Psychology Commons^™

Framework For Support: Desired Relationships Between Self-Help-Groups And Professionals, Vicente Constantino

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this study I sought to find out how self-help groups and professionals perceive and relate to one another. The stakeholders involved in this study were self-help group members (psychiatric consumers/survivors and families and friends of consumers/survivors) and community-based and hospital-based professionals. The research questions were as follows: 1. What are the experiences and views of consumers/survivors and family self- help group members with regard to community-based and hospital-based professionals? 2. What are the experiences and views of community-based and hospital-based professionals with regard to consumers/survivors and family self-help groups? 3. What kind of relationship with professionals do self-helpers want? …

Bridging The Gap: Mobilizing Race And Ethnocultural Equity Policy Within Secondary Schools, Melanie Wilson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this study was threefold. (i) to elucidate student perspectives on multicultural anti racist education, (ii) to compare these perspectives with those held by people responsible for implementing such initiatives, namely teachers and school board personnel assigned to race and ethnocultural equity issues and (iii) to generate recommendations for the effective implementation of race and ethnocultural equity policies in schools based on the synthesis of these perspectives. I conducted this study in one secondary school community in order to identify important links between board level race and ethnocultural policy initiatives and potential implementation strategies for secondary schools. A …

Racism More Than Private Belief, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This letter to the editor of the St. John’s University student newspaper, The Record, points out that racism is multifaceted, constituting more than simply a personal belief. Racist attitudes comprise a cognitive component (stereotypes), an affective component (prejudice), and a behavioral component (discrimination).

The Occurrence Of Alexithymia In Children And Adolescents With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Michael S. Routh

Graduate Theses

Previous studies of the relationship between alexithymia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have utilized samples of combat veterans with PTSD. However, children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and are diagnosed with PTSD exhibit similar or identical symptomology. The current study examined alexithymia in a sample of children and adolescents diagnosed with PTSD. It was hypothesized that the sample, when compared to non-PTSD and control samples, would reveal a significantly greater severity of alexithymia and PTSD. Although overall results were not consistent with previous research, trends of group means supported a relationship between alexithymia and PTSD. 1

Sexual Orientation, Attachment, And Adult Relationship Quality, Earl Calvin Riggins Iii

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Comparisons were made between 55 heterosexual males, 49 heterosexual females, 56 homosexual males, and 35 homosexual females on measures of attachment, relationship satisfaction and relationship success. Results indicated that adult homosexuals experience greater difficulty than adult heterosexuals in becoming close to others. Individuals endorsing the secure attachment style reported greater relationship satisfaction than individuals endorsing either of the two insecure attachment styles. In addition, females reported greater relationship satisfaction than males. Significantly more individuals endorsing the secure attachment style reported their mothers to have been warm/responsive; significantly more heterosexual males and females than homosexual females reported their mothers to have …

Gender Differences Among Resilient Children, Cameron Gilbert

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the concept of resiliency is beginning to be addressed in the literature, little is known about gender differences among resilient children. The purpose of this study was to identify familial and environmental variables which would predict gender among resilient children. This study investigated gender differences between resilient boys and girls on the following variables: parental attitude toward education, educational level of the father, educational level of the mother, familial drug or alcohol use/abuse, incidence of physical and/or sexual abuse, and extracurricular activities. These variables were selected for study because of the importance of investigating factors in the family environment …

The Effect Of Prior Cooperation And Competition On Approaches To A Decomposed Social Dilemma, Keith M. Rettig

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The effect of cooperation and competition in a primer task upon subject's later choice of strategy in a social dilemma was examined. The effect of explicit and implicit instructions and cooperative and competitive milieu on subjects' behavior, individually and as a team, during both the primer task and the social dilemma was also examined. Male and female subjects participated in a naval simulation task under Implicit-Cooperative, Explicit-Cooperative, Implicit-Competitive, and Explicit-Competitive instructions and later participated in a prisoner's dilemma game. Simmons, Wehner, Tucker, and King's (1987) Cooperative / Competitive Strategy Scale was used as a covariate. A significant effect of instructions …

Materialism And The Self, Kathleen Shirley Micken

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Materialism has been called the most significant macro development in modern consumer behavior. Despite its importance, research about the construct is rather new. Two scales have been developed to measure materialism, one proposed by Belk, the other by Richins and Dawson.

