Psychology Commons^™

Parents' And Teachers' Acceptability Of Treatments For Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: The Effects Of Presentation And Information Delivery, Jason Donald Gage

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed problems affecting school-age children. This disorder can cause significant problems for children who consequently need treatment. Consumers of interventions for ADHD have efficacious treatments to choose from, but such treatment may not be implemented appropriately and effectiveness may decrease. Viewing treatments as 111 acceptable can affect treatment integrity and in turn increase effectiveness. Therefore, it is important that professionals understand how to increase the acceptability of treatments when first presenting treatment options to consumers. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if presenting parents and teachers with additional …

Educator Supply, Demand, Attrition, And Out-Of-Field Teaching In Utah, Daniel Joseph Robertson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This monograph reports the results of a comprehensive study of teacher supply and demand conditions in Utah. This research was conducted under contract with the Utah State Office of Education. The objectives of this research were as follows: (a) analyze year 2000 staffing patterns of Utah schools and estimate the potential effects of future retirement on current teacher pools; (b) use enrollment projections and base-year pupil-teacher ratios to predict teacher need for each geographic area and content area; (c) assess the supply of educators from Utah colleges of education and identify reasons why newly prepared teachers do not teach in …

Concurrent And Construct Validity Of Alternating Verbal Fluency As A Measure Of Executive Function, Gail A. Mason

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alternating verbal fluency is a combination task that was designed to assess the cognitive constructs of verbal fluency and cognitive shifting, presumably for increased efficiency. Researchers and clinicians have hypothesized about the added diagnostic benefits and more sophisticated discriminability of alternating verbal fluency as compared with singular verbal fluency tasks.

To date there are no standardized forms of alternating verbal fluency tests, normed data, or a guide for differentiating patient populations. In addition, there are no published studies addressing the construct or concurrent validity of alternating verbal fluency with other tests of executive function. Thus, the purpose of the present …

Research Treatments For Self Injurious Behavior With Unclear Or Automatically Reinforced Causes And Their Correlation To Least Restrictive Behavioral Interventions, Valarie Blamires

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Self injurious behavior (SIB) is one of the most perplexing and frightening behaviors exhibited by some students. SIB is defined as behavior wherein the individual is engaging in repetitive or stereotypical behaviors that may and in some cases does result in physical harm to the individual (Jacob-Timm, 1996). The behaviors are displayed in a variety of topographies. They can range from fingernail picking to head banging, and can be so destructive that the student can cause severe injury to themselves or even death. Individuals who display this type of behavior also display a variety of medical and clinical diagnosis which …

Parents Of Children With Severe Disabilities: Parental Stress, Depression, And The Marital Relationship, Melinda W. Christensen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper provides an overview of parental stress and depression in families with children diagnosed with severe cognitive disabilities. Previous research on parents with children with disabilities was reviewed. Studies were selected from peer-reviewed journal articles that specifically included children with an IQ below 70 or a noted cognitive impairment of a severe degree. Children in the study had to be living at home and below the age of 21. Significant levels of stress and depression were not found consistently in the studies reviewed. Parents of children with disabilities did report levels of stress and depression above the control groups …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Alcohol Treatment Outcome Literature: 1993 To 2000, Anthony Phillip Tranchita

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alcohol misuse is a very common problem with high financial and personal costs. Treatment requires allocation of limited resources for optimal impact. Responsible decision making in this area should be based upon reasoned weighing of research evidence. Miller and colleagues completed a meta-analytic review of all controlled studies published before 1992 to help clinicians do just that. The coding system they employed examined methodological quality, as well as outcome, to obtain a rank­ordering of treatments that seem to have the most quality research support. The current study attempts to extend this work utilizing the same coding on studies published since …

The Effects Of Performance Feedback On Exercise, Physiological Reactivity, And Affective State Among Hostile College Students, Crystal Chia-Sheng Lin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hostility has been found to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. One proposed pathway between hostility and cardiovascular disease is an increase in cardiovascular reactivity among hostile individuals when faced with challenging, competitive situations, in which interpersonal stressors are present. A potential situation that may elicit this exaggerated reactivity is found in cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs. Such factors may be competition and feedback regarding their performance. This study sought to find out how hostile individuals would respond physiologically, behaviorally, and affectively when presented with negative and positive performance feedback, while exercising in a challenging, competitive setting. It was found …

