Psychology Commons^™

Chronic Pain: A Study Of Low Back Pain Patients From Southern West Virginia And Eastern Kentucky, Nickandrea M. Cooke

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) was administered to 60 males ranging from 22 to 65 years of age. Subjects were seeking treatment at Mountain Comprehensive Care Center, an outpatient mental health center, for depression/anxiety with a secondary diagnosis of chronic pain stemming from low back pain related to an injury. This study considered T-scores of a K-corrected profile using Scales F (Faking, 1 (Hypochondriasis), 2 (Depression), and 3 (Hysteria). Statistical interpretation of data was obtained through use of the General Linear Model at the p < .05 level of significance to determine variance among the groups. Subjects were assigned to three of six groups based on the criteria of age (less than 35 years vs. 35 years or older); duration of pain (less than one year's duration vs. one year or more duration); and medical evidence available (with clinical evidence to support an orthopedic diagnosis vs. those with no clinical evidence available). The results of this study showed that there was no significant difference between groups on the age variable and the only significant differences on the medical evidence variable were for Scales 2 (D) and 3 (Hy). On the duration of pain variable, significant differences among groups for all scales were noted. Also, chronic low back pain patients from this geographic area presented with extreme elevations on Scale F and high elevations on Scales 1 (Hs), 2 (D), and 3 (Hy), with a higher elevation on Scale 2 (D).

Selling With A Visual Aid, Michelle Fields

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Many have pondered the key to delivering an effective speech. Speculation ranges from what one wears to the tone of voice used to how the speech is outlined. No matter the opinion, most agree that visual aids are key to getting and keeping the attention of your audience. Visual aids can add interest, clarity, and drama to a presentation (Pollock, 2000). Clearly, all advertising seeks to influence behavior (Berger, 1999).

In the case of Boise Cascade Office Products, a visual aid helped to differentiate it from Office Max and Staples, while also driving the business 44% over the previous year …

The Effect Of Residence Type On Adjustment To College, Matthew J. Facemire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the difference in adjustment to college between Commuters (students who lived at home with their parents) and Boarders (students who lived on campus in residence halls). The study was conducted at a rural teachers college in West Virginia. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was administered to 86 students from four English 102 classes. The results include 48 students who met the requirements of the study. The results of the SACQ were input into a SPSS computer program to produce a 2x2 design ANOVA. The Test of Between-Subject Effects showed three areas of significant difference between …

Student Victimization And Its Relation To School Violence, Heidi Gregoire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The frequent depiction of school violence in the media today has led some to believe that violence in our schools is an increasing problem. Those who are most prone to be influenced by the media’s perception of school violence may include those most affected by school violence such as parents, educators, and students. This influence may increase parents’ concerns about sending their children to school, and create a fear of going to school on a daily basis in educators and students. Despite such fears, research suggests that school violence is, in fact, decreasing, at least with regard to school shootings. …

Race Vs. Threat: How Teens Perceive Violence As A Function Of Race, Corey R. Layne

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationship between race students’ perceptions of threat was examined using an examiner-made questionnaire with WV 6th, 9th, and 12th grade students. Eleven ambiguous scenarios and eight demographic questions were rated to measure the level of threat perceived by subjects. The results indicated that both Minority and Caucasian students found both black and white students the threatening.

The Conners' Continuous Performance Test, Karrie Mace

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examined the Connors’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT). The CPT purports to measure levels of vigilance or attention. This test is administered by computer.

Fifty children from a summer school program were individually administered the CPT. A univariate analysis of variance was completed using previous diagnosis of ADHD, gender, and age. A logistic regression was also completed using gender, age, and total score. No significant difference was found.

Gender And Parenting Stress Using Abidin's Parenting Stress Index, K. Penny Nicholls

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The effect of gender on parenting stress was studied on a sample of 56 parents at the time of custody disputes. Each pair of parents completed the Parenting Stress Index or the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form. Results were not significant when gender was matched to the total parent stress scores, indicating parent child stress was not associated with parent gender as was found in previous research.

