Psychology Commons^™

Nurses' Perceptions Of The Pharmacological Management Of Acute Pain Experienced By Patients Hospitalised In The General Ward Setting, Susan Slatyer

Theses : Honours

This study explored and described the experiences and perceptions of nurses managing acute pain in a Western Australian public hospital. The focus was nurses practising in the general ward setting and using current prescribing guidelines. The aim of this research was to explore nurses' attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about pain and pain pharmacology and how this practice setting influences efficient pain management. Qualitative methodology was selected for its ability to explore complex issues in order to build nursing knowledge and guide nursing practice. This study used a descriptive, exploratory design based on a phenomenological approach. The sample comprised ten Registered …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Transition Experience Of Students From A High School To A Senior High School In Rural Western Australia, Amiee-Jade Pereira

Theses : Honours

This review outlines literature on the normative high school transitions that occur during adolescence. Research examines factors affecting the school transition experience (e.g., school size, structure, feeder patterns, and the additive affect of multiple school transitions), student outcomes (e.g., academic performance, self-esteem and psychological symptomatology), and student perceptions of their transition experience. Research limitations include the focus on American, metropolitan schools undergoing the elementary to middle school transition, and the utilisation of quantitative methodologies. Future research needs to examine the experience of students from different countries, both metropolitan and rural, undergoing school transitions. Qualitative methodologies should also be utilised to …

Gay And Lesbian Psychological Well-Being: A Thesis Comprising; Psychological Health In Adults From Sexual Minorities (Literature Review); And, A Comparative Exploratory Study Of The Psychological Well-Being Of Gay Male, Lesbian, And Heterosexual Australian Metropolitan Adults (Research Project), Stephen D. Brown

Theses : Honours

Research into the psychological health of members of sexual minorities has been biased towards a medical model of illness and several methodological difficulties need to be considered to critically interpret findings in this area. This review presents relevant literature on sexual minority stressors, positive coping by sexual minority members, and the mixed findings of between-groups comparative research. The medical model bias is evident in an analysis of the measures of psychological health used in research involving sexual minorities. The thesis of considering psychological health of sexual minorities from the broader perspective that includes both well-being and pathology, and of using …

Using Archival Data For I-O Research: Advantages, Pitfalls, Sources, And Examples, Kenneth S. Shultz, Calvin C. Hoffman, Roni Reiter-Palmon

Psychology Faculty Publications

Two particular sets of experiences sparked our interest in writing this TIP article. The first was our increasing difficulty getting access to “new” organization- based samples. Depending on the topic and commitment involved, many organizations appear too leery and/or too strapped these days to allow for primary data collection. In addition, we have all experienced the disappointment of spending numerous hours on research proposals and meetings with organizational personnel, only to have the “plug pulled” at the last minute on a promising line of data collection. Conversely, we have also had experience with researchers in organizations who are willing and …

Anger And Social Problem Solving Style As Predictors Of Burnout In Mental Health Workers, Jerri L. Maroney

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined how the variables of anger and social problem-solving style affect the dimensions of burnout in a sample of 99 mental health workers. To assess these constructs, the State-Trait Anger Scale-2, and the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised were utilized. The Maslach Burnout Inventory for Human Services Staff was used to measure job burnout. Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and a decrease in the sense of Personal Accomplishment are the core dimensions of burnout on this measure. Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization correlated significantly with State Anger, Trait Anger, and Negative Problem Orientation. Significant inverse correlations were demonstrated for State Anger, Trait …

Assessing Mental Health Literacy Of First- And Third-Year Medical Students : Knowledge And Beliefs About Mental Disorders, Patricia A. Cheslock

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Mental health literacy is the knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders that influence their identification, treatment, and prevention. It is highly pertinent for the primary care physician to possess appropriate mental health literacy, because it is in that sector that the majority of individuals first seek treatment. As many as 90% of individuals who experience symptoms of a mental disorder are first seen by their primary care physician. However, general practitioners often do not detect or diagnose the presence of a mental disorder, and as many as 50% of these disorders remain unidentified and untreated. This study explored the mental …

Exploratory Study Of Anger And Behavior In An Incarcerated Offender Population Utilizing The Mahan And Ditomasso Anger Scale, Robert John Marsh, Jr.

