Psychology Commons^™

The Effect Of Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) On The Establishment And The Expression Of Place Conditioning (Rattus Norvegicus), Robert Ernest Sorge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The place conditioning paradigm has been used to assess the antinausea potential of drugs in non-emetic animal species. The present experiments were designed to determine the potential of A9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to alleviate both conditioned and unconditioned sickness in rats (Rattus norvegiens). The results in the present study suggest that when the place aversion is strong (Experiment 1), THC may interfere with the establishment; however when the aversion is weak (Experiments 2 and 3), THC may interfere with the expression. Also, when administered during acquisition of a strong amphetamine-induced place preference, THC also seems to interfere with the establishment of the …

Sensitization To Indirect And Direct Dopamine Agonists: Behavioural Differences In Wheel Running, Vanhthong Vilaysinh

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Five experiments examined the effects of repeated exposure to stimulants, largely apomorphine (APO), on wheel running in male Sprague-Dawley rats. In these experiments, minor changes in procedure resulted in profound differences in the effects of APO on wheel running. Experiment 1 I compared changes in wheel running after repeated injections of 3.0 mg/kg amphetamine (AMP), 5.0 mg/kg of APO or vehicle (VEH). AMP resulted in a suppression in wheel running which become more pronounced over trials, while running in APO animals remained similar to the VEH group. Testing provided support for a conditioned suppression of wheel running rats previously treated …

Utilization Of Global Attributions In Recognizing And Responding To Gender Discrimination Among College Women, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although learned helplessness theories suggest that global attributions for gender discrimination may serve to promote feelings of helplessness about responding to discrimination, group consciousness theories suggest they may instead be a precursor to enhancing collective actions against discrimination.

To examine this theoretical discrepancy, college women completed measures of attributions for gender discrimination, political consciousness (as measured by common fate), participation in collective action, and helplessness behavior among college women. To examine the unique role of global attributions, participants were included if they made external and unstable attributions for discrimination (N = 231). Structural equation modeling showed hat recognizing discrimination occurs …

Positive And Negative Responses To Personal Discrimination: Does Coping Make A Difference?, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although psychological research has found that perceiving personal discrimination is associated with negative psychological symptoms, group consciousness theories suggest that perceiving personal discrimination can be empowering. To attempt to reconcile these presumably opposing findings, the present study suggested that how one copes with perceiving personal discrimination may better predict whether the outcomes are negative or positive than the perception of personal discrimination alone. American female university students ( N = 262) completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of personal discrimination, psychological symptoms and psychosocial behaviors. A series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that coping mechanisms predicted psychosocial behaviors over and …

The Lived Experience Of People Receiving Assertive Community Treatment: A Phenomenological Study, Salinda A. Horgon

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In recent years the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model of service delivery, which has held considerable influence in policy and decision making in the mental health field over the past 30 years, has recently been promoted at the provincial policy level in Ontario. Previous studies on ACT have been primarily quantitative in nature and have contributed greatly to the body of knowledge that we now possess regarding the clinical outcomes produced by the ACT model. However, with the Ontario government’s financial plan to significantly increase the number of ACT programs in this province, the mental health field would benefit from …

Partner Abuse In Gay Male Relationships: Challenging 'We Are Family', Jeffrey Aguinaldo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purposes of this study are twofold: a) to explore the material experience of partner abuse among gay male relationships and b) to explore the discursive conditions from which gay men must draw to negotiate the experience of relationship violence. I incorporated Standpoint epistemology and Queer theory to inform the theoretical basis of this thesis. To achieve the research objectives, I conducted a total of seven interviews with gay men. The findings from the interview data are presented in two phases. First, I presented three stories of gay men who had experienced violence and abuse at the hands of their …

Developmental Precursors Of Men's Relationships, Shirliana Bruce

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research drawn from both the sexuality and relationship literatures largely omits the experiences, attitudes, and issues of adult men. In addition, the information we have about males is typically generalized from either adolescent or university populations. Although existing research provides substantial information about the precursors to both adolescent males’ and females’ sexual activities, it is limited in its presentation of adult male experiences. The present study surveyed 190 men, ages 19 to 82, who completed questionnaires assessing their parents’ sexual views and communication, peer influences on sexuality, gender composition of friendship networks, and sexual and relationship histories. Descriptive information and …

