Psychology Commons^™

The Relationship Between State-Trait Anxiety And The Use Of Superstitious And/Or Ritualistic Behaviors In Athletics: An Exploratory Study, Jodie S. Hood

Masters Theses

There is limited published research in the area of superstition in sports as it relates to an athlete's anxiety and performance. This study was designed to examine this relationship through the administration of a demographic questionnaire, a list of ritualistic and superstitious behavior and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Participants were members of 5 Eastern Illinois University Varsity athletic teams. Results indicate several differences across gender when comparing five athletic teams (men's baseball, basketball, and track and women's track and softball) with their anxiety and superstitious behavior levels. Several significant correlations were found between: reported religious persuasion and frequency of religious …

Low Self-Esteem: An Invitation For Victimization, Tommi Devore

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to assess the relationship between self-esteem and victimization. A modified self-esteem questionnaire, entitled "What I am Like," originally developed by Egan and Perry (1998), and a modified bully survey, originally developed by Garrity, Jens, Porter, Sager, & Short-Camille (1994), were administered to students. A total of 32 students from first grade participated in the research project and completed the questionnaires; data were collected in the fall and the spring of the school year. Most students reported some sort of victimization. A Pearsons R was conducted to assess the relationship between self-esteem and victimization. Results …

Acts Of Misconduct And Perception Of Internal, Powerful Others, And Chance Locus Of Control, Jodi L. Henry

Masters Theses

With the growing numbers of acts of misconduct that are committed in our country each year, it is important to find possible predictors of these behaviors. Because locus of control is a stable characteristic that is central to how an individual perceives causes of action, it is one construct that shows promise for predicting acts of misconduct. One hundred and forty college students answered two questionnaires: a locus of control scale called the Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scales and a Self Report Acts of Misconduct Index which was created for this study. A Pearson's Correlation was conducted comparing scores …

The Relationship Of Religiosity With Self-Esteem And Personality, Melissa A. Shea

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to look for meaningful relationships between religiosity, defined as both past religious involvement and present religious involvement, and see if there are significant relationships with self-esteem and personality. Participants were from a denominational university and a secular university, to determine if the type of school one attends has any difference with their self-esteem and personality in terms of religiosity. Participants were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Spiritual Transcendence Scale and Bi-Polar Adjective Ratings Scale. Results support only the initial hypotheses that personality has a significant relationship with religiosity and that school of attendance does …

Changes In Female Athletes' Physical Self-Esteem Across A Competitive Cycle And As A Function Of Athletic Identity, Michelle C. Reed

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine if female athletes' physical self-perceptions are different when comparing their Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP) scores within their competitive season with their scores during the off-season. The second purpose was to determine if physical self-perception varied as a function of their athletic identity. A secondary objective was to evaluate female athletes' physical self-esteem in an individual sport setting compared to a team sport setting. Eastern Illinois University female collegiate athletes in six different sports, track (n=15), softball (n=16), soccer (n=11), tennis (n=3), volleyball (n=5), and rugby (n=19) were given the Athletic Identity Measurement …

Effects Of Choice Versus Task Preference On Students With Behavioral Problems, Jean A. Mcgrath

Masters Theses

This study compared the effects of choice and assignment of preferred academic tasks on disruptive behaviors and task engagement within the regular education classroom. Two first grade students, identified by their teacher for frequent off-task and disruptive behaviors, participated in this study. After formally assessing academic task preferences, a multielement design was used to evaluate three conditions: (a) assigning a non-preferred academic task, (b) assigning a preferred academic task, (c) providing a choice of academic tasks. Results indicated that both assignment of a preferred task and provision of a choice in tasks had minimal effects on disruptive behavior and task …

Convergent, Discriminant, And Construct Validity Of The Acters And Asca, Katie Sprouls

Masters Theses

The present study examined the convergent, discriminant, and construct validity of the ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale, Second Edition (ACTeRS) and Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA). Participants included 106 children between in first through sixth grade for the ACTeRS and ASCA comparison of teacher ratings. The children assessed were 53 children meeting DSM-4 criteria for ADHD and 53 randomly matched control group children. Results of this study indicated moderate correlations between similar scales of the ACTeRS and ASCA. Discriminant function analysis and diagnostic efficiency estimates revealed significantly high capabilities for both instruments in accurately differentiating between known groups. …

Relating The Concepts Of Personality, Temperament And Self-Esteem, Julie Anne Koetters

