Psychology Commons^™

A Critique Of Bandler And Grinder's Method Of Mapping Representational Systems, Leslie E. Goldmann

Dissertations and Theses

People perceive the world in their own terms: our use of language reflects our perceptions. The way in which we perceive the world and the words we use to reflect that perception Grinder and Bandler (1976) call a "representational system." The authors isolate three types of representational systems, visual, kinesthetic, and auditory, and they present a technique for mapping these systems. These authors state that a sensory preference profile can be mapped accurately and reliably via an individual's use of language. For example, words such as "clear," "see" and expressions of the kind "I get a picture" would connote a …

An Evaluation Of Parent Education And Parent Group Therapy As Treatment Components For Child Abusers, Jane Susan Crawford

Dissertations and Theses

Treatment for child abusers was evaluated using two methods: reviewing three areas of literature and surveying practitioners.

The Effects Of Instructions On Prosocial Behavior Of Preschool Children, Jane Marie Blackwell

Dissertations and Theses

This experiment examined the effects of instructions on the prosocial behavior (i.e., helping, sharing, teaching, and sympathy) of preschool children. Forty-eight individual children (X = 56.7 months) interacted with two adult women on two separate occasions, an initial session measuring baseline levels of prosocial behavior, and a second session several days later. In the second session, children received instructions in helping, sharing, and teaching, and an opportunity to rehearse, or practice, these prosocial behaviors. Children were given either power assertive instructions (i.e., instructions which directly told the child what to do), or inductive instructions (i.e., instructions which focused the child's …

Consciousness, Neurons, And Laughing Gas, Dody Michelson Orendurff

Dissertations and Theses

Psychological and physiological effects of nitrous oxide resemble those of eight other drug categories. Lipid solubility or hydrate microcrystal theories correlate behavioral measures with measurable parameters of the molecule N₂O. N₂O, a spindle poison, halts mitosis in metaphase, producing widespread physiological consequences. N₂O affects the microtubules of the spindle in a number of specific ways. Microtubules are utilized in other parts of eukaryotic cells, in a wide variety of functions. In neurons, microtubules build and maintain dendritic sensory processes. Since microtubules are built of two dissimilar proteins, constantly assemble and disassemble, and maintain a …

An Experimental Model Using Dance Training As Therapy For Women Over Thirty Five, Thelma J. Lofquist

Dissertations and Theses

The intent of this study was to use an experimental model to investigate the use of dance training for improving the self-esteem of women over the age of 35.

Sixteen women over the age of 35 were taught jazz dance over a 10 week period. A pre and post test of the Tennessee Self Concept Scale was used on both a dance group and a no dance group. It was hypothesized there would be positive changes in three of the 10 scores in the TSCS for the dance group, but not for the no dance group. The scores predicted to …

Closedmindedness As A Predictor Of Individual Decision-Making Behaviors, Annette I. Jolin

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine whether closemindedness is related to decision-making behaviors. The decision-making variables in this study were: Pieces of Information, Decision Change, Decision Confidence, Decision Accuracy and, post hoc, Decision Appropriateness. The measures of decision-making behaviors were obtained from four decision situations developed by the experimenter. Closemindedness was assessed using Rokeach's (1960) Dogmatism (D) scale.

The Bender-Gestalt Test As A Measure Of Creative Production, Craig Logan House

Dissertations and Theses

This study attempted to define creativity in terms of objective, visible products of behavior. An existing psychological instrument, the Bender-Gestalt Test (BGT) was modified in presentation and scoring methods into a test of creative production. This test was chosen because of its similarity to some existing tests of creative production and its theoretical relationship to the associative model of creative production. It was combined with the Making Objects Test (MO) and the Remote Associations Test (RAT) into a three test battery and administered to 90 college students. The three tests were scored and the results correlated with each other to …

The Interruption Of The Developmental Tasks Through Pregnancy In The Female Adolescent, Suzanne Epstein, Kathleen Perkins

Dissertations and Theses

There is much information about the incidence of adolescent pregnancy yet little attention has been directed to how this process will interrupt the working towards or completion of the developmental tasks of adolescence. It is our belief that completion of these tasks is crucial in relation to moving into the next stage, adulthood.

