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Articles 661 - 690 of 818

Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Effects Of A Primary Care Weight Management Intervention On Physical Activity In Low-Income African American Women, Gareth R. Dutton Jan 2005

Effects Of A Primary Care Weight Management Intervention On Physical Activity In Low-Income African American Women, Gareth R. Dutton

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although physical inactivity is associated with numerous medical conditions, most individuals do not engage in recommended levels of physical activity. Certain subgroups of the population are particularly inactive, including women, African Americans, and individuals with lower income and less education. While research suggests that interventions targeting physical activity can produce significant improvements in activity and cardiorespiratory fitness, there is less research examining physical activity interventions for these at-risk groups. In particular, there is a lack of research examining primary care physical activity interventions among low-income, African American women. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of …


Weight Concern And Smoking In Children, Darla E. Kendzor Jan 2005

Weight Concern And Smoking In Children, Darla E. Kendzor

LSU Master's Theses

Studies have shown that weight concern is prevalent in children and that many children believe smoking can be used to control appetite and weight. However, little is known about the impact of the combination of these factors on smoking initiation in children. Initial research has indicated that weight concern predicts smoking initiation in adolescents, but these studies have not addressed the role of weight control outcome expectancies. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the relationship between weight concern and smoking initiation, and to evaluate weight control outcome expectancies as a moderator of this relationship in children. Cross-sectional …


Constructing A Math Applications, Curriculum-Based Assessment: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Apllications [Sic] Problems, Computation Problems And Criterion-Referenced Assessments, James E. Connell, Jr. Jan 2005

Constructing A Math Applications, Curriculum-Based Assessment: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Apllications [Sic] Problems, Computation Problems And Criterion-Referenced Assessments, James E. Connell, Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a well established tool for formative assessment. CBM has also been used for prediction of state test scores. However, validity coefficients between math-CBM and state tests have been moderate at best (Skiba, Magnusson, Martson, and Erickson, 1986; Martson, 1989; Putnam, 1989). The purpose of the present investigation was to develop and evaluate a set of math assessments designed to measure the type of application and problem-solving objectives required on state tests. The "application" type assessments constructed for this study combined characteristics of CBM, accuracy-based curriculum-based assessment (CBA) and criterion-referenced assessment (CRA). Theses assessments were derived from …


Relative Efficacy Of School-Home Notes And Teacher Feedback In Minority Elementary Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Andrea Nichole Jurbergs Jan 2005

Relative Efficacy Of School-Home Notes And Teacher Feedback In Minority Elementary Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Andrea Nichole Jurbergs

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

School-home notes have proven to be an effective and acceptable method for improving children’s classroom behavior. School-home notes require teachers to rate students on any number of target behaviors and parents to provide consequences based on the evaluation. School-home notes recently have been shown to increase attention in low income children with ADHD. Although successful at decreasing off-task behavior in the classroom, treatment integrity (parent providing earned consequences at home) is not always maintained at acceptable levels. The goal of the current research was to dismantle the proven school-home note to identify the efficacy of the teacher feedback component alone. …


Development And Validation Of Child Routines Questionnaire: Preschool, Molly Murphy Wittig Jan 2005

Development And Validation Of Child Routines Questionnaire: Preschool, Molly Murphy Wittig

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Experts emphasize routines as a paramount practice in successful child rearing (Fiese, 2002). Only recently, however, has empirical evidence begun to corroborate this theory. While many researchers and clinicians have documented the use of daily child routines in their parenting packages and treatment studies, none has measured the effects of child routines directly. The emergence of The Child Routines Questionnaire offered ample evidence of the importance of child routines in school-age children. Significant findings link a lack of routines to child behavior problems, poor parenting practices, and parental psychopathology (Sytsma et al., 2001; Sytsma-Jordan, Kelley, & Henderson, 2002; Jordan, 2003). …


The Psychosocial Vulnerability Model Of Hostility As A Predictor Of Coronary Heart Disease, Karen Grothe Jan 2005

The Psychosocial Vulnerability Model Of Hostility As A Predictor Of Coronary Heart Disease, Karen Grothe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the number one killer for both men and women in the United States today. African Americans are particularly at risk, due to higher prevalence rates and mortality related to CHD (American Heart Association, 2003). Less than half of the new cases of CHD can be predicted with known risk factors (tobacco use, obesity, hypertension), which suggests the possible influence of personality or additional behavioral factors. Hostility is a psychological variable that has been consistently related to health outcomes, particularly to CHD. While the exact mechanism linking hostility to health is currently unknown, a psychosocial vulnerability …


