Psychology Commons^™

Influence Of Father Absence And Satisfaction With Parents On Selected Measures Of Nurturant Fathering, Donald Wallace Swan

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This dissertation investigated nurturant fathering as demonstrated by men of differing father-absent backgrounds. Archival data was used from a 1990 survey of 1,515 religious and highly motivated participants in fathering seminars in various regions of the United States. Reasons for father absence included death, divorce, work, and no absence. The influence of type of father absence was examined within the context of (a) participant's age at the time his father became absent, (b) participant's satisfaction with childhood relationship with father, and (c) participant's satisfaction with childhood relationship with mother.

The Personal Fathering Profile (PFP) (Canfield, 1990) was used to measure …

A Preliminary Construction And Validation Of A Measure Of Mothering, Cheryl A. Lane

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This research project outlines the preliminary construction of the Measure of Mothering (MOM) , a self-report rating instrument based upon the research on the relationship between maternal caregiving and the development of psychological disorders in children. Such an instrument is needed because there appears to be no published measure designed to assess mothering effectiveness. Two primary questions were addressed in this study: (a) can an instrument be developed that measures mothering effectiveness based on dimensions derived from the literature?, and (b) Can a pilot test of the instrument demonstrate that it possesses acceptable psychometric qualities? The first procedure used in …

Therapeutic Implications Of Therapists' Values For The Female Victim Of Domestic Violence, Patricia A. Warford

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Domestic violence effects 1.8 million women a year in the United States. Despite the magnitude of the problem, the issue is largely unaddressed by the mental health community. Therapists' values, which significantly impact the therapeutic interaction, have not been scrutinized as to their impact on female victims of domestic abuse. Furthermore, four widely accepted therapeutic orientations (psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, and family systems) have historically promoted values which fail to provide a framework for understanding healthy female development, the experiences of women in general, and the experience of women who have endured domestic violence in particular.

Feminist developmental theory (particularly the …

Effects Of Loneliness, Years Of Service, And Spiritual Well-Being Upon Burn-Out Among Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Clergy, David L. Prout

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Past research had concluded that a combination of individual and situational factors interact as causes for burn-out in ministers. This present study sought to measure three factors, loneliness, years of service, and spiritual well-being for their singular and combined impact upon burn-out among Christian pastors. Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod pastors, 276 in number, were surveyed to determine their level of burn-out, together with measure of the afore-mentioned variables. It was expected that fewer years of service, lower spiritual well-being, and higher loneliness would effect increased levels of measured burn-out in the pastors surveyed. A three-way analysis of variance indicated that burn-out …

The Relationship Of Coping Behaviors, Resurrection Beliefs And Hopelessness Scores Among Bereaved Spouses Of Hospice Patients, Michael E. Atkinson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Hope is essential to effectively face the trials of life. One of life's most stressful trials is coping with the death of a loved one. Understanding coping differences may promote counseling interventions to benefit individuals who feel hopeless. The Beck Hopelessness Scale (Beck, 1974) and the Ways Of Coping Questionnaire-Revised (WOCQ-R) (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988), were used in a survey of 97 bereaved spouses of hospice patients to answer four questions: (a) Does a relationship exist between coping behaviors and levels of hopelessness? (b) Is there a relationship between resurrection beliefs and hopelessness? (c) Are differences in resurrection beliefs related …

Concurrent Validation Of The Affective Scale Of The Diagnostic Assessment For The Severely Handicapped (Dash) Scale, Richard M. Ostrom

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Sixty-nine severely and profoundly retarded ambulatory clients in a residential setting were administered the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped (DASH) Scale. Three groups of 23 were selected based on previous psychiatric diagnosis and matched for social age. The first group contained clients with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder; the second group contained a mix of non-affective psychiatric diagnoses; and the third group included participants with no psychiatric diagnosis. Six one way analyses of variance were conducted. All were significant. Post hoc analyses showed that the DASH effectively discriminated bipolar-disordered participants from those with no psychiatric diagnosis, but not those …

Factor Structure Of The Field Edition Of The Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised, Jon S. Bos

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted for the field edition of the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R). The sample for the field edition of the Leiter-R was divided into 3 age groups (2-5, 6-11, 12-21 years old) for this series of analyses. Two factors were identified for the youngest age group (2-5 years), three factors were identified for the second age group (6-11 years old), and five factors were identified for the third age group (12-21 years old). These shifts in the factor structure of the test provide evidence for the age differentiation hypothesis. Implications for …

