricia Taglione

Masters Theses

Gestalt therapy theory considers speech to be a reflection of one's personality, and consequently psychological adjustment or maladjustment is expected to be manifested in one's speech habits (Levitsky & Perls, 1970; Passons, 1975). The use of personal pronouns is an indicator of the psychological distance taken from one's own feelings and actions. Healthy speech, or speech that is integrated with one's feelings and actions, involves the use of the first person singular when referring to self. Working with people to change speech patterns (changing "it-statements" and "you-statements" to "I-statements") may help an individual integrate his speech with his feelings and …

Irrationalism In Affective And Cognitive Personality Types, Steven F. Mcarthur

Masters Theses

Psychologists generally consider personality to be a collection of characteristics and traits. These characteristics are manifested through two domains: affect (emotion) and cognition (thinking). Evidence has shown affect and cognition to be closely related.

Psychotherapy modalities can be categorized along a continuum, from highly rational and logical (cognitive) on one end, to highly affective on the other.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cognitively and affectively oriented persons and irrational thoughts or ideas as defined by a highly rational therapy modality (Rational-Emotive Therapy) in an effort to determine a treatment of choice for these persons. …

Indicators Of Anxiety On Bender Records: A Correlational Study, Kevin Dooley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Since the Bender's growth in popularity as a tool for assessing organic brain damage, other factors have been shown to influence the accuracy of design reproductions. Mental deficiency, cultural background, early age and :ex are among those factors. Attempts to demonstrate the effect: of personality traits have been few, but supportive. Research into the influence of personality on Bender performance has largely been group comparison designs. The degree of overlap found among groups has reduced the degree of confidence with which the results can be applied to individual performance:. The present study used a correlational approach to determine how validly …

Aggression: An Organismic Variable Influencing Perception Of Horizontal-Vertical Lines, Thomas C. Dunn

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Most people when viewing horizontal-vertical lines of equal length, judge the vertical line as longer than the horizontal line. The relationship R = f(S) has been extensively studied in an attempt to explain the horizontal-vertical illusion (HVI). An adequate explanation has not been proposed, The present study approached the phenomenon of the illusion with the relationship R = f(0). The problem was to determine if aggressiveness was a significant factor in judgments of the HVI. The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) was used to define and measure aggression in forty students at Missouri Southern State College, Joplin, Missouri. The hypothesis …

Judicial Incentives: Some Evidence From Urban Trial Courts, Greg A. Caldeira

IUSTITIA

In the following pages, I shall outline the basics of a method for studying the motivations of trial judges - or any public officials, for that matter - that I find particularly interesting and fruitful - "incentive theory". The use of incentive theory is, in my view, a preliminary contribution to an ongoing movement to fill glaring gaps in the literature on judicial motivation and trial judging.

A Didactic Method Of Preparation For Encounter Group Participants, Lawrence H. Bergmann

Masters Theses

The utilization of group procedures has mushroomed in the past ten years. While developing in part from group psychotherapy, involvement in groups has become a movement in its own right. Encounter groups, marathons or other intensive group experiences are no longer seen as a "second-best" treatment but a useful technique to be added to the tools of the psychotherapist. However, the rapid development of these treatments have often exceeded a strong theoretical rationale and the negative consequences have become increasingly evident. Preparation for individual therapies has been shown to be one method for improving outcomes and avoiding undesirable consequences. However, …

Effects Of Distance And Sex On Verbal Productivity And Anxiety, Peter Lindsay Rogers

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to determine whether physical distance between male and female interviewees and a female interviewer affected verbal productivity and anxiety level when interviewees discussed academic, social, and personal topics. The interview was conceptualized as an information-gathering interview. Crucial variables in such interviews are client participation and information flow. Client verbal productivity appears to be directly related to these variables, and was used as one dependent variable to measure the impact of distance on interviewee verbal behavior. A self-report measure of anxiety, the Fear Thermometer was used as a second dependent variable.