A Survey On The Use And Misuse Of Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) Stimulant Medication Among Louisiana State University Students, Devan R. Guidry Dec 2004

A Survey On The Use And Misuse Of Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) Stimulant Medication Among Louisiana State University Students, Devan R. Guidry

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


The Effects Of Stress And Sudden Changes On Decision-Making As Moderated By Individual Differences In Sensation-Seeking, Nataria T. Joseph Dec 2004

The Effects Of Stress And Sudden Changes On Decision-Making As Moderated By Individual Differences In Sensation-Seeking, Nataria T. Joseph

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


The Evaluation Of The Integration Of Sustainability In Industrial Engineering Education At Louisiana State University, Kristina Little May 2004

The Evaluation Of The Integration Of Sustainability In Industrial Engineering Education At Louisiana State University, Kristina Little

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


Psychological And Neuropsychological Correlates Of Postconcussional Disorder, Joy Helena Wymer Jan 2004

Psychological And Neuropsychological Correlates Of Postconcussional Disorder, Joy Helena Wymer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chronic symptoms of Postconcussional Disorder (PCD) occur in a significant minority of mild brain injury patients. The latest research suggests an interactionistic perspective as the most logical and empirically supported pathogenesis for the development and maintenance of PCD. The interactionistic perspective implicates organic factors in the development of acute symptoms of PCD, and psychological factors in the maintenance of chronic symptoms. Possible psychological factors relevant in the maintenance of PCD symptoms include a grief response, a coping hypothesis, and the development of dysfunctional coping loops. Providing support for a psychological etiology of symptom maintenance is research indicating reduction of chronic …


A Cognitive Look At Sexual Inhibition: Are The Notions Of Cognitive Inhibition And Sexual Inhibition The Same?, Kimberly Claire Bell Jan 2004

A Cognitive Look At Sexual Inhibition: Are The Notions Of Cognitive Inhibition And Sexual Inhibition The Same?, Kimberly Claire Bell

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.


Difference In Sleep Disturbances Among Severely And Profoundly Retarded Adults With High Risk Behaviors, Carrie Jo Malone Jan 2004

Difference In Sleep Disturbances Among Severely And Profoundly Retarded Adults With High Risk Behaviors, Carrie Jo Malone

LSU Master's Theses

Individuals with intellectual disabilities have been linked to higher incidences of a variety of mental illnesses when compared to the general population (Rutter, Tizard, Yule, Graham, & Whitmore, 1976; and Borthwick-Duffy, 1994). Because of the symptoms associated with mental retardation; such as limited social skills, delayed or minimal communication skills, and maladaptive behaviors, mental illness can be difficult to assess when combined with an intellectual disability (Sovner, 1986). Currently there is no available mechanism for diagnosing sleep disorders in adults with severe and profound mental retardation. The purpose of the first study is to provide validation of the Diagnostic Assessment …


Cost Effective And Sequential Methods For Teaching Educational Paraprofessionals To Implement Behavior Management Strategies In Preschool Classrooms, Natalie Jan Slider Jan 2004

Cost Effective And Sequential Methods For Teaching Educational Paraprofessionals To Implement Behavior Management Strategies In Preschool Classrooms, Natalie Jan Slider

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the efficacy of cost effective and sequential training methods for teaching educational paraprofessionals to implement behavior management strategies in preschool classrooms. Investigation of the effects of increasingly complex and time consuming methods of training on both paraprofessional and student behaviors were evaluated. Training methods employed included written take-home manuals and summary cards, modeling videotapes, and performance feedback. Training materials included three behavior management strategies (e.g., instruction-giving, praise, and time out) that have shown to have extensive support in the empirical literature (Brophy, 1981; Budd, Riner, & Brockman, 1983; Flanagan, Adams, & Forehand, 1979; O’Dell, Krug, Patterson, & …


Analysis Of Factors That Affect Responding In A Two-Response Chain In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Stephanie Ann Contrucci Kuhn Jan 2004

