Psychology Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Effects Of A Low Glycemic Diet On The Antisocial Behavior Of Juvenile Offenders, James Edward Longhurst

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine if a low glycemic diet contributes to a reduction in the incidence of antisocial behavior among male juvenile offenders.

One hundred forty juvenile offenders at a residential treatment center were randomly divided into treatment and nontreatment groups. The treatment group ate from a diet which contained foods low in glycemic characteristics. There was no dietary alteration for the control group.

Three instruments were used to measure differences between groups in antisocial behavior following a 5-week experimental period. These instruments include: (1) the Unusual Incident Report--a systematic and objective observer report form, (2) …

Preventing The "All But Thesis" Phenomenon, Maria Emma Garcia

Dissertations

Twenty-three to 54% of the students who enter graduate programs never obtain their degrees. A high percentage of those students drop out after the completion of all the academic requirements except their master's theses or doctoral dissertations. The literature makes reference to the "all but thesis" (ABT) and the "all but dissertation" (ABD) phenomenon.

The present study involved the implementation of a research supervisory system designed to help students complete their theses and dissertations, therefore preventing the ABT and ABD problems. Twenty-nine graduate students in psychology formed the research supervisory group and 53 graduate students from several departments formed a …

The Experience Of Public Art In Urban Settings, Roberta Degnore

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The sine qua non for an artwork in the urban realm is neither its judged "goodness" nor the ability of audiences to perceive it "correctly," but is the total experience the work contributes to as part of the fabric of interlocking meanings that places have in people's lives.

In urban settings, the physical attributes and private intentionality of a work do not stand alone. As carefully as an artist installs his/her pieces in a gallery, the same concern for their working together and with their total environment must be applied to artworks in complex public settings, where choice to be …

Israeli, Palestinian And Egyptian Explanations Of Political Actions In The Middle East, Bethamie Horowitz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigated how people affiliated with different parties in an international conflict understand their own actions and the actions of their adversaries. Using data gathered in the Middle East in 1982, the study examined the explanations offered by 1336 Israeli Jews, Palestinians (living in Israel) and Egyptians to three political events in the Middle East: 'Israeli Air Force conducts a raid on Beirut,' 'Palestinians attack a bus on the Haifa-Tel Aviv highway,' and 'A peace treaty is announced between Israel and Egypt.'

The study, an exploratory analysis, was carried out in a sequence of stages. First, the analysis involved …

Stress And Social Support A Comparison Of Single And Partnered Adolescent Mothers, Lillian J. Burke

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Knowledge of stress and support experienced by adolescent parents may allow for the development of more appropriate or useful interventions. As some adolescent parents are single, and others are in a partnered relationship, it would seem that the examination and comparison of these two groups would yield information that could assist in making inventions more specific to the needs of each group. The current study was designed to examine the stresses being experienced by the adolescent mother and the supports which she perceives as being available to her. Thirty-two adolescent mothers participated in the research: Each had one child between …

The Extent To Which The Geographic Proximity, Quantity And Quality Of Contact Predicts Dimensions Of Social Support Given To Elderly Women By Their Adult Children, Lori Ann Johnson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which the frequency of contact, geographic proximity, and the quality of the relationship between elderly women and their most supportive adult child accounted for the degree of social support obtained by these women, and to evaluate the applicability of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) (Parker, Tupling, & Brown, 1979) as a measure of the affectional and controlling aspects of the relationship between the two populations. One hundred noninstitutional elderly women from the City of Waterloo were interviewed in their homes and were asked to designate their most supportive adult …

Moral Development, Socioeconomic Status, And Family Intactness: Status Offenders Versus Criminal Offenders, Michael A. Glynn

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the possible differences between the two legally defined groups of juvenile delinquents (status offenders and criminal offenders) on the variables of moral development, socioeconomic status, and family intactness. Moral development was measured using Gibbs' Sociomoral Reflection Measure. Socioeconomic status was determined by the subject's parent's ranking on Nam's Occupational Status Score Index, and family intactness or non-intactness was determined from an examination of court records. The subjects were 106 males between the ages of 13 and 17 inclusive, and were evenly divided in the two legal categories. No significant differences were found between the two groups on …

Increasing The Participation Rate For International Behaviorists At The Convention Of The Association For Behavior Analysis, Marsha Lee Benz

Masters Theses

This is a descriptive study that reviewed past participation of International behaviorists at the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) convention, to provide sore help to these presenters to improve the experience, and to disseminate behavioral information outside of the United States by trying to Increase International participation at the ABA convention.