The experimental distances used in …

The Effect Of Locus Of Control Orientation On Faculty Evaluations, Kristie L. Kirby

Masters Theses

The effect of a reward or reinforcement on behavior is contingent upon whether the person perceives the reward as dependent upon his own behavior or as independent from it. This perception has been termed locus of control orientation. The present study examined the relationship between the locus of control orientation of the student and the locus of control orientation of the instructor on a faculty evaluation form. An individual possessing an external locus of control orientation believes that reinforcement is the result of luck, chance, fate, or under the control of powerful others. An individual possessing an internal locus of …

The Relationship Of Age & Marital Status To Affiliative Imagery & Fear Of Success In Women, Brenda Francis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Horner postulated the existence of an avoidance motive called the motive to avoid success and suggested that many women experience anxiety about achieving success because they expect negative consequences as a result of succeeding. Horner's fear of success concept has been widely cited as an explanation for the lack of stability and predictability in research on female achievement motivation. Recent research by Tomlinson-Keasey has demonstrated much lower fear of success in older, married college women than in a younger, single group. This finding was attributed to the age difference between the married and single groups, but more specifically to role …

Effects Of Physical Attractiveness And Warmth On The Perception Of Deviant Behavior, Midge Wilson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The impressions formed by male and female subjects of a female target were investigated as a function of her physical attractiveness, warmth, and behavior. Experimental sessions consisted of subjects viewing a videotape depicting one of the factorial conditions, and then responding to an impression questionnaire. Multivariate analysis revealed, as predicted, that subjects' trait ratings of the target were significantly more positive when she was attractive compared to unattractive, warm compared to cold, and behaved neutrally compared to deviantly. No effect on the subjects' degree of confidence in their ratings was observed. Two causal attribution measures were obtained: responses of subjects …

Employment Qualifications For Community Service Agencies And Organizations In Midland And Odessa, Susan Garfield Edwards

Graduate Theses

The terms "social work," "casework," and "counseling" signify similar but separate professions, occupations, and techniques. Their places within the spectrum of community or helping services are clarified by a discussion of relevant literature. Based on these perspectives, ad survey of 104 local helping service agencies and organizations was undertaken to establish employment qualifications (educational, experiential, professional) for the helping professions. Follow-up was done in 10 situations where Master's Degrees in Social Work, Counseling, and Psychology were required for employment - to determine the particular value of the degree for the specific position. Indications from this study are: that most positions …

A Psychological Profile Analysis Of Selected Employees Of The Indiana Department Of Correction, Stanley Kent Showalter

Dissertations

Problem. The personality of employees is a vital key to understanding and improving the present correctional system. It was the purpose of the present study to assess, describe, and analyze a selected group of state correctional employees.

Method. The Bipolar Psychological Inventory and several demographic questions were used in assessing the personality of correctional employees and inmates. Cattell's Coefficient of Pattern Similarity (r_p) was employed to measure and analyze several characteristics of correctional employee sub-groups. Three hundred sixty-three employees and four hundred forty-eight inmates were studied.

Results. Among the most important results obtained were indications of significant relationships …

Schizophrenia: Institutionalization And Dependence, Jerry L. Boyd

Masters Theses

The review of the literature dealt with dependence in mental patients. Additional focus was given to the process of patienthood as it relates to the acquisition of dependence. Research on schizophrenia was then discussed and the special interaction of the schizophrenic and the environment was explicated. Finally, attention was given to the unique relationship between the schizophrenic mental patient and dependence.

57 Ss from a rural area in the midwestern United States were given the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (Form C). Ss were divided into 3 groups. The groups were matched according to age, sex, race, marital status, and education. …

Predictive Correlates Of Adoption Behavior In A Social Context: A Multiple Discriminant Analysis, Robert Brady

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Working from a communication theory paradigm and from previous literature, the purpose of this study was to empirically examine significant receiver correlates which predict adoption behavior of Sigma Nu Fraternity on three campuses. Drawing from past research, the present study utilized a unique combination of social and communication variables as predictors of fraternity membership. A stepwise multiple discriminant analysis using five factors derived from the thirteen independent variables yielded a highly significant three factor discriminant function (p < .001) which explained 46.65 percent of the common variance in adoption/non-adoption behavior of Sigma Nu. The significant factors were labeled peer group behavior, parental economic support, and social attitudes. Based on intuitive interpretation features of the data, the researcher suspects that adopters are more socially oriented, have a wider variety o: friends, are less dependent on parental economic support, and exhibit higher scores on measures such as self-esteem, liberalism, conservatism, and the need for identification with groups.