Effects Of Physical Activity And Religiosity On Psychophysiological Reactivity In An Aging Population, Tera L. Lensegrav Benson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Physical activity is known to offer health benefits. Additionally, research has linked religious involvement with health. Psychophysiological reactivity has links to coronary heart disease. This study examines the relationship between physical activity and religiosity in light of psychophysiological reactivity. The sample included 75 subjects, with a mean age of 71. 7 (SD = 6.11 ), with no history of cardiac incident. Religiosity was measured with the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS). Physical activity was assessed utilizing the Typical Week Physical Activity Scale. Psychophysiological reactivity was measured by blood pressure, heart rate, and self-report anger ratings in response to interpersonal challenge. …

Disruptive Behaviors In Early Childhood: The Role Of Parent Discipline And Parent Stress, Angela L.W. Ehrlick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Externalizing behavior problems during early childhood are fairly common, with approximately 10% to 15% of young children exhibiting at least mild to moderate disruptive behaviors. Of great significance, disruptive behaviors persist beyond early childhood for a substantial number of children and are related to impaired functioning for children and families. Parent discipline and parent stress are two variables that have been examined in relation to children's disruptive behaviors. While a significant body of research has documented the association between broad parental discipline strategies and behavior problems during early childhood, little research attention has been devoted to specific discipline techniques that …

Identifying The Bases For Gender Differences In Guilt And Shame, R. Shawn Edmondson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gender differences are frequently revealed on the popular TOSCA-2 measure of guilt- and shame-proneness. These gender differences could reflect biases in the eliciting conditions that participants evaluate and confounds between them. A new instrument, the Gender Relevant Test of Self-Conscious Affect (GR-TOSCA), was developed to eliminate these confounds, thereby introducing a gender-sensitive, and therefore more valid, measure of guilt and shame proneness. The psychometric integrity of the new instrument, hypotheses regarding condition-specific gender differences in the two emotions, and relationships of guilt- and shame-proneness scores to gender role endorsement were examined in a sample of undergraduate students (93 men and …

Addressing Disruptive Behaviors In The Preschool Classroom: An Adaptation Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (Pcit) For Head Start Teachers, Brent R. Collett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several researchers have begun to investigate early intervention and prevention programs, seeking to alter the trajectory of early-onset behavior problems. While it appears that multi-modal programs are the most promising approach, researchers have only recently begun to evaluate programs that use a similar treatment approach across settings and there is currently little information about classroom-based treatments for disruptive behaviors among preschoolers. The purpose of this study was to develop a classroom-based intervention based on the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) model developed by Eyberg. In addition, this study provides an initial investigation of the efficacy of this program with an emphasis …

Internalizing Symptoms In A Sample Of Native American Adolescents, Georgia Lee Matt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Internalizing disorders can have negative effects ranging from diminished self-esteem to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Native American children and adolescents often face pressures that put them at increased risk for the development of internalizing disorders, yet research within this population is almost nonexistent.

Given the serious implications of and the lack of research on internalizing disorders among this minority group, the present study was designed to provide information on the rate of internalizing symptoms in a sample of Native American adolescents, and provide normative data utilizing this sample for the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Adolescents. Data were collected using the …

Binge Eating Disorder And Its Relationship To Bulimia Nervosa And Obesity, Lara Schultz Lacaille

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent research indicates that 2% to 4% of the population meet diagnostic criteria for the newly proposed binge eating disorder, and that it is much more common (30%) among the treatment-seeking obese. Although recognized as a significant problem, binge eating disorder is l1l not well understood, and there is debate about whether binge eating disorder is a distinct disorder. It has been argued that binge eating disorder is simply a variant or milder form of bulimia nervosa and not a separate and distinct disorder. Researchers have begun to study this population in greater depth in order to assess the characteristics …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Self-Management Programs For Students With Disruptive Behaviors: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Heidi Kupiec

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Disruptive behaviors exhibited by children and youth pose a major problem for students exhibiting the behaviors, their peers, parents, and teachers. Disruptive behaviors including shouting, aggression, off-task behaviors, and noncompliance, correlate with poor social skills, low peer acceptance, higher rates of academic deficiencies, and in adulthood instability in relationships and employment. Self-management programs employ traditional behavior management methods and with self-management components to teach students to self-monitor or evaluate their behavior. By teaching students to be aware of and to manage their own behavior students may be better able to generalize appropriate behaviors to other less supervised settings, complete more …

A Review Of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Interventions Used With School-Aged Children And Adolescents, Christopher Laypath

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) techniques have been used since the early

twentieth century as a means of inducing relaxation and decreasing muscle tension.

However, only in the last twenty five years have systematic studies of these techniques to

treat children and adolescents appeared with any regularity in the research literature.