Referral Source And Its Relationship With The Completion Of A 12-Week Intensive Outpatient Program And Continuing Care Program, Amber J. Rinehart

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research suggests that employer referrals to addiction treatment facilities play a significant role in the completion of the treatment programs. Individuals who are coerced into treatment with the threat of the loss of their jobs are more likely to continue treatment. Since program completion is important for the long term process, length of time in treatment increases the likelihood the individual will remain abstinent (Miller, 1994). This particular study consists of an examination of a 12-Week Intensive Outpatient Program, followed by an optional, but highly recommend, Continuing Care Program. A statistically significant difference was determined to exist between the completion …

The Relationship Between Parent Education And Their Child’S Academic Readiness, S. Noelle Barton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between parents’ education level and their child’s academic readiness. The following research question was examined: Is there a relationship between the level of parents’ education and their child’s academic readiness? In this study, Marshall University Graduate College (MUGC) and West Virginia University (WVU) graduate students collected data from randomly selected children attending West Virginia Educare (WVE) sites. The results of this study indicated there was no significant correlation between parents’ education level and their child’s academic readiness, generally believed to be highly correlated. Conclusions and recommendations for future research …

The Relationship Between Receptive Language Skills And School Readiness, Patricia Slack Hines

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between language and academic readiness. The current study included 56 preschool children. Specifically, 9 two year olds participated, 18 three year olds participated, 21 four year olds, and 8 five year olds participated. Twenty- three were female and twenty-three were male. Each child was administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT III), followed by both the School Readiness Composite (SRC) of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale – Revised or BBCS-R. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the relationship between the standard scores of the PPVT III, and the …

Locus Of Control And Aggression, Glenna Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationship between locus of control and aggression in children was investigated. Twenty-five students from grades 5 through 8 from a rural public school in southern West Virginia were involved in the research. The students - completed the Children’s Nowicki- Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control scale, and the students’ teachers completed the Conners’ Global Index for measuring psychopathology and hyperactivity. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was utilized to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Alpha was set at .05. There was no significant relationship between locus of control and aggression in the children. Research suggests that the expression of aggression is …

Cognitive And Emotional Variables In Childhood Anxiety, Robin L. Browning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research was conducted on 60 subjects from mental health agencies in order to determine that childhood anxiety and depression can be differentiated. The 60 subjects were given the CDI and the RCMAS self-report measures in order to be placed in groups. This allowed the subjects to be divided into 4 groups: Anxious, Anxious/Depressed, Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed. The 4 groups were then given 2 additional self-report measures, the STAIC and FSSC -R to measure whether Anxious and the Anxious/Depressed children exhibited more fears and anxious traits than did the Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed children. Analyses of variance revealed …

Program Evaluation Of A School-Violence Project In Wv Schools, Charley Bowen

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Youth violence has been a major concern in every community in the United States. A group of educators, social service providers, law enforcement officials, mental health providers, and various interest groups in a small rural West Virginia County developed a plan to address the growing problem of violence among Lincoln County youth. In the fall of 1999, Lincoln County was awarded a three-year Federal Grant. The goal of the Lincoln Early Aggression Prevention Program was to develop and implement a program to increase the health and safety of Lincoln County Students. The county has also received a state grant (Drug …

The Relationship Between Social Skills And Language Acquisition In West Virginia, Stephanie Angel Childers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The interaction between social skills and language acquisition has been a topic of interest in recent years. Current research has suggested children with social deficits are at increased risk for language problems, and vice versa (Gallegher, 1999). As part of the West Virginia Educare initiative, children ages two and a half to five years were randomly selected and individually evaluated using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition and the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs to assess language comprehension and social skills. A Pearson Product Moment correlation on 42 study participants yielded a correlation of -.083 with a significance …

Play Therapy, Melissa M. Sitzmann

Graduate Research Papers

Play therapy is a current trend in school and mental health counseling that takes into account the importance of play for a child's self -expression. It is primarily used with children ranging from three to ten years in age (Knell, 1995). Play therapy is not a theory that stands alone; counselors utilizing play therapy draw from their personal theoretical orientation and blend it with play as the primary means of communication (Cochran, 1996).

