Psychology Commons^™

Development Of The Jewel Equestrian Scale, Valerie A. Tsohantaridis

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Equestrian athletes have not been the topic of systematic study. There is a vast array of folklore and wisdom, lay study, and practice at the grassroots level regarding the relationship of horse and rider. The field of therapeutic horseback riding primarily consists of examining the benefits of riding for the physically handicapped. There is also the relatively fledgling movement of equine-assisted psychotherapy, that typically combines qualified therapists alongside qualified horse trainers. European study is more longstanding, extensive, and includes exploration of the psychotherapeutic benefits of equine therapy. The smattering of work is grounded on the study of the equestrian athlete, …

Performance Of Intellectually Gifted Children On Three Measures Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Kent S. Rosengren

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

While there is a growing awareness of the co-occurrence of giftedness and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), little is known about the clinical presentation of ADHD in intellectually gifted children. Current diagnostic decisions with this subpopulation are made employing procedures and norms developed using a nonexceptional population. However, it is unknown whether this common practice is appropriate. This study explored how intellectually gifted children perform on three commonly used measures of ADHD, specifically: (a) the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA); (b) the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale, Revised - Long Form (CTS); and (c) the Conners' Parent Rating Scale, Revised …

Mentor Relationships In Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training: A National Survey Of Directors Of Training, Steven C. Dickinson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of the present study was to investigate mentoring from the perspective of training directors. This study expands on the work of Clark, Harden and Johnson (I 998) who surveyed psychology doctoral students' experience of mentoring. Mentoring is "a personal relationship in which a more experienced (usually older) individual acts as a guide, role model, teacher, and sponsor of a less experienced (usually younger) protege" (Levinson, 1978, 333-334). The present study assessed the prevalence, importance and qualities of mentoring as reported by directors of training from APA-accredited (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) psychology doctoral programs. Directors of training from 194 APA …

The Role Of Parenting Styles In The Development Of Social Responsibility, Michelle C. Gordon

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study investigated factors that contribute to the development of social responsibility. A sample of approximately 104 men and women attending a private liberal arts university participated in the study. Each participant completed the Global Social Responsibility Inventory (GSRI; Starrett, 1996), the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ; Buri, 1991), and an accompanying demographic questionnaire that included measures of parental modeling of social responsibility, family adaptability, and family cohesion. It was hypothesized that the participants who reported having authoritative parents as children would be more socially responsible than those who reported having authoritarian or permissive parents as children. Secondly, in a stepwise …

Are Asian Thinking Styles Different? Acculturation And Thinking Styles In A Chinese-Canadian Population, Jenny M. Tang

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This research examined the theory of mental self-government and its various thinking styles. The theory of mental self-government (Sternberg, 1988a) has established its utility in verbal contexts including education, occupation, partner choices, and cross-culturally. The Associated Thinking Style Inventory (TSI; Sternberg & Wagner, 1991; 1992) has also demonstrated its reliability and validity in a Hong Kong population (Zhang, 1999; Zhang & Lcks, 1997; Zhang & Sternberg, 1998), but it has not been used with Chinese-Canadians. It was hypothesized that as Chinese individuals become more acculturated to the North American cultural system, their thinking styles approach European-American norms. This study found …

The Influence Of Acculturation On The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test By Mexican Americans, Dean M. Coffey

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The relationship hctwccn the level of acculturation anManual de Normas y procedimientos para la Bateria Neuropsicologica en Espanol (Artiola i Fortuny, Hennosillo, Heaton, & Pardee, 1999) using the Mexico/U.S. border region norms in the manual. Significant differences were demonstrated for Total Number Correct (p < .01) for the less acculturated subgroup (n = 26). There were no significant differences between the more acculturated subgroup (n = 8) and the Spanish normative sample. This study demonstrates that the WCST is not a culture-free neuropsychological instrument. The results provide supporting evidence for the use of the Mexico/U.S. border region norms with Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans in the Northwest region of the United States.

Mental Health Referral Patterns Of Rural Pastors, Alicia A. Clark

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This research evaluated the role of the rural pastor in making mental health referrals. A questionnaire was mailed to pastors in several rural California counties in order to assess the referral patterns of pastors to mental health professionals. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information and Likert-style questions inquiring about pastoral interaction, willingness to refer, and referral history with mental health professionals. It was expected that many variables including levels of education, counseling experience, exposure to mental health, specific denominations, and belief systems would affect the referral pattern to mental health professionals. It was also expected that all rural pastors would …

Women And Domestic Violence: The Presence Of Internalized Shame In Women Residing In A Crisis Shelter, Joni M. Moon