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The present study proposed to advance the treatment and assessment of anger disorders by exploring the properties of the Mahan and DiTomasso Anger Scale (MAD-AS). Previous research of the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the MAD-AS was conducted with inpatient (Mahan, 2001) and outpatient participants (Beardmore, 2003) . In the present study a psychometric investigation was undertaken utilizing 300 male incarcerated offenders. The MAD-AS correlated positively with the presence of antisocial and borderline personality disorders and with violent offenses. Those inmates with a history of violent offenses scored significantly higher than those convicted of nonviolent offenses on the MAD-AS. …

Testing An Intervention To Address The Sociocultural Influence Of Mass Media On Body Image: Can We Reverse The Curse?, Janet Derosier Murray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adverse effects of exposure to unrealistic ideals in the media are well documented, however, this is the first study to explore the possibility that women may experience improvement in body image and affect via social comparison to women with realistic, non-ideal body shape and size. Using material from The Century Project©, the impact of exposure to nude, non-pornographic photographs of women of varied shape, size, age, and physical condition, and the photographed women's personal commentaries about how they successfully cope with body image concerns was tested using an experimental design. It was hypothesized that exposure to the photographs and …

Warning Compliance: Effects Of Stress And Working Memory, Jessica Helmick-Rich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of cross-modality warning presentation and retention in a dual-task paradigm in a simulated military environment under various task-induced stress levels. It was also intended to determine what role working memory played in the mode of warning presentation that resulted in the highest retention and subsequent compliance. An all within participant design was created in order to determine if scores on working memory span tasks predicted performance across the varying forms of warning presentation. Furthermore, task-induced stress levels were varied over the course of the experiment to identify if workload transitions affected performance. Results revealed that …

Ability Of College Students To Simulate Adhd On Objective Measure Of Attention, Randee Lee Booksh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Complaints of ADHD symptoms in college students are not uncommon and college students frequently self-refer for assessment of ADHD. Some may seek out a diagnosis to obtain academic accommodations and/or stimulant medication. Diagnosing ADHD in college students is largely reliant on self-report measures, and to a lesser extent, objective measures of attention. The typical college student has easy access to information about ADHD, potentially facilitating efforts to simulate self-reported symptoms. The present study examined the ability of college students to effectively simulate ADHD on objective and self-report measures of attention, and examined the relationship between knowledge of ADHD and ability …

The Effects Of Discrimination Training On Choice-Making Accuracy During Symbolic Perference Assessment Formats, Christina Marie Vorndran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The right of individuals with developmental disabilities to live fulfilling and normalized lives has been a focus of federal legislation and applied research over the past 30 years. Research has primarily focused on the identification and incorporation of preferred items and activities into the home and community environments of these individuals. Because of cognitive and communication limitations, some individuals with developmental disabilities require training to make choices that accurately reflect their preferences. Verbal choice methods are commonly used in everyday clinical practice; however, the accuracy of these methods for identifying actual preferences depends on the individual’s ability to make auditory …

Strategies For Universal Prevention Of Depression In Adolescents., Patrick Possel

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: The occurrence of depressive disorders in adolescence is of high individual and social importance because of their prevalence and persistence into adulthood and their co-morbidity with other psychological disorders and psychosocial problems. International researchers have recognized the seriousness of depressive disorders in adolescence and thus have been involved in the development and evaluation of prevention programs.

Methods: This article will present the difficulties encountered in prevention research with adolescents and in the determination of prevention program efficacy. The main focus will be an overview of current prevention programs and their efficacy with special attention paid to programs featured in …

Child Care For Working Poor Families: Child Development And Parent Employment Outcomes, James Elicker

Center for Families Publications

The results of the Community Child Care Research Project provide data describing the child care experiences of low income working families in 4 urban communities in Indiana. Because the study participants were volunteers rather than randomly selected, conclusions drawn from these findings necessarily have limitations. Despite these limitations, the research results do represent the experiences of more than 300 low income working families, their children, and their child care providers. The results suggest a number of key issues that need further investigation by policy makers and researchers. Many children in this sample scored lower than established norms in areas of …