The last major review of the literature was published in 1989. The purpose of this

paper was to examine studies published since the last review of the literature. A special

emphasis was placed on studies set in schools or that were relevant to mental health

professionals in those settings. The …

Sociometric Change As A Function Of Classwide Peer Tutoring, Trina D. Spencer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) procedures have been shown to substantially increase academic performance. Other positive outcomes, incidentally observed, include enhanced prosocial behaviors and increased appropriate interactions among peers. This study examined the direct effects of a CWPT program on peer relations and academic performance. A mixed first- and second-grade general education classroom participated in a CWPT spelling intervention with a comparable control classroom. The study consisted of three phases-Baseline (4 weeks), Intervention (6 weeks), and Follow-up (4 weeks). Dependent measures included sociometric peer rating scales and spelling test scores. Results were analyzed by determining mean change for each participant and …

Internalizing Symptoms Of Children And Parenting Practices: An Exploratory Study, Kristi Lowe Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parenting practices are known to be associated with childhood behavior difficulties. Past research has focused on the association between parenting practices and externalizing behavior problems in children. The relationship between internalizing behavioral problems and parenting practices has received less empirical attention. The current study explored the connection between internalizing symptomology in children and parenting practices. Sixty-six parents and children between the ages of 8 and 12 were surveyed regarding internalizing symptomology and parenting practices. Results indicated that parents of children with internalizing symptomology displayed statistically significantly poorer parenting behaviors than did parents of children who were free of internalizing symptoms. …

Assessing The Need For Evaluator Certification, Steven C. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Professional certification is arguably a means of validating a practitioner's competency within their trade. Certification can also be beneficial for enhancing a profession's prestige, improving academic programs, and helping to define the profession in question. However, certification can be considered not feasible, effective, or perhaps even necessary. Due to the likelihood of these conflicting viewpoints, it is essential for any profession to determine the support level from its members prior to implementing a certification process.

This thesis presents the results from a 1998 survey for the American Evaluation Association, whereby their members responded to items regarding the need, effectiveness, feasibility …

The Effects Of Cognitive Strategy And Exercise Setting On Running, Rick A. Lacaille

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The cognitive strategies of association and dissociation have been identified and studied in runners and other athletes. Association is said to involve thoughts that are task-oriented and may include a focus on pace, strategy, or physiological sensations. Conversely, dissociation involves task-irrelevant thoughts and may include thinking about such things as relationships, work, spiritual matters, or scenery. To date, studies have been largely descriptive, methodologically flawed, failed to use manipulation checks, and/or present unclear or differing conclusions. The emphasis with previous association and dissociation research has also been with elite and/or endurance athletes, such as marathon runners. Additionally, only a few …

Establishing Reinforcing Properties In Neutral Stimuli Through Observational Learning With Children, Andrew Waine Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to observe and analyze the factors that lead to a child's increase in responding to a previously neutral stimulus after observing another child's behavior and consequences in the same setting. The effects of five video presentations on rate of button-pressing responses were observed across four students. Rates of button-pressing behavior on an FR3 schedule of reinforcement were collected for each student using a computer and a metal apparatus with two flat push buttons. Each student completed two baseline phases to establish neutrality of stimuli, and viewed a total of five video presentations. Each video …

A Comparison Of The Relative Impact Of Structural And Dynamic Child Care Quality On Child Outcomes, Jared Cutler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Child care researchers divide child care quality into two separate categories: structural child care quality (adult-child ratios, class size, amount of physical space, etc.) and dynamic child care quality (number and quality of teacher-child relationships). A consensus has emerged in the child care literature that structural child care quality has no direct effect on children's developmental outcomes (e.g., language development, social development, school readiness). Rather, structural child care quality facilitates dynamic child care quality, which then has a direct effect on child outcomes. While child care researchers frequently assert that structural variables merely facilitate dynamic variables, and have no direct …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Humor And Laughter On Depressive Symptomology, Jason Talley Goodson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study was designed to test the theory that daily exposure to humorous material would reduce depressive symptoms. Thirty-eight undergraduate students endorsing depressive symptoms were randomly assigned to either a humor or comparison group. Dependent variables were scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, the Social Activities Scale from the Interpersonal Events Schedule, and the Positive and Negative Daily Affect Schedule. The humor group intervention consisted of take-home videotaped recordings of humorous materials. The comparison group intervention consisted of take-home video taped recordings of educational materials with motivational themes. Results indicated that subjects in both groups exhibited significant reductions in …

Teacher Referral Of Children With Internalizing Problems, Heather J. Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A survey addressing teacher referral of children with internalizing symptoms was developed and distributed to 883 first- through sixth-grade teachers in the state of Utah. The survey presented vignettes of children exhibiting symptoms of internalizing disorders. Respondents were asked if they would refer the child described in each vignette. The survey also asked respondents for information regarding the number of years they had been teaching, training they had received regarding children's mental health, the types of mental health services available within their schools, and their beliefs regarding types of services schools should provide. Four ANOVAs were calculated in analyzing the …