These methods were used to Invite the behavioristsi (a) call for papers, (b) personalized invitations, and (c) poster invitations. Procedures used to improve the convention experience weret (a) an interest questionnaire, and (b) pre- and post-convention surveys.

Comparisons were made between the number of International presenters from years 1981 …

Speech Anxiety As A Self-Handicapping Strategy, Gerald Macon Travis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study tested the hypothesis that trait speech-anxious females use reports of speech anxiety symptoms and self-statements reflecting speech anxiety as a self-handicapping strategy to preserve their self-esteem when confronted with an evaluative threat situation. Forty-eight college females, classified into high and low speech anxiety groups on the basis of their responses to the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker (PRCS; Paul, 1966), served as subjects, It was predicted that trait speech-anxious subjects would report more speech anxiety symptoms and self-statements reflecting speech anxiety in an evaluative setting in which speech anxiety could serve as an explanation for …

The Effectiveness Of Three Modes Of Conversation On Coping With Stress In Same Sex Friendship Dyads, Robert Sal Costanza

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

To induce stress, pairs of friends, serving as subjects, were told they would be moving a spider through a maze. In three experimental conditions the friends were allowed to talk with one another prior to interacting with the spider; in the fourth condition the subjects waited alone. The conversations were structured so that the differential effects of problem-solving, emotion-based, or situationally unrelated discussion between friends could be observed on measures of negative mood state and behavioral fear. Subjects in the emotion-based condition generally experienced the greatest amounts of negative mood and fear. Problem-solving and unrelated discussions resulted in lower levels …

A New Measure Of Mature Religiosity, James A. Croxton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this study, a new measure of mature religiosity was created. One hundred and fifty students were administered an 80 item scale based upon a consensus meaning of mature religiosity. The results of this administration were factor analyzed. Seven First Order Factors and two Second Order Factors emerged which could be adequately assessed by 50 of the 80 item. The revised 50 item scale was administered to 130 students. During the same administration, the students also responded to measures of personal maturity (Dogmatism Scale, Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, Social Desirability Scale) and other measures of mature religiosity (Intrinsic-Extrinsic Religious …

The Self-Help Movement: Evolution Of A Dystonia Chapter, Hanoch Livneh, Betsy M. Cohen

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reviews the history of the Dystonia Foundation and the self-help movement. Dystonia is a rare neurological disorder characterized by repeated and uninterrupted movements that can affect 1 muscle, a group of muscles, or the entire body musculature. The New England Dystonia Chapter is discussed to illustrate the goals of the self-help movement, which include providing peer counseling and support services; establishing educational programs concerning dystonia for the medical and lay communities; serving as an advocating and liaison body for members regarding the availability of medical, legal, and social services; and participating in a network of services with other dystonia chapters …

An Attributional Analysis Of Students' Reactions To Success And Failure, Donelson R. Forsyth

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

Like it or not, evaluation is as much a part of education as is learning. In most schools and universities students are regularly tested and evaluated by their teachers, who communicate their appraisals in the form of a grade. When the papers are handed back, the grades are posted, or report cards are sent home, students find out if they have succeeded or if they have failed.

How do students react to these academic evaluations? According to a growing number of studies, the answer to this question depends upon their attributions: students' inferences about the causes of their performances and …

Extramarital Sex: Good For The Goose? Good For The Gander?, Christina J. Taylor

Psychology Faculty Publications

Two experiments were carried out to elucidate beliefs about marital fidelity and extramarital sex by examining how the social evaluation of extramarital relationships is affected by three situational factors -- sex of the extramarital actor, the actor's physical attractiveness, and the frequency of the actor's involvement in extramarital affairs (i.e., extramarital experience). Overall, there has been little research on this subject in social psychology, and what findings do exist (Hartnett, Mahoney, & Bernstein, 1977; Vallacher, 1982) have limited general-izability because of the youth of the subjects, contrary definitions of extramarital relationships, and contradictory evidence regarding the double standard.