Two Views Of Identity Development In Adolescence: An Empirical Comparison Of The Narrative And Status Approaches, Kathleen Mackey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationships among personal life stories, identity status development and family climate during late adolescence. The current study examines the parallels between two conceptions of identity: Marcia's interview assessment of identity status development, and McAdams’ narrative conception of identity development as revealed through the life story. A sample of 131 high school students, 51 males and 80 females, were asked to recall and discuss a critical incident that had a crucial impact on their beliefs and values. Marcia's interview assessment of identity status was also administered for vocational and religious domains. …

The Ties That Bind: Jamaican Elders' Testimonies Of Community Life, Jacqueline Ann Russell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores the meanings of community, participation, activism and being old with eight older Jamaicans. The roles of culture and religion are examined in reference to the participants’ community and social aging experiences. The researcher used a culturally relevant research paradigm [Diasporic African] incorporating indigenous methods [testifying] grounded in the participants’ cultural and religious identifies and experiences as older Christian Jamaicans of African descent. The use of testimonies is described in Stanfield’s (1998) work on ethic modeling in qualitative research design. Demographic information and life histories focussing on community roles, sites for participation across the life span, and the …

Coping With Loss: A Qualitative Study Of The Experience Of Sibling Bereavement In Young Adulthood, Purnima Sundar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Existing literature in the area of bereavement as it pertains to young persons focuses primarily upon the death of a parent, and the age groups most studied are either children or adolescents. The goal of this thesis project, therefore, has been to develop an in-depth understanding of the experience of sibling bereavement in young adulthood, looking at factors that both helped and hindered effective coping. Specifically, in-depth interviews with 7 young women who had suffered the loss of a sister or brother while between the ages of 18 and 30 were conducted in an effort to shed light on this …

Wheel Running, Feeding, And Body Weight In Adult Male Rats: Generalizations To Adult Females And Younger Animals, Veronica Marie Afonso

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

For adult male rats, initial access to a running wheel results in a pronounced suppression of feeding with a subsequent disruption of weight gain, but results with female and younger rats are not as clear. The present experiments demonstrated that age may be a confounding factor in the conflicting reports. The effects of ad lib wheel access on feeding and body weight were investigated in adult male, adult female, and weanling male rats using consistent procedures and recording data daily. For adult males and females, wheel access initially suppressed feeding and reduced weight relative to sedentary controls. These effects were …

Emergency Shelters As Empowering Settings For Young Women: A Study Of Process And Outcomes, Theresa Bailey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study used a participatory approach to examine the process and outcomes for young women who entered an emergency shelter. The purpose of this study was to explore differences and similarities between young women from family of origin and young women with child welfare placement experience when they entered the shelter and then again three months later. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. In the quantitative component a series of two factor mixed ANOVA’ s, t-tests, and regressions were conducted on 40 initial interviews and 30 follow-up interviews. The results of these statistical analyses demonstrated that young women from …

Understanding Equity And Oppression From A Different Perspective: Students Evaluate Their Education, Kevin Black

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In 1993, the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training (MET) created a draft document on the topic of antiracism and ethnocultural equity in school boards. This document contained guidelines for anti-oppression policy and practice within schools. Many stakeholders within the education system and society debate whether or not an education for equity is being provided in schools. I chose to respond to this debate by listening to the voices of an unheard stakeholder group: students. Two methods of data collection, questionnaires and focus groups, were utilized in my study. Seventy-one students participated in the questionnaire section, and six students further …

Psychological Mechanisms Responsible For The Moderating Effects Of Need For Cognition On Attractiveness Stereotyping, Samantha D. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis focuses on the psychological mechanisms responsible for the moderating role of need for cognition (NFC) in attractiveness stereotyping. Attractiveness stereotyping refers to the tendency to attribute more positive characteristics to attractive than to unattractive individuals. Recent research has found that people high in NFC show less of this attractiveness bias. The present research used two approaches to test the hypothesis that NFC moderates the bias because persons higher in NFC have greater motivation and ability to engage in systematic thought processes. First it included measures to assess the types of thoughts that participants high and low in NFC …

Adolescent Openness To The Parental Viewpoint In Narrative: Longitudinal Prediction Of Adolescent Adjustment, Cheryl Ann Hicks

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Adolescent openness to the parental viewpoint, as assessed through a narrative methodology, was tested as a longitudinal predictor of adolescent adjustment. Thirty adolescents (14 females, 16 males) were asked to describe their parents’ perspective on matters considered important to their values and development. These narratives were scored via a newly developed ‘parent voice’ measure, which quantitatively rates the degree of openness and respect the adolescent extends to the parental viewpoint. Parent voice scores significantly predicted adolescent adjustment four years later. Furthermore, the findings suggest voice may be mediating the positive relationship between authoritative parenting and subsequent adolescent adjustment. The quality …

