Psychology Commons^™

An Attributional Perspective In The Study Of Crime Seriousness And Criminal Sentencing, Bikram Dasgupta

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is a need at present to understand the basis of seriousness judgments and the following sentence recommendation with respect to judicial decision-making. The defensive attribution model (cf. Jones & Davis, 1965) suggests that assessments of responsibility are strongly influenced by perceived intent freedom and duration factors, along with the material consequences of act. One’s attitude toward punishment has also been implicated as strongly related to the resulting sentencing decision imposed upon the offender. The role of these factors in seriousness and sentencing respectively was explored in the present research. The study also observed the role of three situational factors …

On The Nature Of Phonological Recoding In Early Readers, Thomas Yoannidis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A major assumption in research on basic processes in word recognition has been that the phonological code which may be utilized to access meaning from printed text is unitary in nature and is always disrupted by articulatory suppression. Recent evidence however, suggests that at least two separate phonological codes are operative in adults. Besner, Davies and Daniels (1981), and Besner and Davelaar (1982) found that while the phonological code which supports the maintenance of information in short-term memory was affected by suppression, the code which supports lexical access was not. A developmental study by Barron and Baron (1977) relied heavily …

The Effects Of Training On The Quantification Of Uncertainty, Stephen P. Claxton-Oldfield

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The use of intuitive heuristics has been put forward as an explanation for people’s assessment of probabilities (Kahneman & Tversky, 1972, 1973; Tversky & Kahneman, 1971, 1974). This phenomenon is seen as robust since “experts” (professional psychologists) make use of the same heuristics as “novices” (laypeople), despite having “had extensive training in statistics” (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974, p. 1130). However, replacing probability calculus with heuristics can lead to systematic errors and biases in probabilistic judgments. This study was designed to investigate the effects of statistical training on how people think about probabilistic judgments. Subjects’ knowledge base of probabilistic concepts, as …

A Comparison Of Sexual And Physical Assault Court Cases Following The Elimination Of Rape From The Criminal Code Of Canada, Suresh K. Sahjpaul

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present study was to determine if the change in the Criminal Code which replaced the old offence of “rape” with the new offence of “sexual assault” had the desired effect of having sexual assault treated similar to physical assault. For this evaluation, five sexual assault cases and 22 physical assault cases were compared on the severity of the charge, the nature of the courtroom process and on the conviction and sentencing patterns. In addition, reporting, founding, clearing and charging rates before and after the new law were statistically compared.

Findings indicated that both sexual and physical …

An Evaluation Of The Quality Of Service At A Volunteer-Run Telephone Distress Centre, Peter John Crocker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A quality of service evaluation was designed collaboratively with listeners at a volunteer-run hotline, to promote the utilization of evaluation results. Listener use of empathy, talk time, and silence, and different types of verbal helping responses (e.g. advice, reflection of feeling) was examined through the use of 30 simulated calls placed to consenting listeners. While the second major focus of the evaluation, assessing the validity of listener self-rated performance as an evaluative technique, was not successful, a large number of performance gaps were identified. Contrary to expectations, listeners were directive in their helping orientation, often providing inappropriate or unhelpful advice …

Social Support Networks And Sex Role Orientation After Divorce In Catholic Italian Women And Catholic Anglophone Women, Diana Maria Di Costa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Twenty-one Catholic Italian divorcees and a matched group of twenty-one Catholic Anglophone divorcees (who were born in Canada and whose ethnic roots were in Great Britain) were studied to determine ethnic differences in family concept, family interaction, sex role orientation, and social support. Results showed that Italian fathers, but not mothers, disapproved of the divorce significantly more than Anglophone fathers. Parental approval/disapproval of the divorce was found to have a greater effect on the support received by Italian divorcees than Anglophone divorcees. Parental disapproval of the divorce was associated with less family and relative support for Italian divorcees only. Italian …

An Examination Of Aftercare Services For The Chronically Mentally Ill In Two Communities, Lorraine Ferris

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Within the last few decades there has been a shift from traditional institutional approaches in mental health to community based service delivery systems. Researchers examining the community-based model have focused on improving the quality of community care. Specifically, use of aftercare services has been found to improve the quality of community care (Byers, Cohen, & Harshbarger, 1978; Gittelman 1974; Krauss & Slavinsky 1982; Weinman et al. 1978). Coordination of services has also been shown to improve the quality of community care by increasing the effectiveness of aftercare (Broskowsky, marks, & Burmen 1982; Clark 1976; Krauss & Slavinsky 1982). At the …