The purpose of this dissertation is threefold. First, it extends the materialism research program by investigating the relationship between materialism and one's self concept. Hypotheses which drive the research posit that people who are more materialistic have lower self-esteem, are less likely to be self-actualized, are extrinsically rather than intrinsically motivated, and are likely to be high self-monitors. The …

Waco Tragedy Product Of Groupthink, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This opinion column employs the eight symptoms of groupthink specified by Irving Janis to evaluate whether the tragic end to the 1993 FBI siege of David Koresh’s Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas — which culminated in deaths of 76 civilians — could have been the product of groupthink.

Training Program Content Validation: A Practical Application Of Educative Techniques, Julia A. Howard-Johnson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A McDonald’s training program for the positions of grill and counter was evaluated in order to identify recommendations for curriculum refinement or enhancements. The methodological approaches developed by Ford and Wroten (1984) and Bownas, Bosshardt, and Donnelly (1985) were applied. Three evaluation assessment inventories were developed: The Job task Inventory, The training Emphasis Inventory, and The Training Effectiveness Inventory. These inventories were constructed with the assistance of 49 managers, trainers, and employees with six or more months of service. Four managers, seven trainers, and 22 recent training graduates responded to the appropriate inventory and these ratings were used in the …

Effects Of Lineup Modality On Witness Credibility, Hunter A. Mcallister, Robert H.I. Dale, Cynthia E. Keay

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Three experiments were conducted to explore the credibility of earwitness versus eyewitness testimony among American college students. Experiment 1 demonstrated that subjects were less likely to identify the perpetrator of a simulated crime in auditory lineups than in visual or auditory-visual lineups. In Experiment 2, subjects observed a videotaped witness from Experiment 1 make an identification. Contrary to actual accuracy data, subjects were as believing of the identifications made by auditory witnesses as they were of the identifications made by visual or auditory-visual witnesses. In Experiment 3, mock jurors in a simulated robbery trial believed auditory lineup identifications as much …

When Eyewitnesses Are Also Earwitnesses: Effects On Visual And Voice Identifications, Hunter A. Mcallister, Robert H.I. Dale, Norman J. Bregman, Allyssa Mccabe, C. Randy Cotton

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

In Experiment 1, subjects witnessed a mock crime either visually or both auditorily and visually. A visual lineup was conducted with either a guilty or an innocent suspect present. Identification accuracy of visual-only versus auditory-visual witnessed did not differ, although the diagnosticity ratio for the visual-only condition was more than twice as large. Thus, there was only limited support for auditory information interfering with encoding visual information. In Experiment 2, subjects witnessed a mock crime either auditorily or both auditorily and visually. A voice lineup was conducted with either a guilty or an innocent suspect present. Consistent with Yarmey’s (1986) …

Graduate Bulletin, 1993-1995, Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

The Vocational Interests Of Prisoners: A Preliminary Validation Study Of The Lustig Color Vector Test, Hanoch Livneh, Robert E. Pullo, Paul Lustig

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence for the validity of the Lustig Color Vector Test (LCVT) as a vocational interest measure. The LCVT, a nonverbal instrument, is a schematic attempt to represent the Vector Theory of Behavior which describes human behavior in terms of motion and the laws of physics. A sample of 92 participants was chosen to represent the literate male population of incarcerated offenders in the Wisconsin state prison system.-Participants were administered the LCVT as well as Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and a demographic questionnaire. The results offered tentative support to the notion …

The Motivational Bases Of Attitudes To Living North And South Of The Swan River, Darren L. Reynolds

Theses : Honours

Previous approaches to the study of motivation within the domain of place were found to be disparate, and in need of a firm theoretical framework and appropriate methodology. With the exception of Korpela's (1989) model of place identity, the issues of motivation and operationalization of other theoretical perspectives, (e.g., Proshansky, Fabian, and Kaminoff; 1983) have led to a sparse research base in the area of place. Recent developments in attitude theory ( Herek, 1986; 1987; Zanna & Rempel, 1988) and attitude model development (Hills, 1991) were then applied to the place domain A tripartite model of the motivational bases of …

Foundations And Applications Of Group Psychotherapy: A Sphere Of Influence (Book Review), Donelson R. Forsyth

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Using groups to help people achieve personal goals and therapeutic change is an old idea. Indeed, Ettin (1992), in his book Foundations and Applications of Group Psychotherapy: A Sphere of Influence, suggests that Socrates was perhaps the first group psychotherapist. After all, he regularly convened small groups of scholars who sought intellectual, ethical, and interpersonal insights. Even the sage Socrates, however, could not have anticipated the widespread use of groups that exists today. When individuals experience problems in adjustment, in behavior, or in health, they often rely on groups to solve these problems.