Changing Landscapes: Stories Of Five Women Farming Ecologically, Sherri Joy Van De Hoef

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community and the natural environment have always played an important role in my life. I have had the opportunity in the past few years to explore these areas in more depth. My introduction to Community Psychology during my undergraduate degree exposed me to agricultural initiatives that emphasized community and respect for the environment. I explore these initiatives further by conducting a study (van de Hoef, 1998) of Ontario couples who live self-reliantly (that is, they grow their own food, build their own homes, live off the electricity grid, and find supports in their local communities). Subsequent to that study I …

Public Participation In A Government Land Decision In Prince Edward Island: The Case Of Tracadie Cross Waste Watch Facility, Billie-Jean Flynn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Public participation is a comerstone of democracy and a central value of Community Psychology. The purpose of this participatory action research was to develop an understanding of public participation as through the experiences of Islanders engaged in land decision making in Prince Edward Island. In particular a case study of the Tracadie Cross Waste Watch Facility was developed through document analysis and in-depth interviews. A sketch of public participation in Prince Edward Island was grounded in in-depth interviews from case study participants. as well as additional in-depth interviews with Islanders who have been engaged in land decision making independent of …

Listening To The Voices Of The Land: Stories Of Prince Edward Island Organic Farmers Sowing Hope In The Struggle For Survival, Kara L. Griffin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Changes within agriculture towards an industrialized approach to farming have had detrimental effects on people, communities, and the environment. There is a need for methods of farming that preserve and protect the natural and social ecology. In this thesis, I explored the experiences and stories of a small group of PEI organic farmers, who have an important role in preserving the Island's natural and social ecology. Informed mainly by the narrative theory of Rappaport (1995), I conducted qualitative interviews with seven farmers, in an effort to hear their stories as organic farmers on PEI and leam from their experiences. While …

The Relationship Of Social Dominance Orientation And Political Efficacy To Political Participation Of Women, Cherie D. Werhun

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Two studies were conducted to examine the factors that influence women’s choices of political participation. In the first study 600 University students were asked their likelihood of engaging in 35 traditional and non-traditional political activities to create social change (the Political Activity Scale). Factor analysis identified 5 factors, one of which represented traditional and political activities, one of which represented non-traditional political activities and three of which represented a mix of traditional and non-traditional. In the second study, 80 University students read a social issue concerning poverty or the environment, and completed a revised political activity scale. They also completed …

Perceiving And Responding To The Personal/Group Discrimination Discrepancy, Mindi D. Foster, Kimberley Matheson

Psychology Faculty Publications

To explain why minority group members recognize less personal than group discrimination, research has focused on cognitive processes. While within self-categorization theory it may be argued the discrepancy is a function of a salient social self that perceptually discounts the personal self, it can also be argued that depersonalization allows for the cognitive possibility of perceiving similar amounts of personal and group discrimination. The present study suggested that, consistent with group consciousness theories, the social self may serve to both discount as well as integrate the social self, depending on the way in which the social self is defined. Using …

Acting Out Against Gender Discrimination: The Effects Of Different Social Identities, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Self-categorization theory suggests that when a social identity is salient, group- oriented behavior will ensue. Thus, women should be likely to act out against gender discrimination when their social identity as women is salient. However, self-categorization theory has typically defined a social identity along stereo- types, which may serve instead to maintain the status quo. Two studies therefore examined the effects of two different social identities on taking action against discrimination. Participants were female students (Anglo American (93%), African American (2%), Native American (2%), Hispanic (1%), Asian American (1%) and Other (1%)). Study 1 examined a structural model and Study …

Critical Psychology In Action: Recommendations For The Practice Of Critical Psychology, Stephanie Austin

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Critical psychology is a movement that is gaining momentum in psychology. Although people define it in various ways, for the purpose of my current research I define critical psychology as a movement that challenges psychology to work towards emancipation and social justice and that opposes the use of psychology to perpetuate oppression and injustice. This thesis project engaged critical psychologists from several different countries in a formative evaluation of the field of critical psychology. The research I have undertaken has conceptual/theoretical and practical components, consistent with a commitment to what Paulo Freire called critical praxis. Critical psychology as a scholarly …

Implementing School Supports For The Wellness Of Newcomer Children, Jeannette L. Amio