Masters Theses

Investigating the relationships between personality and temperament was the primary focus of this study. Personality was measured using the NEO-Pl-R, a 240-item measure, based on the five-factor model of personality. The Dimensions of Temperament Survey-Revised (DOTS-R), a 54-item survey exploring temperament across ten dimensions was also administered in this study. A secondary focus of this study was to identify how the concept of self-esteem is related to the differing dimensions of both personality and temperament. The short form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, a 25-item survey, was used to measure this construct. Eighty adults participated in this study and completed …

Correlations Between The Wide Range Intelligence Test (Writ) And The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale Of Intelligence (Wasi): Global And Subtest Comparisons, Jason M. Collins

Masters Theses

To assess the convergent validity of the Wide Range Intelligence Test (WRIT) and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), two new brief IQ measures, 66 participants from five rural Illinois public schools were administered both measures in counterbalanced order. All correlations between the WRIT and the WASI were significant. Correlations between the WRIT and the WASI were moderate to high, ranging from .50 (r² = .25) to .85 (r² = .72). The WRIT and the WASI appear to be measuring very similar constructs, indicating strong evidence of convergent validity.

The Effects Of Perceived Leadership Behaviors And Goal Orientation On Female Collegiate Athletes' Level Of Motivation, Melanie L. Krynski

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived coaching behaviors, goal orientation, and motivation among female collegiate athletes. Female athletes from Eastern Illinois University (n = 66) and Valparaiso University (n = 25), took part in the study. Specifically, the purposes of the study were; a) to examine if athletes who perceived their coaches to exhibit more democratic behavior, praise and encouragement, and training and instruction behaviors would demonstrate higher levels of intrinsic motivation, and b) to examine if athletes with a positive goal profile (high task/high ego) would have significantly greater motivation levels compared to …

The Effects Of Parents, Teachers, And Peers On Academic Motivation, Amanda R. Holden

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to assess the relationship between perceived support of parents, teachers, and peers and academic motivation. The second focus was to assess which variable was more predictive of academic motivation. The Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory by Gottfried, 1986, the Peer Social Support, Peer Academic Support, Teacher Social Support, and Teacher Academic Support subscales of the Classroom Life Measure by Johnson, Johnson, Buckman, and Richards, 1985, and the Family Cohesion subscale of the Family Environment Scale by Moos and Moos, 1994 were administered to the students. A total of 72 students from 3rd, 4th, and …

Convergent And Discriminant Validity Of The Self-Report Of Personality (Srp) And The Youth Self-Report (Ysr), Jodi Buehnerkemper

Masters Theses

The present study examined the convergent and discriminant validity of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Self-Report of Personality (BASC-SRP) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR). One purpose of this study was to examine the degree of relationship between the SRP and the YSR. This study also examined the degree to which each of these measures could successfully distinguish among samples of students who had been identified as LD or ED, or had not been referred. Participants included a total of 109 students between 12 and 18 years of age. Results of this study indicated that correlations between similar scales and composites …

Factors Influencing Teachers' Decisions To Refer Students For Special Education Evaluation, Amanda R. Perry

Masters Theses

This study examined the factors that influence teachers to refer students for psycho-educational evaluation. Fifty seven teachers from Midwest and Southwest suburban and rural school districts completed a questionnaire designed to gather information about the factors teachers consider when referring students for evaluation, as well as their opinion of the etiology of Learning Disability and their preferences for services. Results indicated that the most influential factors in participants' referral decisions were low achievement and behavioral problems. The majority of teachers agreed that eligibility decisions should be based on the child's needs. However, there was no agreement that an ability-achievement discrepancy …

An Investigation Of Motivations Influencing Participation In Marathons, Courtney Hague

Masters Theses

This study examined the varying motivations of runners participating in marathon races. Several variables were explored including age, gender, marathons attempted, marathons completed, and best personal performance time. Five hypotheses were considered: 1) Younger runners will most likely be motivated by Achievement Motives (competition and personal goal achievement) than the older runners. 2) Females will be more motivated by Physical Health Motives (weight concern and general health) than males. 3) Males will participate in marathons more for Achievement Motives (competition and personal goal achievement) than females. 4) Females and males will be similar along Psychological Motives (self-esteem and psychological coping) …

The Effect Of Telepathic Assistance On Performance In A Visual Target-Search Task, James A. Wachtel

Masters Theses

Given the significant controversy regarding parapsychology and the study of psi phenomena, there appear to be opportunities to improve design in parapsychological experimentation through the use of more sensitive and reliable means of measurement. The current study was an attempt to introduce a design that employs time as an outcome measurement, the use of groups and individuals as opposed to just individuals, and the use of more specific and focused content through the use of problem-solving tasks, in an attempt to create a sensitive and replicable experiment in telepathy. Twenty-three undergraduate participants completed 12 trials each by finding targets in …