Public interest and concern for the contemporary needs of pregnant adolescents and school age parents as a special group is still fairly novel. Survey findings revealed that adolescent parents still have great need for infant day care services, direct financial assistance, housing arrangements, education, and parenting education. …

An Investigation Of The Consistency Of Stimulus Overselection Of Autistic Children, Patricia O'Meara Walker

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature indicated that not all of the research in the area of overselectivity of autistic children has been in agreement. It does seem evident that some autistic children overselect. This could be the result of an attentional factor or a modality preference. This has important implications for the education of autistic children. In the light of the inconsistency of autistic children's reactions to sensory stimuli this investigator believed there was a need to determine if overselection is consistent before referring to the overselected modality as a preferred modality or comparing overselected modalities with the child's mode …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Biofeedback And Meditation Treatment On Essential Hypertension, Thomas Lee Molatore

Dissertations and Theses

The repeated-measures experimental design utilized in the present study permitted a controlled comparison of the clinical efficacy of meditation treatment (MT), biofeedback treatment (BT), and pharmacological control (PC) conditions in the reduction of seven dependent variables: (1) within clinic (W-C) systolic blood pressure (SBP), (2) W-C diastolic blood pressure (DBP), (3) outside-clinic (O-C) SEP, (4) O-C DBP, (5) within-session (W-S) SEP, (6) W-S DBP, and (7) antihypertensive medication requirements. Twenty-four medicated subjects with medically .verified essential hypertension were matched by rank-order on sex, age, and mean baseline levels of SBP and DBP, and randomly assigned to MT, BT, or PC …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Visual Short Term Memory And Speechreading In Hearing Impaired Geriatrics, Catherine Hollevoet

Dissertations and Theses

The relationship between visual short term memory (as measured by the Memory for Designs Test) and speechreading ability (as measured by the Barley Speechreading Test) was investigated in a sample of twenty-seven hearing impaired geriatrics. Correlation analysis verified a statistically significant relationship between Memory for Designs Test scores and Barley Speechreading Test scores. Partial correlation revealed the relationship between speechreading scores and short term memory scores was rot influenced significantly by variance in chronological age or speech discrimination ability. Memory for Designs Test scores were shown to be accurate predictors of scores achieved on the Barley Speechreading Test.

Results of …

The Relationship Of Maternal Childrearing Practices To Prosocial Behavior And Resistance To Temptation In Preschool Children, Jennifer Anne Deck Jennings

Dissertations and Theses

Preschool children's prosocial behavior and resistance to temptation were examined in relation to maternal childbearing practices. Forty-seven children and their mothers participated in the study. At a play session at the child's day care center, each child was given opportunities to behave prosocially, i.e., to help, share, teach, or exhibit sympathy, and to resist temptation, i.e., refrain from playing with an attractive but forbidden toy. Mothers of these children were individually interviewed and given a questionnaire developed for this study.

Intelligence And Nonintelligence Factors Contributing To Scores On The Rorschach Prognostic Rating Scale, Anneke P. Hathaway

Dissertations and Theses

Correlation between the RPRS total and WAIS FSIQ showed that approximately 43% of the variance in the RPRS total can be accounted for by the variance in the FSIQ. Verbal IQ is not significantly higher correlated with the RPRS total than the Performance IQ (p < .10). Factor analysis of the 6 RPRS subscores resulted in 2 factors. Subsequent factor analysis of the 6 RPRS subscores plus FSIQ and the factor analysis of the 6 RPRS subscores plus PIQ and VIQ showed the first factor to be an intelligence factor accounting for 85% of the common variance. The RPRS variables FL, FM, M and Sh loaded on this factor. The second factor was a nonintelligence factor accounting for 15% of the common variance. Small m is clearly the main determinant of this factor followed by Sh. In addition, the results of 2 exploratory factor analyses are discussed. The first exploratory factor analysis involved 23 variables, namely the 6 RPRS subscores, RPRS total, the 11 WAIS subscales, FSIQ, VIQ, PIQ, VIS and OABD. The second exploratory analysis involved 17 variables, namely the 6 RPRS subscores and the 11 WAIS subscales.