Somatization As A Coping Style In Families, Joseph A. Lipetzky

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study addresses two questions relating to somatic family interaction. The first question is: What is the prevalence of somatic family interaction in a non-clinical sample? The sample consisted of 500 volunteer families obtained by sequential door to door solicitation in Newberg, Oregon, 25 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon. There was a 32% response rate within this area (n = 161) consisting of Caucasian, Hispanic (5%), and oriental families (2%). There was a full range of economic, educational levels and family sizes. The prevalence rate of somatic family interaction was found to be consistent with other research at approximately 21%

Gender Analysis Of The Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Karen J. Kellums

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study was to determine if any of the twenty items on the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) show differential item functioning (DIF) between gender and item response. Archival data were obtained on two groups: (a) 331 members of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS, USA), 197 males and 134 females, average age 44.5 years (Adams, 1993; Stratton, 1992); and (bl 392 incoming freshmen students at a liberal arts college in the Pacific Northwest, 148 males and 244 females, average age 18 years (Foster & LaForce, 1991). For each sample, partial correlations were computed for gender-:elated response …

Gender Analysis Of The Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Karen J. Kellums

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study was to determine if any of the twenty items on the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) show differential item functioning (DIF) between gender and item response. Archival data were obtained on two groups: (a) 331 members of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS, USA), 197 males and 134 females, average age 44.5 years (Adams, 1993; Stratton, 1992); and (b) 392 incoming freshmen students at a liberal arts college in the Pacific Northwest, 148 males and 244 females, average age 18 years (Foster & LaForce, 1991). For each sample, partial correlations were computed for gender-related response …

Effects Of Pro-Socialization Skills Training On Self-Efficacy In Correctional Institution Inmates, Daniel Edward Fry

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Prison inmates released to the community following incarceration often have difficulty adapting socially. Previous research indicates that prison treatment programs aimed at increasing cognitive and prosocial skills can improve ex-felon adaption and decrease recidivism. The current study explored the effects of an 8-week prison treatment program (Transitional Counseling Program [TCP]) designed to teach prosocial skills. This was expected to enhance Bandura's (1977, 1982, 1986) construct of self-efficacy (SE) within inmates. Self-efficacy enhancement was seen as a first step in a program of future research which may show a connection between higher inmate SE at release, improved post prison adaption, and …

Transference And Multiple Personality Disorder: Implications For Diagnosis And Treatment, Terri L. Bennink

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The phenomena of transference, as manifested by individuals with multiple personality disorder, was examined as it related to diagnosis and management of therapy. Current definitions and diagnostic criteria for multiple personality disorder were given as well as prominent conceptualizations of the recognition and intervention of transference phenomena. Specific emphasis was placed on differential diagnosis of borderline personality disordered patients from those with multiple personality disorder in terms of similarities and differences in the manifestations and therapeutic management of transference behavior. Pierre Janet's theory of the dynamics of dissociation was reviewed as support for understanding transference behavior in multiple personality disordered …

Selected Demographic Variables As Predictors Of Ego-Identity Confusion Among George Fox College Students, Timothy A. Perkins

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Seven demographic variables were evaluated, utilizing multiple linear regression analysis, to answer the research question: can selected demographic variables adequately predict identity confusion, as measured by the Revised Version of the Extended Objective Measure of Ego-Identity Status (Bennion & Adams, 1986), among George Fox College Freshmen? The James D. Foster and Beth A. La Force research project provided the archival data base for this study. From this available data, demographic variables were selected as predictors of identity confusion among 268 George Fox College freshmen students. Identity confusion was measured using the Extended Objective Measure of Ego-Identity Status - Revised (EOMEIS-2). …

The Effect Of Cognitive-Behavioral Marriage Enrichment On Marital Adjustment Among Church Couples, Charles W. Combs

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study evaluated the short- and long-term effect of a cognitive-behavioral marriage enrichment program on perceived marital adjustment. The study examined the Traits of the Happy Couple marriage enrichment workshop (Halter, 1988). The workshop consisted of five 2-hour training sessions held in five consecutive weeks for a total of 10 hours of training. It seeks to increase the marital adjustment of participants through a combination of didactic and experiential methods. No prior controlled study of the effectiveness of this workshop has been done. Participants included 34 married couples who were predominately from conservative, evangelical churches in the Portland, Oregon, area. …

Selected Demographic Variables As Predictors Of Moral Development Among George Fox College Students, Joe D. Wood

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The theoretical basis of this research was based on Kohlberg's cognitive model of moral development. Rest's operationalization of principled moral reasoning, Davison's scale score, and Thoma's utilizer score were specifically examined. A predictive relationship between certain demographic variables and the principled moral reasoning and Davison's score have been identified in the research literature. The purpose of this study was to examine further this predictive relationship. The James D. Foster and Beth A. LaForce research project provided the archival data for this research. From the existing data, demographic variables were selected as predictors of moral development among incoming George Fox College …