Coping With Multiple Roles, Deborah J. Laughlin

Masters Theses

Women in increasing numbers have been combining career and family. Balancing the multiple roles may be stressful at times. The purpose of this study was to examine how different stressors influence a woman's ability to utilize coping responses. This study examined the relationships between situational variables and a nurse's ability to cope with multiple roles. The situational variables studied were: age, educational level, number of hours worked, job type, number of children, ages of the children, view of nursing, husband's agreement with the wife on the number of hours worked, and satisfaction with child care. The survey tool, the "Coping …

Citizen Participation In The Development Of Religious Communities As Extended Health Care Centres, Theresa Connie Dunn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Citizen participation was encouraged through the use of a needs and resource assessment. The assessment accomplished: 1) a process of involving rural citizens in community decision-making and 2) gathering data useful to the planning of a community chaplaincy program. Seventy participants completed a questionnaire through one of three methods: 1) self-administered by mental health service users, 2) a phone survey of residents in remote rural areas, and 3) a nominal group process involving congregational members. I focused the analysis of the data on: 1) the actual and suggested resources the participants reported for the four needs: personal, spiritual, social and …

Transition To Parenthood: The Role Of Self-Complexity, Margo Michelle Gallant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Becoming a parent is a significant event in the adult developmental cycle. Researchers agree that all couples experience at least some form of stress during this transition. The present study investigated the role that self-complexity plays in a couple’s adjustment to becoming first-time parents. Self-complexity, which is defined as the number of roles or activities that an individual uses to describe himself or herself, was previously found to buffer the impact of stressful events among college students (Linville, 1987). Block (1961), however, found that individuals with higher levels of self-complexity were more maladjusted. The main purposes of this study were …

Gender Differences In The Perception Of Rape: The Role Of Ambiguity, Terence Patrick Humphreys

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Past research in the area of rape has focused on rates of acquaintance or date rape (Koss. 1985), the perception of rape victims (Shotland & Goodstein, 1983; Tieger. 1981) and the prevalence of rape myths (Burt, 1980; Gilmartin-Zena, 1988; Larsen & Long, 1988). Findings from Gilmartin-Zena (1988) suggest that most college students recognize obvious rape myths, but are uncertain about "subtle" ones. Other research indicates that males are more likely than females to perceive that forced intercourse was consensual (Abbey, 1982; Malamuth, Haber, & Feshback, 1980). In this vein, the present study tested the hypothesis that there are gender differences …

In Search Of A Place To Call Home: A Qualitative Evaluation Of A Transitional Housing Program For Refugee Families, Colleen Marcia Wiltshire

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Refugees are often faced with insurmountable barriers (such as marginalization and underemployment) as they try to become integrated into their adopted countries. Sand Hills Community Development Inc. (SHCD) devised a transitional housing program to circumvent these barriers, by bolstering newcomers through providing housing and support. The program was located within a residential area and a multicultural housing cooperative, and housed refugee claimants and government-sponsored refugees, respectively. The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the degree of success SHCD had in providing a supportive environment for refugee families. Data for the evaluation were based on qualitative interviews which were conducted …

Gender Differences In Perceptions Of Sexual And Nonsexual Cues In Dating, Christine Alksnis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study was an initial attempt to understand how people evaluate their dating experiences. The primary objective was to determine whether males and females have different views about the behaviours that constitute positive, negative and typical dating experiences. Undergraduate students (50 males, 70 females) were asked to rate the likelihood of different sexual and nonsexual events in "good", "bad" and "typical" date contexts as well as to provide written descriptions of their own best, worst and typical dates. For good and typical dates, many of the same events were identified as likely to occur by both men and women. However, …

Ontario's Mental Health System: The Experience Of Families And Their Perspective On Reform, Eric Laite Macnaughton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Over 100 family members were interviewed—individually and in focus groups—to gain a picture of their lived experience and their perspective on reform of Ontario's mental health system. The thesis looks at needs of families in two ways. first, by examining the common themes of their experience with the mental health system and with supporting "consumers" in the community; and second, by asking families directly about their satisfaction with existing supports, and about needed additional supports. Focus group participants were asked to make suggestions about innovative models to meet unmet need, and about how families could participate more fully in the …