Need Fulfillment In A Christian Setting As A Function Of Life Change Events, Social Support, And Christian Beliefs And Activities, Kathleen Fogarty

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study was designed to examine the fulfillment of specific needs of the volunteers and clients of a particular Christian organization, Operation Blessing, as these needs related to Maslow’s (1954) hierarchical theory of motivation, Alderfer’s (1972) theory of existence, relatedness and growth, and Bradburn’s (1969) affect balance theory. Sixty-five participants, 44 volunteers and 21 clients, completed a questionnaire including the following scales: Life Change Events, Social Support, and Christian activities and beliefs, and Positive Affect, Negative Affect and Purpose in Life. As predicted, the experience of Life Change Events was directly related to Negative Affect and the receipt of Social …

The Effects Of Frequency & Source Of Feedback On Performance Under Goal-Setting Conditions, David Campshure

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Feedback and goal setting are both necessary for either to have an effect on performance (Erez, 1977). In the present study two attributes of feedback, frequency and source, were manipulated under goal-setting conditions to examine their effects on performance. It is generally assumed that performance can be enhanced by providing individuals with frequent feedback and by providing them with feedback that originates from a source close to themselves--that is, feedback from the task itself or self-administered feedback. A third variable of interest, subjects' perceived control over the task, was assessed via questionnaires.

Subjects worked on a problem-solving task. Each subject …

The Effects Of A Professional Disclosure Statement On Aspects Of The Counseling Process, Martha Dennis Christiansen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effect of a counselor-introduced professional disclosure statement on aspects of the initial counseling process was investigated through a professional disclosure procedure which was comoared with a no treatment control condition. The four dependent variables studied included: clients' attitude toward counseling; clients' perceptions of the client-counselor relationship; clients' perceptions of counselor expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness; and clients' knowledge about counseling. The professional disclosure procedure consisted of a verbal and written presentation of the counselor's unique professional disclosure statement during the last 10 minutes of the initial counseling interview. The professional disclosure statement provided the following information: brief biographical data and …

In Search Of An Operational Definition Of Social Creativity, Constance J. O'Brien

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Having argued for the existence of social creativity as observed in daily life, I will proceed in chapters two through four with a selective review of the psychological literature on social cognition, empathy, and social intelligence to determine whether any of these concepts can adequately account for the behavior cited. I will proceed to identify the connections between these concepts and creativity. Examining the concepts, their relationships to each other, and the degree to which any of these concepts alone can account for imaginative social problem solving will demonstrate the need for a new [...]

Effective Group Meetings And Decision Making, Donelson R. Forsyth

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

An extraordinary amount of work and many types of decisions are handled by groups of people, for in group meetings we can pool our knowledge and abilities, give each other feedback about our ideas, and tackle problems that would overcome us if we faced them alone. Group members not only give us emotional and social support when meeting together, but they can stimulate us to become more creative, more insightful, and more committed to our goals.

Not every group, however, realizes all these positive consequences. Often we dread going to "committee meetings," "council sessions," and "discussion groups" because they take …

Recipient Reactions To Aid Reciprocity And Self-Esteem, Ronald Douglas Rankmore

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to determine to what extent the clients of the Ontario March of Dames – Assistive Device Program experienced negative reactions to aid across three conditions: 1) no reciprocity condition, 2) voluntary reciprocity condition and 3) financial reciprocity condition. Dependent variable measures assessing negative reactions to aid were: a) self-esteem scores on the Phillips Self-Acceptance Scale (Phillips, 1951), b) length of delay to approach the program, c) feelings of approaching the agency as measured by a seven item, five point semantic differential scale and reason for delay if any was indicated, and d) choice for …

A Social-Psychological Case History : The Manson Incident, Judith Elaine Bullis

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the social-psychological impact of of the Manson incident; which begins with the Tate-Labianca murders, continues with the arrest of Charles Manson and some of his followers, continues with the trial of Charles Manson and the co-defendants, and results in a popular image.