Predictive Validity Of Measures Of Phonological Awareness On First Grade Reading Achievement, Jennifer Hervey

Masters Theses

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the degree to which three measures of phonological awareness (Test of Phonological Awareness (TOPA), Torgesen & Bryant, 1994; Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), Kaminski & Good, 1996; Read America Diagnostic Tests, McGuinness & McGuinness, 1998) correlate with each other and with selected measures of reading skills (Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Basic Skills, Brigance, 1976, 1977; Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery (WDRB), Woodcock, 1997). The study also evaluated which of the measures of phonological awareness best predicts reading skills in a first grade population. The current study is an extension of …

Non-Directive Play Therapy: Past, Present And Future, Jeslina Jayanti Raj

Masters Theses

The paper focuses on the history, research and future directions of non-directive play therapy. According to the history of play therapy, the first person to advocate studying the play of children in order to understand and educate them was Henry Rousseau. The history of play therapy is discussed with further details. Few studies have been done that empirically support the effectiveness of non-directive play therapy and there have been no investigations of therapeutic processes. From a behavioral perspective, it is understood that non-contingent attention in the form of attention, the absence of demands and the environmental richness of the playroom …

Using Performance Analysis To Increase Staff Compliance With Acquisition Programs For Children With Autism, Scott Traynor

Masters Theses

Improvement in the rate of learning on acquisition programs for individuals diagnosed with autism often depends on the quality of instruction delivered by direct-care staff The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a performance analysis on targeting environmental variables that were maintaining less than optimal staff performance for a least-to-most prompting procedure used to teach a hand-washing task to preschool children diagnosed with autism. Direct observations of technician/child dyads were followed by informant interviews with technicians, supervisors, and other key staff members that pinpointed variables that were maintaining/hindering staff compliance with a prompting procedure designed to promote child acquisition of …

The Effects Of A Management System In A Non-Profit Association, Lori H. Miller

Masters Theses

The primary challenge for non-profit associations is carrying out the functions that meet the various needs of their members or Board of Directors with restricted income. In many non-profits there are numerous tasks to complete with few personnel. Existing literature on the topic of non-profit management has limited applicability regarding managing staff performance. The current study examined the effects of a management system that included weekly meetings, goals and feedback on the performance of four employees in a non-profit association.

This study was an ABC group design where Condition 'A' consisted of weekly meetings and goal setting, Condition 'B' consisted …

Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children And Adjustment Scales For Children And Adolescents, Eric Scroggs

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Parenting In Relation To Adolescent Achievement In Ninth Through Twelfth Grades, Kimberly D. Hofmann

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore how the characteristics of parenting change during the adolescents' ninth through twelfth grade years and how these changes effect achievement. In addition, this study explored adolescents' and parents' perceptions of parenting. Subjects were 120 ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders recruited from public high schools in the Midwest. Measures of maternal and paternal demandingness, responsiveness, values toward achievement, involvement in schoolwork, and involvement in-school functions, designed for this program of research, were obtained from both adolescents and their parents. Results showed adolescents' reports of maternal parenting significantly predicted their achievement outcomes. Adolescents …

A Neuropsychological Perspective On The Efficacy Of Typical And Atypical Medication Treatment For Chronic Schizophrenia Regarding Executive Functioning, Eric Hart

Masters Theses

This study investigated the efficacy of current medication treatment procedures for chronic schizophrenics on neuropsychological measures. A total of twenty participants from the Coles County Mental Health Center, who met DSM-IV criteria for chronic schizophrenia, volunteered to be administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)-64 card version as a means of assessing neuropsychological executive functioning. A total of twenty participants free of any diagnosable psychological disorder also volunteered to be administered the WSCT-64, which served as a control group. The staff psychiatrist at the Coles County Mental Health Center completed the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in order to …

Differences In Motivation Between Division I Collegiate Female Basketball Players And Swimmers, Meghan Mcgovern

Masters Theses

Previous research has shown that motivation to participate in athletics is influenced by a variety of factors. A great number of studies have identified several of these factors including age, gender and scholarship status (Amorose and Horn, 2000). However very little research has been conducted regarding how the type of sport may influence motivation.

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences existed in the types of motivation exhibited by team sport athletes and individual sport athletes when assessed using the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) (Pelletier et al, 1995). It was hypothesized that team sport athletes would display …

The Effects Of Cognitive And Affective Persuasion On Supporting The Death Penalty, Jason Wayne Hortin

Masters Theses

This thesis examined how participants with cognitively based favorable attitudes toward the death penalty were influenced by cognitive or affective arguments that criticized the death penalty. College students' general attitudes toward the death penalty were measured using a Likert-type scale. They were then asked to write out their thoughts and/or feelings about the death penalty. Some of the participants received two cognitive arguments while others received two affective arguments against the death penalty. After reading these counterarguments, the participants' positions and thoughts/feelings were once again measured.