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present thesis chronicles a participatory study of the implementation of school-based supports geared to the newcomer children of Highfield Junior School. A dual focus on research and action was integral to the objectives of the investigation, namely to: a) illuminate the present network of school supports, b) compose an ideal configuration of a school attentive to the needs of newcomers, and c) prescribe implementation steps that can transform the school closer to the ideal. To ground the study, I review the adaptation difficulties of newcomer children, the preventive measures that schools can take to reduce these vulnerabilities. and how …

Transitions '98: Evaluation Of A Support Group Program For First-Year University Students, Alexandra J. Ostaniewicz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The transition from high-school to university can be a difficult time in the lives of students. The present study examined the effectiveness of an intensive, small-group, long-term orientation to university PTOBTBIR One hundred and eleven first-year students were assigned to either an intervention-discussion group, or a questionnaire-only control group. ln August, before coming to university, all participants completed measures including social support, self-esteem, perceived stress, depression and questions assessing demographic information. Those in the discussion group were assigned to one of six groups, which met regularly for 9 weeks for 90-minute sessions. During the meetings, topics focused on creating and …

Policies And Programs To Prevent Child Maltreatment And Promote Family Wellness In Ghana, Bright Isaac Asante

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined policies and programs to prevent child maltreatment and promote family wellness in Ghana. In the thesis, I discussed values that guide child-care in Ghana, the daily realities of children and families, and policies and programs to promote family wellness and prevent child maltreatment. Lastly, I looked at the climate for prevention and early intervention. I presented recommendations under each of these sections. In the first part of the literature review, I examined some definitions of child maltreatment, the prevalence rate, etiology, and consequences of maltreatment. In the second part, I reviewed some policies and programs to prevent …

Parenting Experience And Gender Role Socialization In Toy Play Situations, Sara Elizabeth Gugula

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study investigated the role of parenting experience on the gender socialization of children. Each of the children (N=48) played with three adults; one of their parents, one parent of another child, and one non-parent. The amount of time children and adults played with gender-specific toys, adults’ categorization of toys into gender categories and adults’ desirability ratings of gender-specific toys were examined. Results indicated that boys spent most of their time playing with masculine toys, while girls spent an equal amount of time playing with feminine and neutral toys and the least amount of time playing with masculine toys. The …

Board Transition In A Student Government Organization: Developing Effective Organizational Change, Rolando Eduardo Inzunza

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

I focused the research project on creating effective transition in a graduate student government organization of which I was the president in 1998-1997. I conducted the evaluation as an insider, using a participatory-action research model. My search of the literature focused on principles of community psychology and how the literature on learning organizations could apply these principles as organizational goals. I then used organizational development as a model for putting these principles and subsequent goals into practice. I guided the evaluation and improvement of board transition with measures of board effectiveness. I collected the data from in-depth qualitative interviews with …

Programs For The Promotion Of Family Wellness And The Prevention Of Child Maltreatment: A Meta-Analytic Review, Jennifer R. Macleod

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis is a meta-analytic review of interventions that focus on the promotion of family wellness and the prevention of child maltreatment. Fifty-six evaluations which met the inclusion criteria were coded and effect sizes were calculated for each of the studies. I identified five key elements or “moderator variables,” through a review of the literature, which I believed might have an impact on the effectiveness of interventions. These moderator variables were: an ecological framework, an empowerment/strengths-based focus, the duration/intensity of the intervention, and the availability of social support and concrete support. A three step model testing process was used to …

Feminism Meets Self-Care In Social Change Work, Wendy L. Telford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The trauma literature reveals that anti-violence work can negatively affect anti-violence workers. These effects are different from those of doing general counselling, therapy, and research. The effects include disrupted beliefs about the goodness of people, difficulty trusting others, emotional numbness, psychic drain, spiritual disconnectedness, and loss of meaning and purpose in life. I experienced a negative transformation while participating in feminist social change work, specifically feminist anti-violence work. I decided to investigate this transformation and share my insights. I collected the data from within myself through an intuitive, reflective writing process, then compared and contrasted my experience to relevant literature. …

Applied Ethics In Mental Health In Cuba: Concepts, Values, Dilemmas And Resources, Laura Sanchez Valdes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis I studied the concepts of applied ethics of mental health professionals in Cuba. In the thesis, I discuss the values that guide Cuban professionals in their work, the dilemmas they encounter, the resources that facilitate solving ethical dilemmas and the barriers they encounter in addressing them. In addition, I present recommendations for the prevention of harm in professional practice. In the first part of the literature review, I critique traditional concepts of applied ethics prevalent in North America. These concepts are criticized for their lack of applicability to the working life of the professional. An alternative model …