Analysis Of Factors That Affect Responding In A Two-Response Chain In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Stephanie Ann Contrucci Kuhn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Behaviors that are appropriate, inappropriate, or a combination of both can be linked together in a behavior chain. When the contingencies for one response change (e.g., reinforcement is withheld for the last response in the chain; the last response is reinforced even if it occurs without the other responses in the chain) or the environmental conditions change (e.g., access to the reinforcer is available independent of responding), the other responses in the chain may be affected. Little is known about these types of effects on behavior chains. Several operant processes may disrupt behavior chains. The purpose of this study was …


Utility Of The Implementation Of Programmatic Systems To Reduce And Eliminate Restraint Use For The Treatment Of Problem Behaviors With Individuals With Mental Retardation, Yemonja Smalls Jan 2004

Utility Of The Implementation Of Programmatic Systems To Reduce And Eliminate Restraint Use For The Treatment Of Problem Behaviors With Individuals With Mental Retardation, Yemonja Smalls

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Persons with mental retardation continue to remain one of society’s most vulnerable groups as the number of individuals served increases and non-proportional resources are allotted to take of their needs. With results of national investigations indicating widespread indiscriminate abuse of restraints and overmedication to manage dangerous behaviors, federal mandates have been initiated to ensure ethical, safe and clinically sound use of these techniques. This study addressed the implementation of systemic changes that included a restraint education program and policy changes, careful monitoring and review of restraint and behavioral programming by oversight review bodies, and intense training of preventative and de-escalation …


A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing The Psychosocial Correlates For Overconcern With Body Size And Shape In Men And Women, Amy Elaine Rzeznikiewicz Jan 2004

A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing The Psychosocial Correlates For Overconcern With Body Size And Shape In Men And Women, Amy Elaine Rzeznikiewicz

LSU Master's Theses

The purposes of this cross-sectional study were two-fold. The primary aim of this study was to test whether the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS), a recently developed, reliable, and valid measure of muscle dysmorphia symptoms, measures a parallel phenomenon in men that the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) does in women, i.e., overconcern with body size and shape. To test this aim, psychosocial correlates for overconcern with body size and shape in women were tested to be the same psychosocial correlates for a measure of muscle dysmorphia in men. The psychosocial variables included in this model were body dissatisfaction, negative affect, …


Escalation Bias In Group Decision-Making, Molly Joann Russ Jan 2004

Escalation Bias In Group Decision-Making, Molly Joann Russ

LSU Master's Theses

The present study extended the literature on escalation bias to group decision-making in the context of performance appraisal. Escalation theory states that persons responsible for a hiring decision will provide higher evaluation ratings of that employee than those persons not responsible for the decision. This study compared the performance evaluation decisions of supervisors, individual team members, and teams in order to ascertain differences in escalation behaviors based on rater perspective and whether the rater was responsible for hiring the employee or not. Support for the hypotheses varied depending on the employment decision being made and the perspective of the decision-maker. …


Reliability And Concordance Of The Childhood Autism Rating Scale And Dsm-Iv In Adults With Severe And Profound Mental Retardation, Noha Farrah Minshawi Jan 2004

Reliability And Concordance Of The Childhood Autism Rating Scale And Dsm-Iv In Adults With Severe And Profound Mental Retardation, Noha Farrah Minshawi

LSU Master's Theses

Researchers and clinicians have long treated autism as though it were a disorder that only affected children. As a result, little literature is available on the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of adults with autism. One of the first issues to address in this population is diagnosis. While several rating scales and diagnostic systems exist for surveying autistic behavior in children, researchers have not demonstrated the reliability of these scales for adults. The present study focused on two commonly used instruments, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). In the …


Are We Honestly Studying Malingering?: A Profile And Comparison Of Simulated Suspected Malingerers, Adrianne M. Brennan Jan 2004

Are We Honestly Studying Malingering?: A Profile And Comparison Of Simulated Suspected Malingerers, Adrianne M. Brennan

LSU Master's Theses

Malingering research typically uses analog simulation designs or the differential prevalence design among "real" patients. Both have been criticized for methodological limitations in external and internal validity, respectively. Samples of simulated malingerers were compared to suspected malingerers to examine generalizability of analog findings. Overall results support the use of simulation designs. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that stringent selection of suspected malingerers maintains internal validity of the differential prevalence design. A second focus, to determine if demographic matching of simulated malingerers is necessary, showed that matching on age and race is not necessary.