Changing Attitudes Toward Computers An Intervention Strategy, Margo Stevenson George

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) was used to predict and understand University students’ attitudes toward using a computer for word processing, and such attitudes were changed through an intervention strategy, consisting of a persuasive communication and a word processing task. Results from study one indicated that the theory of reasoned action was a useful model of predicting and understanding attitudes toward word processing and also intention and behavior. Results from a computer attitude questionnaire administered to 238 University students (100 males and 138 females), who volunteered to participate, suggested that intention to do word processing predicted …

Predicting And Understanding Teacher Use Of School Consultation Services, Loretta M. Hillier

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Special education services offered to students and teachers in Ontario schools have changed dramatically within the past twenty years. Special education service delivery has evolved from a focus on the school psychologist as a psychometrist to the formation of multidisciplinary teams to deal with the needs of special students and their teachers. Students with special needs are no longer always segregated or left to fade into the wallpaper. By recent legislation, all students with special needs are entitled to special education programs suited to their needs. This often results in students being placed into the “least restrictive environment” which is …

Increasing Participation In Continuing Education The Relationship Of Specific Obstacles And Supports To Likelihood Of Participation, Victor Wayne Oake

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The study investigated the relationship between reported likelihood of participation in a continuing education course and the importance of obstacles and supports to participation as perceived by 238 adults. The research instrument, a questionnaire developed by the author, was mailed to 1,000 residences in the county of Waterloo, Ontario. Previous research and theoretical positions on obstacles to participation in continuing education were examined. It was hypothesized that obstacles and supports related to concern with academic ability would be significantly correlated with Likelihood of participation. The Pearson Product-Moment statistic was utilized to test the hypothesis. No significant correlations between the dependent …

The Evolution In Canada Of The Citizen's Movement Against Nestle, 1978-1984: A Descriptive Study, Deacute Bryant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This is an historical study of a social action. The purpose of the study was two-fold: 1) to document the evolution in Canada of the infant formula controversy, and 2) to use the intervention as a case example with which to propose a theoretical model of social action. In Canada the history of the controversy went from 1978 to 1984. During that time action groups for activists and industry reported similar changes in focus. Their targeted audiences changed from being the general public to being the “power elite”: professionals with political clout and money. The primary topics and groups advocated …

Recipient Reactions To Aid Reciprocity And Self-Esteem, Ronald Douglas Rankmore

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to determine to what extent the clients of the Ontario March of Dames – Assistive Device Program experienced negative reactions to aid across three conditions: 1) no reciprocity condition, 2) voluntary reciprocity condition and 3) financial reciprocity condition. Dependent variable measures assessing negative reactions to aid were: a) self-esteem scores on the Phillips Self-Acceptance Scale (Phillips, 1951), b) length of delay to approach the program, c) feelings of approaching the agency as measured by a seven item, five point semantic differential scale and reason for delay if any was indicated, and d) choice for …

The Role Of The Computer In Society Some Aspects Of Person-Machine Interaction, Robert Clarence Hallman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In Community Psychology, we assume that people at the grassroots can learn to help themselves if they are offered the means of understanding a problem and helped to discover the strategies needed to resolve it. Micro-computer technology is currently at a cultural crossroads: a technology in search of new applications. To date, research and concerns around the role of the computer in society have taken the macro view, being predominantly sociologically, politically, and economically oriented. The purpose of the present study was to bring these issues to the individual level and to examine some variables at the person-computer interface. In …

The Development And Assessment Of A Human Sexuality Decision-Making Training Program, John Kazunori Iwohara

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study introduces a decision making skills training program as a potential intervention designed to help prevent unwanted pregnancies. The rationale for the proposed intervention is presented and includes a review of models of contraceptive behavior, decision making, stress, and locus of control. Two separate studies were conducted. Study one used a high school aged population from Los Angeles. Study two used an undergraduate student population from Wilfrid Laurier University. The effectiveness of the training was measured by assessing problem solving ability, stress reduction, locus of control, and participants’ intent to use contraception. Participants’ evaluations of the training materials were …

A Case Study Of A Utilization-Focused Evaluation Involving Two Community-Based Family Services, Giles Reneacute Charbonneau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to study a utilization-focused model developed to evaluate two small community-based family services. The case study method allowed for an intensive investigation of the model so that it could be determined whether or not it contributed to increased utilization of evaluation findings. The research, conducted over a period of two years, involved the participation of committees, selected by the Board of Directors of both organizations, to work with a researcher to develop a program evaluation. Results indicate that involving decision-makers from these organizations in the design and implementation of the evaluation was critical to …