The Relationship Of Locus Of Control Of The Diabetic Patient And Compliance With Medical Regimen, Lois Daniel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The literature indicates that many diabetic patients do not adhere to their prescribed medical regimen and that there is a need to discover factors that stimulate compliant behavior. It has been proposed that the patient's decision to accept or reject treatment has many determinants. This study explored the effect of one such determinant, the locus of control (the source of the stimulus for a person's behavior). It was hypothesized that a person with an internal locus (one who believes his actions influence his future) would be more likely to comply with a medical regimen than one with an external locus …

Variability Of Personality Traits In College Cross Country Runners, Richard William Bowman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Mmpi: An Attempt To Fake Profiles Of Policemen, Odie M. Swift

Masters Theses

Personality, uses of personality tests, and problems associated with reliability of personality tests are briefly discussed. The Kroger and Turnbull (1975) study dealing with "role-faking" is discussed. The review of the literature discusses the occupation of policeman under three categories: 1) assessment of policemen, 2) MMPI and police assessment, and 3) MMPI studies. The MMPI was given to 18 policemen, 43 male college students, and 40 female college students. The students were assigned to a control condition and an experimental condition. Subjects in the experimental group answered MMPI questions the way they thought policemen would answer the questions. An analysis …

A Comparison Of Police And Criminal Personality Characteristics As Measured By The Mmpi, Dale Ray Fuqua

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Predicting Delinquent Sub-Types With The Social History Questionnaire, Charles S. Sulcer

Masters Theses

A major problem encountered in the juvenile courts concerns the large number of young offenders placed on probation, as well as the seriousness of their violations. Representative studies by Jenkins and Glickman (1947), Hathaway and Monachesi (1953), and Shinohara and Jenkins (1967) have pointed out the complexities of delinquent behavior by indicating that most legal authorities are often unable to determine who will repeat illegal acts.

This problem necessitates some objective approach toward identifying potential repeaters and non-repeaters. Such a technique would be useful in studying the early stages of delinquent behavior and provide a means of studying the growing …

Ideal And Real Self Concept Disparity: A Temporal/Educational Comparison, Maurice Marvin Sanders

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a comparison concerning the effects of age and formal education upon the self-esteem or self-value of individuals. Four groups -- Freshman, Seniors, and their non-college peers -- described their ideal and real selves, using the modified California Q-Sort. Statistical comparison of absolute differences by group showed age to be significant, education not significant, and the interaction very significant. Freshman were significantly the lowest in self-esteem.

Recommendations included the application of these findings concerning Freshman and suggestions for additional research.

The Social History Of Therapists And Their Clients, As Related To Outcome Of Therapy, Howard A. Bernstein

Masters Theses

The present study was concerned with the concept of therapist-patient pairing or similarity-dissimilarity. From previous research, it appears that certain therapist types work better with certain client types.

In the current study, three therapists and twenty-four clients were used to develop the concept of pairing further using social history as a basis. The results indicate that global similarity generally leads to more positive outcome. However, we are unable to draw any firm conclusions, primarily due to the small sample size. It does appear that social history may be a useful area to continue investigations in the area of pairing.

Changes In Personality Traits And Identification In Adolescent Female State School Residents, As A Function Of Length Of Residence, Mary L. Thompson

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a significant exposure (six months) to a State School environment on selected personality traits and identity factors of adolescent girls. A second objective was to ascertain whether greater change takes place early in the period of residency (three months) or in a later stage. A third aim was to determine whether there is a significant difference in the degree of change between girls showing fewer pathological signs and healthier identity than those who show a greater number of such signs and a stronger delinquent identification.

The Personality Of Psychology Majors As Measured By The Mmpi, Bill W. Garmon

Masters Theses

This study sought to investigate the personality traits of psychology students. No significant differences were found between a group of psychology majors and a control group on any of the scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.

The findings do show that college students, as a group, are more deviant in their responses on the MMPI than the general adult population.

The subjects were 80 students enrolled in seven psychology classes at Eastern Illinois University.

The t ratio was used for evaluating the difference between means for each scale.

A Comparison Of Incarcerated And Non-Incarcerated Women Based On The M.M.P.I., Rose Marie Carter

Masters Theses

The field for research on women offenders provides an extensive opportunity for scientific investigation. Many writers (Gibbons, 1971; Cunningham, 1964; Sutherland, 1968) have discussed the causes of crime and their resulting social implications. Organized mass presentations of the movement of crime among women is negligible. Today female incarcerates make up approximately 11 per cent (Lerner, 1972) of the total number in state and federal penitentiaries. Previous research (Cunningham, 1964) on female felons found poor self-concept, excessive dependency and pathological emotionality to be a consistent pattern in women criminals. Other research (Apfeldorf, 1971; Guze, 1959) found criminal and non-criminal groups could …