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study was implemented in order to ascertain the presence of internalized shame among women residing in a domestic violence crisis shelter. Domestic violence has been determined to be a major social and public health problem for women. Leaving an abusive environment may be difficult due to economic, social, and emotional factors. Women often describe emotional abuse as having more detrimental effects on well-being than physical abuse. Shame is an affect that leads to a negative view of the self and shame-prone women view themselves as deficient and unworthy. A common defense against shame is concealment, therefore it was postulated …

Preliminary Studies Of A Measure Of Conscientiousness, Braddon M. Garner Ma

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Psychologists have been interested in personality characteristics for decades. One characteristic of personality studied by researchers is that of conscientiousness. Conscientiousness can de defined as a "degree of organization, persistence, and motivation in goal-directed behavior" (Costa & McCrae, 1985, p.2) This study divided the terms defining conscientiousness into three categories for purpose of item development: organization, persistence, and motivation. Organization incudes, but is not limited to, being organized, reliable, and practical. Persistence includes concepts of responsibleness, thoroughness, and commitment to hard-work. Motivation involves characteristics of enthusiasm, morality, cautiousness, and seriousness. The purpose of this study was to develop a measure …

The Effects Of Wilderness Therapy On The Perceived Psychosocial Stressors, Defense Styles, Dysfunctional Personality Patterns, Clinical Syndromes, And Maladaptive Behaviors Of Troubled Adolescents, Jeffrey P. Clark

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study was fourfold: (a) to empirically evaluate the correlation between perceived psychosocial stressors (expressed concerns), immature defense styles, dysfunctional personality patterns, clinical syndromes, and maladaptive behaviors, as measured by the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI), Defense Style Questionnaire-40 (DSQ-40), and Youth Outcome Questionnaire-2.0 (YOQ); (b) to look at how wilderness therapy affects the expressed concerns, immature defense styles, clinical syndromes, dysfunctional personality patterns, and maladaptive behaviors of troubled adolescents; (c) to see if subjects whose post-test defense styles change improve more than subjects whose defense styles remain the same or get worse; and (d) to begin …

Content Validity And Internal Consistency Reliability Of A New Scale On Violence Potential, Samuel Pierce

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The differential prediction of violence potential in adolescents m juvenile corrections and the mental health fields continues to garner concern. The result of this inability to predict ;md therefore prevent these aces of violence has resulted in an increased incarceration of adolescents in the criminal justice system. Two previous studies (Criminal Justice Association, 1993; Dembo. Hughes, Jackson & Mieczkowski, 1993) have noted similar results. While no system is 100% accurate. there arc known risk factors of violent behavior (Flannery. 1998: Monahan. 1981: Webster & fackson. 1997). This study examined many of these known indicators of violent behavior: and, identified other …

The Effects Of Acculturation Level On Boston Naming Test And Controlled Oral Word Association Test In A Sample Ofhisparrics Ofmexican-American Extraction, Megan D. Nicoloff

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This research investigated in the relationship between acculturation and performance on verbal fluency tasks in a sample of 57 Hispanics of Mexican-American extraction. It was hypothesized that as acculturation to Anglo-American culture approaches assimilation, facilitation of word fluency on the Boston Naming Test (BNT) and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA) will increase. As the independent variable, acculturation was examined on three levels: Mexican·oriented, balanced, and Anglo-oriented using Scale One of the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans· Second Edition (ARSMA·II). The dependent variables were verbal fluency scores on the BNT and COWA. A 3 x 2 (acculturation group …

Assessment Of Child Abuse Potential In Spouse Abusive Men, Lisa Marie Estelle

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study investigated potential for child physical abuse in a sample of men participating in mandated violence intervention programs in Oregon. Utility of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory, history of personal child abuse, time-in-treatment, and personal ratings of parenting were explored. Voluntary, anonymous participation of 136 men yielded 110 valid, interpretable CAP Inventory profiles. As predicted, results are similar to Milner and Gold's (1986) study with approximately one third (33.6%) of the sample demonstrating elevated abuse scores and consequently, significant potential for child physical abuse. Results extend Milner and Gold's ( 1986) preliminary support for the utility of the …

Factors Predicting Social Responsibility In College Students, Kordell N. Kennemer

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study investigated factors that may contribute to the development of social responsibility in college students. A sample of 31 male and 69 female students attending either a private Christian university or a non-religiously affiliated private university participated in the study, completing the Starrett (1996) Global Social Responsibility Inventory (GSRI) and an accompanying research questionnaire. Subjects were recruited from general education courses at the two universities and received extra credit for their participation. This study examined factors contributing to high scores on the three sub-scales of the GSRI: 1) Global Social Responsibility scale (GSRS) 2) Responsibility Toward People scale (RPS) …

The Effects Of Acculturation Level On Verbal Learning In A Sample Of Hispanics Of Mexican-American Extraction, Anita S. Blair