Effects Of Cognition Training On Locus Of Control (Lc), Weight Reduction, And Problem Solving Ability, Lisa Buckmaster

Dissertations and Theses

Weight control is an area of research which continues to generate attention in an endeavor to find the most effective and long lasting weight loss methods. In the realm of the behavioral modification of weight control, emphasis has been given to the impact of external stimuli on eating behavior. Less well researched are internal stimuli, that is, cognitive events, feelings, and thoughts which influence eating habits. The literature on obesity has yet to empirically differentiate the effects of the cognitive and external factors on weight control. A cognitive restructuring approach to weight reduction was hypothesized to be the more effective …

Invasions Of Personal Space: A Field Experiment, Lisa Demian

Dissertations and Theses

The present study examined the relationship between invasions of personal space and measures of glancing, blocking, leaning, head-shoulder orientation, movement away from the invader, and flight latency. These behaviors have been described in previous studies as occurring in response to spatial invasions, and the equilibrium model proposed to account for their occurrence. Hypotheses consistent with this model were tested in a 2 x 2 x 3 design which varied sex of invader, sex of subject and distance of subject from invader (1 foot, 2 feet, or 5 feet). None of the predicted relationships obtained, although females blocked more frequently than …

A Descriptive Study Of The Relationship Between Age And Problems Expressed By Women Seeking Out-Patient Mental Health Services, Linda M. Rodgers, Joyce Carey

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to provide a descriptive analysis of the problems presented by a specific group of women seeking out-patient mental health treatment and to relate these problems to the ontogenetic (age-related) developmental issues presented in a study of the literature. The researcher's involvement in this area developed from interest in current literature on adult development, and a personal commitment to life-long growth and acceptance of the inherent changes. In order to investigate whether developmental issues exist for this group of women, and if so to describe them, two distinct age groups--the decades of the 20's and …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Personality Characteristics Of Social Work Students And Choice Of Social Work Practice Area, Linda A. Yegge, Francie E. Buktenica

Dissertations and Theses

Due to curiosity about the "individual" vs. "social" intervention argument in the profession of social work, the authors of this study attempted to answer the question, “Do personality characteristics of Social Work Graduate Students influence their choice of social work practice?" Our hypothesis was that Introverts would be more inclined to focus on the individual in social work practice as opposed to Extraverts who would see societal change as a more pressing practice issue. Although our study identified no correlation between Introversion and Extraversion and social work practice orientation, there were some suggestions for further study. There appeared to be …

The Effect Of Background Noise On Children's Selective Listening Behavior, Cathryn A. Chartier

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the effect of distracting linguistic background noise on children's ability to perform three-part commands. A total of twelve first grade subjects, six "normal" and six reading delayed, were individually administered a series of twenty, three-part commands. Each child performed once in quiet and once in a noise environment, and the performances in those two conditions were compared.

A Comparison Between A Clinical Sample Of Parents And Non-Parents, As Reflected By Their Scores On The Mmpi, Thomas Kearney, Casey Wegner

Dissertations and Theses

The area of childlessness, particularly voluntary childlessness, has been virtually ignored by most researchers. Pohlman claims to have been unable to find research which supports the popular idea that intentionally childless husbands and wives tend to be emotionally disturbed. However, he does note that he was able to find numerous statements from medical and social science publications which in various ways imply that the deliberately childless are usually maladjusted.

Material-Specific Processes In Tactile Short-Term Memory, Christina Anne Meyers

Dissertations and Theses

Studies concerning tactile short-term memory (short-term memory or the sense of touch) have often been contradictory. Some of these studies support the existence of modality-specific tactile memory, a separate, independent storage system for tactile information. Other studies do not support such a system. Further, confusion has arisen regarding the tactile test materials, since many of them use common shapes which are easily labeled verbally. It is hypothesized that information which can be labeled is stored in material-specific verbal memory in the left hemisphere, while patterned or spatial information is stored in material-specific nonverbal memory in the right hemisphere.

This paper …

Personality, Counseling And The Cancer Patient, Janet March, Ann Maxwell

Dissertations and Theses

The researchers in this study are concerned about what factors are involved in determining who actually does seek out adjunctive counseling for help in dealing with their diagnosis. In particular, personality factors of those who have cancer are examined. The more known about what motivates a patient to seek counseling, the easier it will be to develop rehabilitation and supportive programs to meet the needs of cancer patients. Hence, sanction for a research project such as this lies in the fact that the question of motivation regarding adjunctive counseling has not been dealt with specifically in the past.

The Relationship Of Weight Loss To Self Concept In The Mentally Retarded Adult, Pauline Bunting Wall

Dissertations and Theses

The major part of this study was a treatment program designed to motivate mentally retarded adults to lose weight within a small group setting. Subjects were tested pre- and posttreatment on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale to ascertain any improvement in self-esteem. A 50-question diet quiz was constructed by the experimenters and administered pre- and posttreatment to find out if the subjects would improve their knowledge of health and nutrition through the study.