Internalizing Symptoms In Adolescents: Assessment And Relationship To Self-Concept, Sue Ann Dowd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Internalizing disorders cause serious psychological problems for many adolescents. The effects can be both debilitating and long lasting. However, assessment of internalizing disorders has been plagued by limited measurement strategies. Historically, individual measures were developed to assess the narrow-band symptoms that are subsumed under the broad construct of internalizing disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, and social withdrawal). Recently, the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents has been created. The Internalizing Symptom Scale for Adolescents is a short screening measure that includes newer models of affect such as the tripartite model of affect. Additionally, there has been limited research on the …

Psychosocial Factors And Their Relationship To Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Outcome Among The Strong Heart Study Cohort, Brian O'Leary

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Diabetes mellitus is a serious problem that affects 15.7 million individuals in the United States. The complications of this disease are catastrophic and can lead to blindness, kidney disease, lower limb amputations, nerve damage, increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and death. Among Native Americans, diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. A variety of psychosocial variables has demonstrated relationships to diabetic outcome. Past research has shown a relationship between psychological variables and glucose control. The current study of Native Americans shows a similar pattern using the psychosocial instruments to measure the constructs of depression, anger, hostility, social support, and perceived stress. …

Predictors Of Satisfaction With Sport Leadership In Small-College Football Players, Derek R. Reinke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated eight possible predictors of satisfaction levels in smallcollege football players. The sample (N = 442) included eight nonscholarship football programs from the NCAA Division III or NAIA classifications. Measures included Zhang's Revised Version of Chelladurai's Leadership Scale for Sport, and a seven-item subscale of the Scale of Athlete Satisfaction.

The six subscales of the Revised Leadership Scale for Sport each yielded a significant linear relationship with the satisfaction outcome measure: social support (r= .696), situational consideration (I= .665), positive feedback (r = .654), teaching and instruction (r= .627), democratic behaviors ( …

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 And Low Back Pain Surgery Outcome, David S. Shearer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chronic back pain is a serious problem in the U.S. for which about 10% of back pain sufferers will undergo elective surgery. Unfortunately, back surgery is not successful in alleviating back pain in a substantial number of surgery patients. Various psychological and psychosocial variables have a demonstrated relationship to back surgery outcome. The most widely used personality test used to predict back surgery outcome is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Past research has shown that elevations on three MMPI clinical scales (Hs, D, and Hy) are positively correlated with poor back surgery outcome. The current prospective study shows a …

An Evaluative Argument-Based Investigation Of Validity Evidence For The Utah Pre-Algebra Criterion-Referenced Test, Louise Richards Moulding

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study collected evidence to address the assumptions underlying the use of the Utah Core Assessment to Pre-Algebra (UCAP) to (a) measure student achievement in pre-algebra, and (b) assist teachers in making adjustments to instruction. An evaluative argument was defined to guide the collection of evidence. Each of the assumptions in the evaluative argument was addressed using data from a suburban northern Utah school district. To collect the evidence, test content was examined including item match to course objectives, reliability, and subtest intercorrelations. Analyses of correlations of the UCAP with convergent and discriminant measures were completed using student test data …

Changing The Role Of Appraisal And Interpersonal Factors In Guilt Induction: Time, Perspective, And Responsibility, Chris Lee Treadwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Appraisal theories of emotion assert that guilt arises from the evaluations one ill makes about one's behavior. Perpetrators experience guilt when they view themselves as responsible for harm caused to their victims. Interpersonal theories of emotion hold that guilt is a function of relational factors, including the need to repair relationships. Theorists argue that guilty feelings often arise in spite of appraisals, and that perpetrators feel guilty because of a need to communicate reconciliatory messages to their victims. These two views of guilt are generally seen as mutually exclusive. This study proposed integrating both views of guilt into a single, …

Testing Models Of Depression And Paranoia In Men And Women: The Role Of Cognitive Style, Guilt, Shame, And Defense Mechanisms, Chad Sombke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gender differences in psychopathology have long been of interest in the fields of clinical, developmental, and personality psychology. Lewis proposed two models to explain the emergence of the development of gender differences in depression and paranoia. Lewis stated that gender differences in depression and paranoia can be traced to corresponding gender differences in cognitive style, guilt-proneness, shame-proneness, and the use of specific defense mechanisms. Although research evidence has validated certain components of these two models, neither model has ever been tested in its entirety. This research project intended to test Lewis's models in their entirety by utilizing structural equation modeling. …