Hearing The Voices Of The Silent: Alternative To The Problem Of Blaming Mothers For The Occurrence Of Incest, Josephine Sui-Fun Fong

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The problem of intra-familial child sexual abuse has been studied over the past few decades, but the problem of blaming mothers for the occurrence of incest has not been adequately recognized. This study is a documentation of the experiences of mothers of incest survivors. Six women whose daughters were sexually abused by their fathers or step fathers were interviewed for approximately 60 to 120 minutes. Results demonstrated that in their process of dealing with the problem of child sexual abuse, mothers experienced a great deal of pain and hardship. While they were indeed also victims of the incestuous relationship, they …

Visible Minorities With Physical Challenges: A Study Of Their Experiences In Integrating Into Canadian Society, Thersiah L. Lubis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis is the result of a qualitative research study exploring the experience of visible minority persons with physical challenges in trying to integrate into Canadian society, in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and Toronto. To capture the larger picture regarding the particular conditions of the challenged visible minority persons in this community, l also examined the experiences of those providing services to them. Another objective of this research was for me to learn to incorporate the values of community psychology into a research process. Using two partia|ly-structured interview guides, one set for the physically- challenged visible minorities and the other for …

Adolescent Coping Styles And Response To Stress: A Study Of The Relationship Between The Preferred Coping Styles Of Female Senior High School Students And Their Levels Of Anxiety And Self-Confidence When Facing A Major Academic Stressor, Elizabeth J. Lawson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A growing body of research indicates the importance of coping strategies when an individual responds to environmental demands. Community concern about the maladaptive responses of some adolescents, limited research with this age group, and the development of a new Australian measure of adolescent coping provided the impetus for this study. The study was conducted with 141 female students in their final year of High School. They completed the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS) in March, and measures of anxiety and self-confidence in November, just before major external examinations. Behavioural rating scales were completed by parents and teachers. The adolescent group reported …

Symptoms Of Stress And Social Support In Wives Of State Legislators, Kimberly Montgomery

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if wives of politicians differ from other wives in terms of symptoms of stress and social support. There were N = 50 political wives and N = 68 nonpolitical wives who served as subjects. Using the General Health Questionnaire-28, the two groups were compared on aspects of stress (e.g., somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression) and coping (e.g., emotional and practical support as measured by the Significant Others Scale). The results indicated that political wives report more stress symptoms than nonpolitical wives. Significant differences were also found between …

A Study Investigating The Cognitive Variables Involved In Adolescent Use Of Alcohol, William E. Fahey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship of adolescents• level of alcohol use to various cognitive and contextual variables. The cognitive variables of concern included (a) alcohol knowledge, (b) generation of alternatives thinking, (c) means-ends thinking, and (d) selfefficacy. The contextual variables were specific factors associated with most recent alcohol use experiences. The sample consisted of 113 high school sophomores from two separate high schools located within a rural county in the upper Midwest. Subjects were separated into three groups (Nonusers, Occasional Users, and Heavy Users) based on their self-reported level of alcohol use in the past month. Subjects completed various questionnaires …

Examination Of Community Mental Health Services For Persons With Serious Mental Illness: A Descriptive Study Of 31 Counties In Michigan, Pamela C. Werner

Masters Theses

Thirty-one out of 55 Community Mental Health Boards participated in a survey conducted by the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Michigan. This study examined a number of variables in the questionnaire using a product-moment correlational analysis.

Results indicated that family and consumer input is modestly correlated with comprehensive service delivery and staff/consumer education and training. Budget and the active number of mentally ill cases had a low correlation with comprehensive service delivery and staff/consumer education and training. Interagency collaboration was modestly correlated with program evaluation, and comprehensive services available to consumers. Weaknesses were noted in the management structure of …

Differential Perception Of Histrionic Personality Disorder Symptoms In Males Vs. Females, Susan L. Swihart

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the differential perception of severity of histrionic personality disorder symptoms in males versus females in order to investigate one possible explanation for the increased rates in diagnosis of this disorder in females. Thirty male and thirty female volunteer undergraduates from a midwestern university were asked to sort the DSM-III-R criteria for all the personality disorders, including the two proposed categories, selfdefeating and sadistic personality disorders, according to degree of abnormality. Each criterion was typed on a separate index card for a total of 142 cards and subjects were asked to sort the symptom cards on a Likert-type …