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study is interested in the relationship of acculturation to performance on verbal learning tasks. The hypotheses of the study are that as acculturation to Anglo American culture approaches assimilation, total recall scores on the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) will increase and performance on a nonsense word task will not significantly correlate with acculturation level. A review of the literature on acculturation and test bias in Hispanic populations is followed by research on bilingual performance on memory tasks. As the independent variable, acculturation is examined on three levels: Mexican Oriented, Bicultural Oriented and Anglo Oriented using Scale One of …

Psychiatric Diagnosis And Inmate Profiles In A Metropolitan County Jail, Teg W. Mcbride

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In recent years, there has been an increase in public and professional concern regarding the mentally ill offender in the criminal justice system. Several researchers have identified the need for further investigation of the mentally ill in correctional environments. This research was pai1 of a program evaluation in a large metropolitan county jail. Four main question were investigated: 1. Do inmates identified as mentally ill differ from the general jail population? 2. How consistent are the diagnoses of those identified as mentally in the correctional computer database (SWIS) compared to the diagnoses recorded in the medical records? 3. Is there …

"Image Of God'' And Object Relations Theory Of Human Development: Their Integration And Mutual Contribution To Development Of God-Images, God-Concepts, And Relationship With God, Laura Emily Palik

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In an endeavor to further the work of integration of psychology and theology, this theoretical-conceptual research study examined (a) the meaning of the biblical description of humanity's creation in God's image (Gen. 1.26-27), (b) the relationship between the conceptualization of humans as "image of God" and object relations theory of human development, and (c) the mutual contribution of "image of God" and object relational development to the internal god-images (object-representations) and cognitive god-concepts that persons develop. It was proposed that (a) creation in the image of God is foundational both to understanding humankind as a spiritual-socio-psycho-physiological species and to human …

Shame, Grace, And Spirituality: A Comparison Of Measures, Jill D. Spradlin

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Shame is a widely studied aspect of human experience; grace, perhaps its counterpart, has so far largely been overlooked. The relationships among shame, grace, and spiritual well-being were explored. A sample of 115 college-aged participants completed the Internalized Shame (Cook, 1987), Grace (Payton, Spradlin, & Bufford, 2000) and Spiritual Well-Being (Ellison, 1983) scales. It was hypothesized that shame would be negatively correlated with grace and spiritual well-being, and that spiritual well-being and grace would be moderately positively correlated.

The Grace Scale had adequate internal consistency and expected correlations with demographic items. There was no effect for gender on the Grace …

A Correlational Study Of Firefighter Personality Traits And Emotional Exhaustion, Jeffrey P. Mccall

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The occupational stress of the firefighter has received much attention over the last two decades in a variety of professional articles and studies. Elevated levels of stress may facilitate the onset of occupational burnout within this public service. The emotional exhaustion component of Maslach's burnout theory, which can be conceptualized as the first stage of burnout, will be specifically addressed in this study. The subjects were 81 firefighters from a large urban fire department, with a range in age, years of service, marital status, and ethnicity. A Pearson product-moment correlation was conducted to ascertain correlations between personality traits as noted …

An Examination Of Racial Identity And Auitudes, Perceived Cultural Competence, And Level Of Academic Training Of European-American Graduate Studen!S With Culturally Diverse Clients, Justin Kyckelhann Crawford

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

No abstract provided.

Working Memory And Disinhibition In Children With Adhd, Nicholas Dietlein

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This research sought to test predictions from Barkley's (1997) theory of disinhibition in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To this end, the performance differences among younger and older children with and without ADHD were measured. The testing paradigm used in this study was originally developed by Hale, Bronik, and Fry (1997), who sought to measure the verbal and spatial working memory differences in school age children. In this study, ADHD children performed significantly worse on the tasks than did non-ADHD children, indicating that the working memory of the children with ADHD was more subject to interference. Also, younger children performed …

Dose-Effect Relations In Simulated Psychotherapy As Measured By The Outcome Questionnaire-45.11, Brian J. Whitehall

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Outcome assessment has been used to evaluate the length of treatment needed and has been disputed for some time. Changes within both mental health and health insurance companies have contributed to a trend toward time-limited therapy and the optimal number of sessions has become a central issue. This study sought to extend research in the area of treatment outcome. Specifically. it examined the efficacy of psychotherapy after five and ten sessions on the subjective well-being of university students. Three hypotheses were tested in th.is study: (1) Subjective Well-Being scores (as measured by the Outcome Questionnaire-45. l l) for the treatment …

Effective Fathering And The Quantity And Quality Of Time Spent With Children, Joshua T. Payton Ma

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research into fathers' parenting is relatively new. New measures have been developed to assess the style and effectiveness of fathering. Many questions remain about the salient elements of effective fathering. The present study was focused on the quantity and quality of time that fathers spend at home and in contact with their children. The primary research questions were (a) What is the relationship between the quantity of time spent with children and the quality of time spent with children? (b) What is the relationship between effective fathering attributes and the quantity of time spent with children? and(c)What is the relationship …