The purpose of this paper is to describe play therapy skills. In addition, two theories of play therapy that could be implemented in a school setting will …

What Evangelical Pastors Want To Know About Psychology, Barrett W. Mcray, Mark R. Mcminn, Karen Wrightsman, Todd Burnett, Shiu-Ting Donna Ho

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Increasing attention has been given to psychologist-clergy collaboration in mainstream psychology journals, yet much remains to be considered regarding how these collaborative relationships will benefit the work of pastors and Christian congregations. The purpose of this research was to evaluate clergy perspectives regarding what psychologists can offer to facilitate the ministry of the church. Various methods of assessment were used, including a survey of evangelical pastors, responses to an open-ended question via electronic mail and in person, and a focus group of Christian mental health practitioners. Respondents indicated an interest in the relationship of sin and psychological disorder, interventions particularly …

Haptic Perception Of The Horizontal By Blind And Low-Vision Individuals, Morton A. Heller, Deneen D. Brackett, Eric Scroggs, Angela C. Allen, Shavonda Green

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

We examined haptic perception of the horizontal in visually impaired people. Blind people (late blind and congenitally blind), persons with very low vision, and blindfolded sighted individ- uals felt raised-line drawings of jars at four angles. They had to demonstrate their understanding that water remains horizontal, despite jar tilt, by selecting the correct raised-line drawing given four choices. Low-vision subjects, with near perfect scores, performed significantly better than the other groups of subjects. While the late-blind and blindfolded sighted subjects performed slightly better than the congenitally blind participants, the difference between the late-blind and congenitally blind groups was nonsignificant. The …

Training Psychologists To Work With Religious Organizations: The Center For Church-Psychology Collaboration, Mark R. Mcminn, Katheryn Rhoads Meek, Sally Schwer Canning, Carlos F. Pozzi

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Church-psychology collaboration is gaining attention among professional psychologists, but few training or practical research opportunities are available for those interested in collaborating with religious leaders and organizations. The authors introduce the Center for Church-Psychology Collaboration (CCPC), with its mission to make sustained and relevant contributions to the research literature in psychology, train doctoral students in effective means of collaborating with religious organizations, and provide service to religious communities throughout the world. Domestic and global implications are discussed.

Using Systems Perspectives In Supervision, Marilyn J. Montgomery, C. Bret Hendricks, Loretta J. Bradley

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

This article emphasizes the important contributions of systems theory in the supervision process. A case study is used to illustrate how attention to the systemic contexts of the client, the supervisee, and the supervision process itself enlarges the possibilities for helpful change. The unifying themes of many systems theories are identified (diagnosing the system, viewing problems in context, and focusing on systemic change), and techniques for keeping supervision systemically focused are suggested. The usefulness of systems perspectives for conceptualizing diverse cultural influences and for framing advocacy efforts is explored. In addition, the supervision goals of three common systems-based approaches (structural, …

Self-Reported High Risk Locations Of Drug Use Among Drug Offenders, Steve Sussman, Susan L. Ames, Clyde W. Dent, Alan W. Stacy

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The present study provides a detailed, multiple-choice, self-report analysis of home, work, and other public locations where drug offenders report using drugs. In addition, these settings were examined as a function of gender, ethnicity, type of drug used, and drug abuse/dependence status. The participants for the present study were 462 individuals attending drug diversion programs in southern California. The single most frequently reported location of use was the subjects' living room with a small group of friends. However, heavier users used different drugs across a greater variety of locations. Not surprisingly, drugs were used least at work (though a surprising …