Memory For Crossed And Nested Classifications, John Ernest Garwood

Dissertations and Theses

Memory for crossed and nested classifications was investigated. Two experimental groups were exposed to stimuli which could be organized by both a crossed and nested classification. The stimuli consisted of nine drawings in a 3 x 3 matrix. Each drawing is characterized by attributes on five dimensions. The nested classification requires four dimensions to organize the nine drawings, while the crossed classification requires two dimensions. Of the five dimensions, three are unique to the nested classification, one is unique to the crossed classification, and one is common to both classifications. Subjects were presented the stimuli so that either the crossed …

A Survey Of Reading-Readiness Skills And Their Application To The Late Reader, Gail E. Robbins

Dissertations and Theses

Reading readiness is a subject that concerns reading teachers and educators. Inadequate readiness training may cause some students to become late readers, who can be identified as students who score below their age and grade level on a standardized reading test. It is important to define reading readiness and examine the component skills and factors in order to help late readers. This examination was conducted by a study of reading-readiness literature. The reading-readiness skills include auditory discrimination, visual and visual-motor discrimination, development of language, concept formation, and reasoning skills. Readiness factors include fixed factors, social, and emotional factors. Fixed factors …

The Threat Index And Two Forms Of Resistance To The Concept Of Death, Henry E. Miller Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

Many investigators of death attitudes have emphasized the limitation of self-report measures of the fear of death in that responses are often unreal and highly questionable due to defenses and ego maneuvers. The Self-Administered Threat Index (SATI) introduced by Rainey and Epting (1977) appears to meet most criticisms of other investigators.

The present study was a partial replication of the Golding, et al. (1966) study with the SATI replacing the Sarnoff Fear of Death Scale. Forty-six introductory psychology students, both males and females, performed a tachistoscopic recognition task, completed the SATI and the Semantic Differential and were administered a brief …

A Validation Study Of The Family Environment Scale: Family Incongruence Score, Linda Joanne Neale

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated the validity of the family incongruence score, a statistic which quantifies the discrepancies between family members' perceptions of their family system using answers given on the Family Environment Scale. Based on findings concerning incongruence in other environments, it was hypothesized that high family incongruence scores would be associated with more problems in the family system.

An Explorative Study Of Parents' Ability To Predict Representative Feelings Of Their Children, Kathleen Marie Koudele

Dissertations and Theses

This is a study of thirty fifth-grade children and their parents to examine how accurately parents can predict the feeling reactions of their children in various situations. This focus on parent-child interactions regarding feelings has several implications for the field of Social Work.

Involuntarily And Voluntarily Committed Persons Compared Using Factor And Discriminant Function Analysis, Cheryl Marie Marrow

Dissertations and Theses

A comparison of the voluntary and involuntary patients at Dammasch State Hospital, Wilsonville, Oregon. A representative sample of cases over time, were chosen for the year 1976, 72 voluntary and 72 involuntary patients. One-hundred and twelve variables were coded onto sheets for each patient. The variables concerned marital status, job history, history of violent acts, present living situations and relationships, as well as drug history and diagnosis and treatment in the hospital. The data were coded onto cards and a computer analysis was done using Factor and Discriminant Function Analysis. It was hypothesized the populations of persons voluntarily admitted and …

Measurement Of Ambiguity Tolerance (Mat-50): Further Construct Validation, Burl Mostul

Dissertations and Theses

An historical introduction is made tying authoritarianism with ambiguity tolerance. Ambiguity tolerance is a personality variable in its own right, often associated with authoritarianism yet remaining separate from it.

Ambiguity intolerance is defined as the tendency to perceive and interpret information that is marked by vague, fragmented, incomplete, inconsistent, contradictory, or unclear meaning as actual or potential sources of psychological threat. Ambiguity tolerance is defined as the tendency to perceive ambiguous situations as challenging and desirable.

Efforts to measure ambiguity tolerance have met with varied success, however, it was not until Norton (197S) developed the Measurement of Ambiguity Tolerance (MAT-50) …

The Mentally Retarded's Right To Meaningful Treatment: A Review Of Legal And Psychological Literature, Susan Katherine Peters

Dissertations and Theses

A review of legal provisions and practices and current psychological theory and research concerning the mentally retarded indicated inconsistencies between the law and current theory, Laws have been based on archaic models which fail to consider the heterogeneity of those classified as retarded and their potential for development and training. Retardation professionals have agreed that normalization of institutionalized mentally retarded and mainstreaming in education are preferable principles. Research comparing the effects of community living and institutionalization and effects of special and integrated classes was sparse and inconclusive; the major thrust of research has been on the 4% of all mentally …