Fathering Appraisals As Predictors Of Children's Stability And Positive Faith Attitudes, Leslie Gambill Brost

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Twenty-eight children (15 male, 13 female, mean age 11.36) and their fathers (mean age 43.11), from various communities in the Western United States, participated as dyads. Fathers completed demographic questions, the Short Version Seven Secrets Survey for Fathers (Roid & Can.field, 1994), and selected questions from the New Personal Fathering Profile (Roid & Can.field, 1999). Children completed a revised Short Version Seven Secrets Survey for Fathers and the Francis Scale of Attitude Towards Christianity (Francis, 1989). Fathers and children completed a shortened version of Factor IV: Emotional Stability from the International Personality Item Pool (Goldberg, 1997). Children's fathering appraisals were …

A Comparison Of Adjudicated Spousal Abusers And Controls Using The Mjvl.Pl-2 And Mcml-Ul, Sandra L. Lundblad

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Approximately 21.000 women per week are assaulted by their domestic partners in the United States (Stamp & Sabourin, l 995). Beasley and Stoltenberg ( 1992) advised that "work with abusive men could benefit from careful attention to the role of anger and personality disorders in this population" (p.316). Research generally indicates that male spousal abusers have been characterized in various ways and nave been created with varying levels of success. In order to design effective prevention and treatment plans, it is important to comprehend the nature of spousal abuse, and what research has to say about intimate abusers and their …

The Role Of Shame In Adolescent Victim And Bully Behaviors: A Validation Study Of The Thurston-Cradock Test Of Shame, Kathy E. Meier

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study was designed to investigate the role of shame in adolescent victim and bully behaviors. Shame is an affective experience that involves viewing the self as inadequate, incompetent, worthless, or the like. Chronic shame leads to the belief that the self is flawed or damaged beyond repair. Individuals tend to respond to shame in three primary ways: deflation, inflation/contempt, and aggression. Shame affects people at every developmental stage, but adolescents are particularly prone to shame because they tend to believe others are perpetually evaluating them. This research study sought to investigate the differences in how adolescent ''victims" and "bullies" …

Shame In Adolescence: A Pilot-Study Utilizing The Thurston-Cradock Test, Renee K.P. Botero

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study was designed to contribute evidence for the validity of Thurston-Cradock Test (of Shame) and to contribute to the growing set of empirical studies relating to shame dynamics in adolescence. The Thurston-Cradock Test is a newly published projective instrument for assessing shame dynamics. Its use had previously been limited to adult populations. Subjects were research volunteers at adjudicated and a non-adjudicated private high schools ranging in age from 14-18 years. The adjudicated group included 31 subjects, 15 male and 16 female, while the private school group included 21 subjects, 11 male and 10 female. A comparison of means using …

A Therapeutic Model For Amazing Apostasy, Edwin R. Holmes

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Apostasy is the transition involving disengagement from previously held religious beliefs. Social-psychological investigators of the nature and causes of apostasy have identified varied causes for the transition including weak religious socialization (Hunsberger, 1980, p. 159), commitment to intellectualism (Caplovitz & Sherrow, 1977), aversion to the hypocrisy of others, acute trauma or loss, or discontentment with the promises of religion (Hunsberger, McKenzie, Pratt, & Prancer, 1993).

Most experiences of apostasy follow the pattern that socialization theory predicts, that highly religiously socialized individuals adhere to their beliefs and minimally socialized individuals are more likely to discard their beliefs (Hunsberger, 1980, p. 158). …

Effects Of Short-Term Service Ministry Trips On The Development Of Social Responsibility In College Students, Sarah Mott Hopkins

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study investigated the impact of service ministry trips on the development of social responsibility in college students at a small Quaker liberal arts university in the Pacific Northwest. Students (50 female, 14 male) who participated on 5 different short-term service ministry trips served as the service ministry group, while students (23 females, 13 males) in a general psychology class served as the control group. Over three administrations of the Global Social Responsibility Inventory, (Starrett 1996) students provided responses that offered support for service ministry trips as a method of increasing a sense of social responsibility in college students. Analysis …

The Effects Of Attachment Disruptions On Cognitive Ability And Academic Success In Adolescents, Lianne C. Lennert

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study was designed to explore the relationships between emotionally significant experiences and cognitive functioning. An extensive body of literature already exists linking attachment style to emotional, behavioral, and psychological functioning throughout the life span. There are theoretical as well as empirical reasons to believe that attachment may affect cognitive functioning as well as psychological functioning. Security of attachment affects modulation of arousal and attention, impacts quality of environmental exploration, and may be an essential stimulus for development of certain brain regions. This study adds to this more recent area of exploration of the effects of early attachment experiences, in …