Only participants with cognitively based attitudes that were supportive of the death penalty were …

The Effects Of Positive Peer Reporting On Children's Social Involvement, Kristyn B. Moroz

Masters Theses

This investigation examined the effectiveness of positive peer reporting (PPR) on increasing the social involvement behavior and peer acceptance of four socially withdrawn children within a general education setting. PPR is a social skills intervention where children are taught how to publicly praise a target classmate's appropriate behavior. The positive peer reporting procedure was implemented daily by each participant's classroom teacher and its effects were observed during recess using behavioral observations. The results indicated that PPR had no effect on peer status. However, results from the behavioral observations indicated that three of the participants exhibited higher rates of social involvement …

Sorrow Into Joy: A Phenomenological Study Of Adult Women Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Eldine M. Webster

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn how six mid-life women who had been sexually abused as children perceived the way in which that early experience had impacted their life to date. Using a phenomenological qualitative life-history approach, each participant was interviewed for a period of from one to three hours. Content analysis of the interviews and member-checking with participants who volunteered to do so resulted in eight major themes emerging from the data: memories, family, career, addictions, depression, boundaries and embodiment, counseling, and synchronicity. The last theme, synchronicity, very closely related to the concept of spirituality and a …

The Nonverbal Communication Of Pain As Recognized By Alternative Health Care Providers, Jodi L. Pope

Masters Theses

Recognizing nonverbal messages of pain in a health care setting is essential. The nonverbal communication of pain is a communication aspect typically overlooked in modern health care environments. This research surveyed alternative health care providers to determine what nonverbal behaviors they recognize as pain indicators and how they react to those behaviors. Massage therapists and chiropractors from a Midwest county filled out surveys and participated in a focus group. Fifty nonverbal pain indicators, such as guarding body parts, postural inequalities, gait, and clenched fists, among others, were charted. Several other topics such as learning how to determine nonverbal pain indicators, …

Ratings Of Assessment Procedures By Learning Disabilities Teachers And School Psychologists, Raquel A. Williams

Masters Theses

This study surveyed the perceptions of school psychologists and learning disabilities teachers (LD teachers) on the frequency of use and usefulness of the following assessment procedures: Standardized tests, curriculum based measures (CBMs), classroom observations, interview with general education teachers, and analysis of class assignments for initial placement of a child, instructional planning, and evaluation of student progress. Further, this study investigated how proficient the two groups felt in administering each of the five assessment procedures. Fifty four school psychologists and 32 LD teachers completed the questionnaire. Results indicated that school psychologists and LD teachers agreed on the frequency of use …

Personality Correlates Between Fundamentalist And Non-Fundamentalist Individuals As Measured By The Neo Pi-R And The Religious Fundamentalism Scale, Jason Andrew Witt

Masters Theses

The relationship between religious fundamentalism and personality was examined. Over 150 students total, from two Midwestern universities were administered the NEO PI-R and the Religious Fundamentalism Scale. It was predicted that the individuals who scored highly on the RF Scale would score significantly higher on the Neuroticism scale and significantly lower on the Openness scale of the NEO PI-R than the non-fundamentalists. Results of the study confirmed the prediction that Openness would be significantly lower for fundamentalists, F (1, 103) = 11.093, p < 0.001. Results did not confirm the prediction that Neuroticism would be significantly higher for fundamentalists, but showed that Agreeableness was significantly higher for fundamentalists, F (1,103) = 11.127, p < 0.001. Possible reasons for the differences in personality scores between fundamentalists and non-fundamentalists were discussed, as well as suggestions for future research in this area.

Attachment Patterns Between Hearing Children And Deaf Primary Caregivers, Bette L. Witcraft

Masters Theses

This study extends previous research on attachment patterns, formed by infants with primary caregivers who noncontingently or inconsistently respond to the infant's attachment signals, to the population of hearing children of deaf primary caregivers. It was hypothesized that, due to the simple mechanical problem of the deaf primary caregiver's inability to hear the infant's attachment signals, e.g. crying, hearing adolescent children of deaf primary caregivers will demonstrate higher Anger Distress Scale scores as measured by the Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire than a control group. Results support the hypothesis. A sample of 19 hearing adolescents with deaf primary caregivers rated themselves significantly …