Crime And Evil: Meta-Theory, Theory, And Praxis In Forensic Psychology, Eric David Kunkel

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The prevalence of crime is a world-wide problem, and concomitantly, the fear of crime grips the public. Also, social scientists remain pessimistic about solutions: many acquiesce in the •nothing works" conclusion. The general populace views crime as both pathological (i.e., sick) and evil. Privately, social scientists may agree, but professionally they describe crime as nothing but an illness. This research establishes that such reductionism limits the explanatory power of forensic psychology and that ruling out the existence of evil a priori is unscientific. First, the philosophy of science underlying the study of crime is examined. The history of science, the …

The Effects Of Exercise Over Time On Levels Of Anxiety And Self-Efficacy Among Women Undergraduates, Linda S. Noval

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety. However, many people find exercise programs difficult to maintain. Researchers are now identifying factors associated with exercise adherence including selfefficacy. Teaching these skills to people may be important for the use of exercise as an intervention in reducing levels of anxiety. This study monitored levels of anxiety over time among women undergraduate students who were involved in four exercise conditions. The results suggest that while physical activity is associated with significantly higher levels of physical self-efficacy, it is not as closely associated with lower levels of trait anxiety.

Predicting Aggression Among Inpatient Adolescent Males With Mmpi Scales, Kent Hughes

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study was to develop a linear model of predicting aggression in inpatient adolescent males using selected MMPI clinical and special scales. The definition of aggression was measured by the number of seclusion and restraint interventions necessitated by each participant. Hospital records of 186 patients over a three year period were reviewed for MMPI data and seclusion and restraint information. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to analyze the data. A predictive equation was established including the MMPI Scale 8(Sc) in predicting number of restraint interventions. Although this equation was statistically significant at the .01 level, it was …

Conflict Management Style And Burnout Of Missionaries, Richard W. Meyers

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The study examined modes of conflict resolution present in a sample of missionaries as well as relationships between modes of conflict resolution and demoqraphic characteristics. Additionally, relationships between modes of conflict resolution and burnout were investigated along with the relationships between levels of burnout and sample demographic characteristics. The instruments utilized with the sample of 150 missionaries included an individual data form, the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Management-of-Differences Instrument (the MODE), and the Staff Burnout Scale for Missionary Personnel (SBS-MP), an adaptation of the Staff Burnout Scale for Health Professionals (SBS-HP) by Jones. The conflict management mode of Avoiding was the most …

Effect Of School-Age Learning Disabled Children On Parent Perception Of Family Adaptability And Cohesion, William C. Buhrow Jr.

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Family systems theorists believe families have predictable, automatic behavior patterns. Families with learning disabled (LD) children have been found to experience a variety of maladaptive relationship patterns. This research investigated the question, ''Do school-age children with LD have a significant 8ffect on their parents' perceptions of their family's adaptability and cohesion, as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales II (FACES II)?" In response to this question, two primary hypotheses were proposed. The first predicted a significant difference on perceptions of family adaptability and cohesion among fathers and mothers of school-age LO and non-LO children. Parents of non-LO children …

Gender As A Mediating Factor In The Effects Of Parental Alcoholism On Children, Claire Rusunen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) and several demographic variables were used to explore the major question: Does gender have a mediating effect on children of alcoholic/addict parents? Alcoholic/addict parents involved in chemical dependency treatment in the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon, were recruited for participation in this study. Respondent parents completed a demographic questionnaire and a PIC on their oldest child. Thirty-three children aged 6 to 16 were surveyed. The participants were assigned to two of four study groups based on gender of the child and gender of the parent. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi square statistics were …

The Effect Of Age And Sexual Abuse On The Concept Of God In Children Ages Six Through Twelve, Laura Anne Roberts

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first goal was to explore the relationship between the variables of age, sexual abuse, and the identity of the sexual offender upon the concept of God in children ages six through twelve. The second was to add to the literature regarding the assessment of the concept of God in children with an objective semantic differential scale instrument.

The sample consisted of 53 children from day care, church, and outpatient therapy settings. Nonabused children were divided on the basis of age (six through eight and nine through twelve). Sexually abused children were divided …

Spiritual Well Being, Religiosity, And Demographic Variables As Predictors Of The Use Of Christian Counseling Techniques Among Members Of Caps, U.S.A., Samuel A. Adams

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Despite the increasing attention being given to understanding the relationship between psychology and Christianity, there is little research investigating the actual practices of Christian psychotherapists. This study explored the use of Christian counseling techniques by Christian therapists. Specifically, it identified a set of variables which predicted the use of certain Christian counseling techniques among Christian therapist members of the Christian Association for Psychological studies (CAPS, USA) and described the range and frequency of their use.