Attitude Change In Children And Satisfaction Change In Elders As A Function Of An Intergenerational Integration Program, Terry M. Shkilnyk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research involved the development, implementation and evaluation of a 20 week visitation program between 29 senior citizens in a nursing home and 51 adolescents in grades six, seven and eight. It was hypothesized that this type of intergenerational integration would not only benefit the elders involved but also improve the students’ attitudes toward the aged. The results indicated that the elders who were visited showed a significantly higher degree of life satisfaction compared to elders who were not visited. However, there was no effect found on the attitudes of the adolescents toward elders. Results were discussed in terms of …

The Effect Of Discussion Groups On A Field Placement Program Comparison Of Two Groups Of Undergraduate Students, Kathryn L. Gerstman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present research was to study changes that students with field placements experience with the addition of discussion groups to the regular supervision. The participants were 29 undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses requiring field placements. These students volunteered to be in discussion groups concerning placements. Thirteen students were in the experimental condition of discussion groups and 16 were in the control group with no additional resource support or supervision. The discussion groups met weekly for approximately 50 minutes during the winter term and were led by advanced psychology honours students. At the beginning of the program, …

Stress And Social Support The Burden Experienced By The Family Of A Mentally Ill Person, Harry Potasznik

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present research was to examine the stress experienced by the families of a mentally ill person and the relationship between this stress and factors of social support. The participants were 56 parents of a schizophrenic person who were members of a self-help group catering to the families of psychiatric patients. The following five social support variables were found to relate to measures of Objective Burden and Subjective Burden. The first factor was that of social network size. A positive correlation was found between this variable and Objective Burden, indicating that smaller networks were associated with less …

Evaluation Of Family Life Education In The Secondary School A Case Study Based On Student And Teacher Report, Christine Ruth Chant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Family life education can be defined as “any activity…aimed at imparting information concerning family relationships and providing the opportunity for people to approach their present and future relationships with greater responsibility” (Vanier Institute of the Family, 1971). The purpose of the present research was to identify the needs and interests of high school students and to determine whether their needs and interests were being met in the area of family life education. This author believes it is important to meet the needs of “consumers” of family life education, i.e., the students, because this may increase the possibility that students will …

Juveniles' Perceptions Of A Protective-Permissive Dichotomy In The Juvenile Justice System, Robert Paul Saltstone

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The juvenile justice system has come under increasing criticism for its traditionally paternalistic and protective posture. The literature surveyed reviews some of the major occurrences, such as the Gault decision, which have led to a new direction in legislation. It is demonstrated that while juveniles are being awarded more due process rights, they are also being held more accountable for their actions. The paternalistic versus legalistic, or protective versus permissive, dichotomy clearly emerges during the examination of the literature. It is clearly extracted and analyzed in two papers, one by Dootjes (1972) and one by Leon (1979). Leon’s is a …

Stimulus Control Exerted By Remember Cues Over Processing In Pigeons’ Short-Term Memory, Patricia E. Hernandez Torres

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The aim of the present research was to provide further evidence regarding the role of remember cues on pigeon short-term memory. The first two experiments were conducted to determine whether, using a single cuing procedure, control over delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) performance could be demonstrated by establishing a no cue condition as an implicit cue to forget. In Experiment 1, subjects were provided with training in a procedure where both forget cue (F) and no cues indicated the omission of the comparison stimuli at the end of the delay interval. In Experiment 2, naive subjects were trained with remember (R) and …

The Effects Of Peer-Tutoring In Social Skills Development Groups For Antisocial Children, Connie S. Van Andel

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Sixteen children in grades 1–6, displaying antisocial behavior, as judged by teachers, guidance counsellors, principals and parents, participated in an 18 week social skills training program. The effectiveness of the program was assessed using a pre-test, post-test non-equivalent comparison group design and a multiple baseline analysis of individual children’s daily positive and negative behavior as rated by teachers. The comparison group consisted of 16 social skilled children, as judged by teachers, guidance counsellors and principals. Results indicated that the antisocial children had as much knowledge of social skills as socially skilled children before the intervention program began and they gained …

The Efficacy Of A Death Education Course For Registered Nurses And Registered Nursing Students, Sheila Helen Connolly