Commitment To Displaying Positive Emotions At Work: An Examination Of Individual And Situational Antecedents, Meredith H. Croyle Jan 2004

Commitment To Displaying Positive Emotions At Work: An Examination Of Individual And Situational Antecedents, Meredith H. Croyle

LSU Master's Theses

Studies show that employee emotional displays impact customer behaviors and attitudes (Grandey, Fisk, Mattila, & Sideman, 2002; Pugh, 2001; Tsai, 2001). However, the factors influencing employees' emotional displays have not received much attention. More specifically, research suggests a need to more fully understand the motivational processes underlying employees' emotional displays, particularly in customer service where positive emotional displays are related to customer behaviors and sales performance (Brown & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1994; Diefendorff & Gosserand, in press; Grandey, Fisk, Matilla, & Sideman, 2002; Pugh, 2001; Tsai, 2001). To this end, this investigation examined an expectancy theory model of commitment to positive emotional …


Examining The Relationships Between Motivational Traits And Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Kajal Rushikesh Mehta Jan 2004

Examining The Relationships Between Motivational Traits And Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Kajal Rushikesh Mehta

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the relationships between motivational traits and counterproductive work behaviors. Little evidence exists supporting a link between individual differences and counterproductive work behaviors in previous literature. This study tested for a link between individual differences in motivation and workplace deviance by using broad operationalizations of both constructs. In addition, the investigation controlled for the effects of situational factors on counterproductive work behaviors providing a stronger test of the role of dispositional motivation. In general, this study set out to show that both approach and avoidance motivation tendencies are related to counterproductive work behaviors, as well as organizational citizenship …


The Effects Of Reinforcement Magnitude On Functional Analysis Outcomes, Valerie Marie Volkert Jan 2004

The Effects Of Reinforcement Magnitude On Functional Analysis Outcomes, Valerie Marie Volkert

LSU Master's Theses

The functional analysis methodology developed by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994) has been successfully used to identify the variables that maintain the problem behavior of individuals with developmental disabilities. However, in some cases, the results of functional analysis may be inconclusive. Altering parameters of reinforcement, such as the schedule, the quality, or magnitude of the reinforcer, may increase the likelihood of obtaining clear functional analysis results. Few studies have evaluated the effects of reinforcement magnitude on problem behavior even though basic findings indicate that this parameter may alter functional analysis outcomes. In fact, reinforcement magnitude has varied widely …


Attribution Processes In Mother-Adolescent Conflict, Ann Elisabeth Wingate Jan 2004

Attribution Processes In Mother-Adolescent Conflict, Ann Elisabeth Wingate

LSU Master's Theses

The present study aimed to determine whether negative mother and adolescent attributions about one another are associated with increased conflict levels in a heterogeneous sample, examine the possible differential predictive power of certain negative attribution types for different groups within the sample, determine whether level of negative attribution, SES, or daily stress level are significant predictors of conflict, and examine the potential mediating role of negative attributions in the relationship between SES and conflict level, as well as the relationship between and daily stress and conflict level. One hundred forty-five mother-adolescent dyads from various racial and SES backgrounds of a …


A Stage Targeted Physical Activity Intervention Among A Predominantly African American Low Income Medical Population, Dorothy Whitehead Jan 2004

A Stage Targeted Physical Activity Intervention Among A Predominantly African American Low Income Medical Population, Dorothy Whitehead

LSU Master's Theses

Despite the numerous health benefits, there is a high prevalence of physical inactivity and associated chronic diseases in the U.S., particularly among low income African Americans. Past studies indicate that mailed, stage-matched physical activity promotion materials are effective, low cost, and show potential for reaching hard to reach groups. However, this has not been examined in a low-income African American population. The current study utilized a low-cost, mailed intervention to promote physical activity among a low income African American primary care population (N=207). The sample was predominantly female (82.6%), African American (69.1%), and overweight (81.3%). At baseline, all participants completed …


The Effect Of Observational Method And Task Complexity On Neuropsychological Test Performance, Linda S. Lindman Jan 2004