Participants were 450 randomly sampled, clinical members of CAPS. Of the 450 surveyed, 340 responded, resulting in a 76% return rate. The total sample was …

Spiritual Well-Being, Religiosity, And Demographic Variables As Predictors Of The Use Of Christian Counseling Techniques Among Members Of Caps, U.S.A., Samuel Alexander Adams

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Despite the increasing attention being given to understanding the relationship between psychology and Christianity, there is little research investigating the actual practices of Christian psychotherapists. This study explored the use of Christian counseling techniques by Christian therapists. Specifically, it identified a set of variables which predicted the use of certain Christian counseling techniques among Christian therapist members of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS, USA) and described the range and frequency of their use. Participants were 450 randomly sampled, clinical members of CAPS. Of the 450 surveyed, 340 responded, resulting in a 76% return rate. The total sample was …

The Problems Of Assessing Change In Hopelessness Among Employees In Employee Assistance Programs, James Paul Porowski

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Hope has been designated by many theorists as playing an important part in both psychological and physical healing. However, to this point, whether or not time-limited psychotherapy can increase the level of hope in clients has not been adequately investigated. This study sought to measure the level of hope in participants pre-therapy and post-therapy by the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). It also sought to explore the special problems that are encountered when conducting research within an Employee Assistance Program. Three hypotheses were proposed. The first stated that groups would differ in pretest hopelessness levels according to type of presenting problem. …

Psychoanalytic Object-Relations Theory And Western Orthodox Theology: Toward An Integrative Dialogue, Bruce H. Pickle

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This is a study of humankind from the perspectives of a representative from psychology, the psychoanalytic British object-relations physician and psychoanalyst, William Ronald Dodds Fairbairn, M.D. (1889 to 1965), and from theology, the Western Orthodox Christian Dominican theologian and Doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P. (Order of Preachers) (1225 to 1274).

These theorist/practitioners share a common scientific and philosophical method dedicated to the discovery of reality under God. Each believed that a person's nature is relationally based. Both believed that the person is a psyche and soma, a psychological and biological, unity. Each believed that turning from real …

The Effect Of Being An Adult Child Of An Alcoholic On The Spiritual Well-Being Of Evangelical Christians, Dennis W. Henderson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In the last decade there has been a proliferation of research on adult children of alcoholics (ACAs). However, the religious domain of ACAs has received little investigation. Wilson (1988) studied Evangelical Christian ACAs and included a brief assessment of their religious well-being. She found that ACAs report lower religious well-being than nonACAs. The purpose of this investigation was to examine further Wilson's finding and to ask whether Evangelical ACAs can be differentiated from non-ACAs based on spiritual well-being as measured by the Spiritual WellBeing Scale (SWB) . The study included 136 adults who were gathered from three Portland, Oregon area …

The Effect Of Shame And Gender On The Concept Of God Among Christian College-Aged Students, Marc L. Chernizer

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study examined the effect of shame and gender on the concept of God, as measured by the Internalized Shame Scale and the Gorsuch Adjective Rating of God Scale, among Christian college-aged students at George Fox College. A total of 410 participants were randomly selected from the student population (190 male and 220 female) and sent the survey questionnaire through the campus mail.

The results, which were statistically analyzed using a two-way (2X3) ANOVA, demonstrated no significant main effects for shame or gender on each of the concept of God subscales. In addition, there was no significant interaction effect between …

Selected Demographic And Mmpi Scales As Predictors Of Seclusion And Restraint In An Inpatient Psychiatric Adolescent Male Population, Steven G. Hamming

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Working with troubled adolescents is a challenging and sometimes dangerous occupation. one of the means of control often employed in treatment settings with aggressive youth is seclusion and restraint. This intervention is intended as a means of helping the youth regain control while maintaining the safety of the therapeutic milieu for the other patients and staff members. Research implicates several demographic factors and personality styles which are observed with aggressive acting out in male adolescents. To examine the ability of these variables to predict the aggressive behavior warranting seclusion and restraint, archival data were collected from 186 former inpatient adolescent …

An Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Character Assessment Scale, Kenneth Edward Lloyd

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

During the past three decades there has been a resurgence of interest among the social sciences in the study of morality. Among the theoretical perspectives demonstrating this growing interest has been the trait/individual difference approach, represented by the comprehensive personality-based theories of Peck and Havighurst (1960) and Hogan (1973), and a variety of more narrowly focused, trait-based instruments. One such instrument is The Character Assessment Scale (CAS) developed by Schmidt (1981, 1987). The CAS is a 225-item, true-false scale incorporating conventional moral values. scale composition includes (a) eight moral strength scales, (b) eight corresponding moral weakness scales, (c) eight combined …