Social Support Networks And Sex Role Orientation After Divorce In Catholic Italian Women And Catholic Anglophone Women, Diana Maria Di Costa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Twenty-one Catholic Italian divorcees and a matched group of twenty-one Catholic Anglophone divorcees (who were born in Canada and whose ethnic roots were in Great Britain) were studied to determine ethnic differences in family concept, family interaction, sex role orientation, and social support. Results showed that Italian fathers, but not mothers, disapproved of the divorce significantly more than Anglophone fathers. Parental approval/disapproval of the divorce was found to have a greater effect on the support received by Italian divorcees than Anglophone divorcees. Parental disapproval of the divorce was associated with less family and relative support for Italian divorcees only. Italian …

Assertion, Assertion Training, And Sex-Role Orientation, Herbert L. Spencer Jr.

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate three questions: (1) Does there exist a significant relationship between assertion and sex-role orientation? (2) Does assertion training affect the sex-role orientation of its participants, and if so, in what direction does this effect occur in terms of the participants' sex-role orientation? (3) Does a relationship exist between those who benefit from assertion training with increased assertion and their levels of sex-role identification? Procedure: (1) The Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the College Self-Expression Scale (CSES) was given to 188 undergraduate college student volunteers. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was utilized …

Social Skills In Vivo: An Experimental And Theoretical Analysis, Stephen Earl Eversole

Masters Theses

A multiple baseline across behaviors was employed to demonstrate generalization effects across settings. A 14 year old shy female was presented with social skills treatment package to increase the rate of eye contacts, verbalizations and smile sin vivo. One of the intervention phases included role-playing of social situations with a peer. A second phase required the occurrence of desired responding while playing foosball-- the same activity which took place in vivo during generality data collection. A third intervention required interaction assignments to be completed in vivo. Results indicate inconclusive evidence of an increase due to the treatment package. A general …

Predicting Immoral Behavior, Donelson R. Forsyth

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

Moral behavior remains an unpredictable puzzle for psychological researchers; however, some success has been achieved recently by taking individuals' personal moral philosophies into consideration. Writing in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1980, Forsyth argued that individual variations in approaches to moral judgment and behavior may be conceptualized in terms of two basic dimensions: relativism and idealism. First, while some personal moral codes emphasize the importance of universal ethical rules like "Thou shalt not lie," others maintain a posture of relativism that skeptically rejects universal principles. Second, while a fundamental concern for the welfare of others lies at …

Social Skills Training In Elementary Children, Marsha Calvert Thiel

Masters Theses

A peer rating sociometric scale was administered to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in six different classrooms. The numbers on the Likert-type scale (1-5) were accompanied by smiling or frowning faces for each student to indicate how much he liked to play with each student in his classroom. Teachers also rated students, indicating how much other children like to play with each student. Ratings given by same sex classmates were used to calculate a mean for each student. Teacher ratings and sociometric means were converted to z-scores. These z-scores were added together with each sociometric z-score receiving …

A Case Study Of A Utilization-Focused Evaluation Involving Two Community-Based Family Services, Giles Reneacute Charbonneau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to study a utilization-focused model developed to evaluate two small community-based family services. The case study method allowed for an intensive investigation of the model so that it could be determined whether or not it contributed to increased utilization of evaluation findings. The research, conducted over a period of two years, involved the participation of committees, selected by the Board of Directors of both organizations, to work with a researcher to develop a program evaluation. Results indicate that involving decision-makers from these organizations in the design and implementation of the evaluation was critical to …

Social Sensitivity In Adolescents And Adults With Learning Disabilities, Patricia Anne Jarvis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to investigate social sensitivity and self-concept in students with learning disabilities and their non-disabled peers. Thirty students each from Junior and Senior public high schools and a community college in Tidewater, Virginia participated in the study with 15 learning disabled and 15 non-disabled students from each of the three grade levels (N-90). Students were individually assessed in 50 minute interviews for their accuracy in interpreting the thoughts and feelings of actors in tape-recorded stories depicting two adults in happy, angry, anxious, and sad interactions. A questionnaire measuring self-concept in learning situations as a …

The Latin American Experience In Applying Social Psychology To Community Change, Gerardo Marín

Psychology

No abstract provided.

Validity Of The Revised Beta Examination Second Edition For Use With A Multiply Handicapped Population, Cluster Glenn Robbins Jr.

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Cluster Glenn Robbins, Jr. in January of 1983.