The Effect Of Observational Method And Task Complexity On Neuropsychological Test Performance, Linda S. Lindman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Neuropsychologists are often called upon to conduct psychological examination in the presence of an observer in litigation cases despite research clearly demonstrating altered performance on neuropsychological tests under such conditions. Past research into the social facilitation effect suggests attentional conflict (Baron, 1986; Manstead & Semin, 1980) and increased anxiety (Guerin & Innes, 1982; Guerin, 1983) when observers are present and cannot be monitored. However, this research has found conflicting results depending upon the complexity of tasks and differences in observation condition. Meta analyses point to task complexity (Bond & Titus, 1983) and evaluation apprehension (Guerin, 1986) as important moderators of …


The Effects Of Memory Knowledge On Attributions Of Forgetfulness In Younger And Older Adults, Susan K. J. Brigman Jan 2004

The Effects Of Memory Knowledge On Attributions Of Forgetfulness In Younger And Older Adults, Susan K. J. Brigman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between memory knowledge and peoples' perceptions of forgetful younger and older adults in two ways. First, using an experimental approach, younger and older research participants were assigned to one of three information conditions: control (received no information about memory and aging), grandparent (received information about grandparent-grandchild relationships), and memory aging (received information about normative age-related changes in memory functioning in later adulthood). One week later, participants read six vignettes describing fictitious persons experiencing everyday instances of forgetting who were either younger (23-35 years of age) or older (63-75 years of age). Following Erber, Szuchman, and …


Identifying Students At Risk For Academic Failure: The Application Of A Prereferral Screening Model Including Responsiveness To Intervention, Susan Lockhart Gatti Jan 2004

Identifying Students At Risk For Academic Failure: The Application Of A Prereferral Screening Model Including Responsiveness To Intervention, Susan Lockhart Gatti

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Increasing demands are continually placed on our education system to improve the educational outcomes of all children. To provide the best services to our children, appropriate screening, assessments, and intervention services need to be implemented within the school setting. The current study evaluated the relationship of a screening procedure (Screening to Enhance Educational Performance, STEEP; Witt, 1996) using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and compared the results of the screening procedure to other commonly used problem nomination procedures for second, third, and fourth graders. The data were obtained from archival sources that resulted from a service and training project conducted jointly by …


Behavior Analysis In Child Welfare: A Preliminary Program Evaluation, Carole Marie Van Camp Jan 2004

Behavior Analysis In Child Welfare: A Preliminary Program Evaluation, Carole Marie Van Camp

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Behavior Analysis Services Program provides behavioral services, in the form of parenting classes and individualized assessments and treatments, to children and caregivers receiving child welfare services throughout the state of Florida. The program has many goals, including decreasing placement disruptions and increasing parenting skills. This study was a preliminary evaluation of the program that is now in its fourth year. First, characteristics of both foster children and foster parents that were associated with differential levels of placement disruptions were identified. Results identified several characteristics (i.e., being of a certain age, or having been in care for a certain amount …


The Effects Of A Recess Or Break And Stimulant Medication On The Classroom Behavior Of Children With Adhd, Andrea Ridgway Jan 2004

The Effects Of A Recess Or Break And Stimulant Medication On The Classroom Behavior Of Children With Adhd, Andrea Ridgway

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Only two empirical studies of recess have been extended to children with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and only one has included a single-case analysis. In addition, no studies have been found that specifically evaluated the effects of a quiet, indoor break on the classroom behavior of children in general, and children with ADHD in particular. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a recess, break, and continuous classroom schedule on the subsequent classroom behavior of children with a diagnosis of ADHD both when participants did and did not receive stimulant medication. …


The Impact Of Brief Intervention On Adherence To Medication Regimen Of Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kathleen E. Kendra Jan 2004

The Impact Of Brief Intervention On Adherence To Medication Regimen Of Low-Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kathleen E. Kendra

LSU Master's Theses

Patient nonadherence with medication regimen is a common problem facing health care providers treating adult patients with Type 2 diabetes. Poor glycemic control, diabetes related complications, and increased utilization and health care costs are among the outcomes of poor compliance with medical regimen. Prior research indicates moderate success with several techniques to improve medication adherence when used alone. However, the literature suggests a need for an intervention providing a multi-component technique, implementing self-motivating skills and follow-up prompts. Using a 15- minute single exposure intervention, the current study attempted to combine these two procedures (brief intervention including motivational interviewing with follow-up …