An Integrated Approach To Acculturation: A Personal Journey, Douglas C. Stone

MA TESOL Collection

The intention of this professional paper is to propose a new, integrated model for acculturation which brings psychological understanding to this process. The first section of this paper gives a brief introduction and several necessary definitions. The second section introduces several existing acculturation models which I found applied to aspects of my experience, but which were inadequate in important areas. In the third diction I outlined a number of psychological models which I used to cope with acculturation and understand my experience before having contact with the acculturation material from the second section. In the fourth section I give an …

Harmonized Yet In Tune With The Local Conditions: An Investigation Of Global Advertising And The Inherent Challenges Of Reaching Broad Audiences Without Compromise, Alison Dye

MA TESOL Collection

In the field of advertising communications on a global scale seems to be largely driven and pulled by current trends of thought. And often times pushed through the pipelines of transnational, networked agencies in search of speedy, cost-efficient and unified solutions. Certainly, reaching a broad audience with the most economical route is a real concern of companies today and will continue to be the case. I beckon brand bearers, concept developers and advertisers to merely dare to consider a more nuanced set of factors prior to spinning out global campaigns. Those elements include: inquiry into the true existence of a …

Theories Of Crying, Jeffrey A. Kottler, Marilyn J. Montgomery

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

It was dark outside, and cold, so cold the man’s eyes stung from the moisture on his lids. He was hunched over, trying to make himself as small a target as possible against the frigid wind. He shuffled along at an unsteady gait, trying to keep his balance on the slick sidewalk. Occasionally, he would stop, peek out from under his hood to reorient himself in the blowing snow, and then step cautiously but purposefully onward toward his destination.

Feminist Perspectives On Erikson’S Theory: Their Relevance For Contemporary Identity Development Research, Gwendolyn T. Sorell, Marilyn J. Montgomery

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

In view of recent controversies about theory and self, identity development re- searchers need to examine the utility of their own theory. In an effort to begin this enterprise, we define what we see as the central concerns of Erikson’s theory—a life- span, psychosocial emphasis, and the notion of agentic identity development—and use a feminist standpoint analysis to examine the usefulness of these aspects of his theory in a rapidly changing, multicultural context. We critique the theory’s emphasis on biology as a significant component of psychosocial development, including the emphasis on the biological distinctiveness of women and men as an …

The Backward Glance: Rilke And The Ways Ofthe Heart, Robert D. Romanyshyn

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Performance Of Older People At Different Levels Of Task Complexity, Deepanwita Mohanty

Theses Digitization Project

Technological innovations and career changes have made the workers need for training/retraining an important issue in organizations. However, due to presumed age differences in the ability to benefit from training, employers are sometimes concerned about spending money on training for older workers. This study investigated the relationship of age with attitude about computer training (self-efficacy and anxiety) and training performance at different levels of task complexity.

Latino Cultural Beliefs, Attitudes, And Utilization Patterns Of Mental Health Services, Martha Sonia Garza, Araceli Bueno Powers

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of utilization of mental health services in the Latino community. Fifty male and female adult Latinos in the general population of San Bernardino County and Riverside County were surveyed. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information and information on beliefs and attitudes about subjects' help seeking behaviors.

Learning In The Absence Of Learning?: Biologically Constrained Sex Differences In Response To Emotional And Sexual Intimacy, William Todd Abraham

Theses Digitization Project

The goal of this work was to integrate multiple levels of analysis in an attempt to clarify our understanding of a wealth of data examining sexual and emotional intimacy. The current work presented an empirical attempt to reconcile the notion of biologically constrained behavior with a perspective emphasizing evolved psychological mechanisms.

The Effects Of New Members On Perceived Group Cohesion, Kristie Lynn Bott, Michele Dawn Reed

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Communications Effect On Employee Anxiety And Loyalty During A Merger, Howard Edward La Beur

Theses Digitization Project

Only in about 35 percent of mergers do companies meet their pre-merger goals. One cause of these failures is attributed to the unstable work environment created by a pending merger. Previous research has focused on post-merger attitudes of employees. The purpose of the current study was to explore communication processes in announcing a merger. Scenarios were used to simulate merger announcements.