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to determine the efficacy of a death education course on death anxiety and meanings toward dying for a group of registered nurses and registered nursing students. The dying and death course Quality Intervention with the Dying was 12 hours in duration, three hours per week for four weeks. The dependent variables were death anxiety which was measured by Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale (1970) and meaning toward dying as measured by a modified Twenty Statements “What is Death?” Test (Bakshis, Correll, Duffy, Grupp, Hilliker, Howe, Kawales & Schmitt, 1974). The participants were tested before the …

An Exploration Of Native Leadership In One Community, Sylvia L. Kahgee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined leadership structure and processes in one reserve community. Forty Native subjects (21 males and 19 females) volunteered to participate in the study. Their mean age was 33.45 years (S.D. = 16.70 years), and ranged from 16-72 years. Three groups were studied: 1) Formal leaders, who currently held elected positions of chief or councilor. 2) Informal leaders, identified by community members as those people, excluding formal leaders, who help others in the community. 3) Community members presently living on the reserve. The chief and three councilors (all males) were the formal leaders. There were two male and two …

Status After Early Retirement The Effects Of Social Network And Activity Level On Body Age And Health, Tom Malcomson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The present study explored the relationship of general health and body age (measured by the Adult Growth Examination, Morgan, 1981) with leisure activity, social network and life events, for 38 noncommissioned officers; retiring in 1981 or 1976. Retirees from 1981 were expected to have experienced more change in health, leisure activity, and social network, life events and to have poorer health and body age scores. Importance and satisfaction of relationships, few life changes, high frequency and enjoyment of leisure activity were expected to be related to perceived good health and low body ages. Perceived good health and low body ages …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Residential Mobility And Loneliness, Bruce Petelka

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research examined a number of ways in which residential mobility might be related to loneliness. It was hypothesized that high mobility separates one from one’s support network of friends and family, thereby causing greater loneliness. This hypothesis and other related questions were tested with the UCLA Loneliness Scale and two questionnaires were designed for this research: the Residential Mobility Questionnaire and the Petelka Support Network Scale. These questionnaires were mailed along with a cover letter to 500 Kitchener residents who had moved in the past year and 500 residents who had not moved in the past year. Of the …

Program Evaluation Of The Kitchener-Waterloo Diversion Programme, Edward Daniel Dubas

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The research describes the operation of the Kitchener-Waterloo Diversion Program and by using the Gibbon, Lebowitz and Blake (1976) evaluation model the program was evaluated relative to its six objectives. Diversion is defined as any pre-trial, post-charge intervention model which deals with juvenile charges outside the traditional juvenile justice systems (Solicitor General of Canada, 1978).

Data were collected from systematic observations of the diversion meetings, interviews with participants, victims and lawyers regarding their perceptions of diversion, and the examination of police, court and diversion records.

Results indicate that the eligibility criteria were being met and that the intended target population …

Mental Health Services For Ontario Correctional Clients, Benjamin Clyde Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Human services and program evaluation literature suggests that correctional policy must be formulated in the context of an Empirical Penology that begins with the data of corrections (Conrad, 1973; Newman and Price, 1977; Law Reform Commission of Canada, 1976). The Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services is currently involved in policy discussions concerning the future provision of mental health service to its clients. As part of its discussions, a Ministry Task Force is examining mental health service delivery models. However, standardized descriptive data of the existing client target population and the current service are not available. Comprehensive service evaluation are also …

Burnout, Job Stress, And Job Satisfaction In Two Public Health Nursing Units, D’Arcy John Helmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis examines burnout, job stress, and job satisfaction in two public health nurse organizations, located in two different regions. A total of 35 individuals were interviewed, and 31 individuals were surveyed. The major finding was the experience of burnout is a complex experiential synthesis of the constructs job satisfaction, morale, job stress, and self perception. Data suggest intraorganizational processes mediate burnout and the shift from job satisfaction to job dissatisfaction.

Role Of Rating Value Of Words And Displaced Rehearsal In Semantic Rating Tasks, Manju Karmeshu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the role of rating task, displaced rehearsal, and the value of words on the retention of items processed at the semantic level. In Experiment I, the subjects rated medium value words for either pleasantness or frequency under free rehearsal conditions. The results revealed no retention differences between words judged for pleasantness and those judged for frequency. In Experiment II, high and low pleasantness and high and low frequency values were factorially combined within a single list of words. In the free rehearsal condition, words were judged on either the pleasantness or frequency rating …