Classroom Observations Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Patterns And Characteristics Of Attention Over Time, Thomas M. Timko Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Investigated differences in attentional processes between children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their classroom peers. Models of attention gleaned from laboratory experiments provided a theoretical structure for hypothesizing between-group attentional differences. Seventy-five children with ADHD and 36 normal control children were observed in their regular classrooms over a 1-week time interval. Explication of between-group differences revealed that children with ADHD were approximately 21% less attentive on average. Both groups exhibited an accelerating-decelerating pattern of attention over time, however, children with ADHD cycled at a rate twice that of same-aged peers. Six variables derived from observed attention were examined for …

Measuring Quality Of Life In Pediatric Cancer Patients: The Relationships Among Parental Depression, Anxiety, Stress, And Concor, Angela Roddenberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advancements made in the treatment of the physiological aspects of childhood cancer have resulted in a greater need to conceptualize the disease psychologically as a chronic illness that causes significant stress and requires ongoing adjustment. This study investigates the relationships among parental characteristics, child characteristics, and the quality of life of children diagnosed with cancer. Forty-seven mothers and sixteen fathers, as well as nineteen children diagnosed with cancer, completed measures of their own psychological functioning. Measures of the diagnosed children's quality of life also were completed. Mothers' ratings of their children's quality of life were found to be correlated positively …

Investigation Of The Outcomes Of Delivering Training To Spanish Speakers In Standard Spanish Versus Their Native Dialect, Mary Kosarzycki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study explored the outcomes of delivering training to Spanish speakers in either their native dialect or in Standard Spanish in the context of a self-running, narrated PowerPoint presentation on a health topic, "The Importance of Vaccinations." The training outcomes that were examined included learning scores; attitudes toward the training; and attitudes toward employment with organizations that employed the same or different dialect-speaking employees, supervisors, and trainers. In addition to examining the effects of ethnicity upon outcomes, this study also examined the effect of age, education level, time in the U.S., and familiarity with the locally dominant subgroup's dialect. …

Time Estimation And Hand Preference, Maria Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work examines the effect of participants' gender and handedness on the perception of short intervals of time. The time estimation task consisted of an empty production procedure with forty trials at each of four intervals of one, three, seven, and twenty seconds. The four target intervals represent a natural logarithmic progression and a series that bracket important temporal thresholds. The order of presentation of those intervals was randomized across participants but yoked across the sexes in each of the respective dominant hand groups. The two between-subject factors, with two levels each, were sex and handedness. Participants produced forty estimates …

A Group-Administered Timeline Followback Assessment Of Alcohol Use, Joseph W. Labrie, Eric R. Pedersen, Mitch Earleywine

Heads Up!

Objective: The current study compares retrospective self-reports of quantity and frequency of drinking with the Timeline Followback (TLFB) method administered in groups or to individuals to determine the equivalence of these methods.

Method: Two-hundred and eleven male college students who reported drinking at least two times per week participated; 118 completed the TLFB in a group setting and 93 completed it individually. Drinking variables assessed were drinking days, average drinks and total drinks during a 30-day period.

Results: Pearson's correlation coefficients revealed significant correlations between single-item quantity and frequency measures and the TLFB on all three variables for the two …

Faultlines, Faults, And Feelings: The Effects Of Subgroup Formation And Appraisals On Emotions In Groups, Katerina Bezrukova, Ira Roseman, John Phebus

Psychology

This study examines the relationships between group faultlines, appraisals (evaluations) of group members, emotional responses, and performance in groups. The study uses a 2 by 2 experimental design, crossing demographic alignment (alignment vs. no alignment) and appraisals (instrumental vs. intrinsic) as between-subjects variables. Data from 5 types of measurement were used to analyze the effects of member alignment and appraisals.

Collaborating In Care: Developing A Model Of Dialogic Empathy In Nursing Education, Kimberlee Jean Trudeau

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The goal of this exploratory study was to teach nursing students to perceive empathy as a dialogic process versus as a personal characteristic through narrative reflection. This required the development of a dialogic empathy model for nursing education; that is, a model that presents empathy as a reciprocal process shared by the nurse and client within their interactions. Given the increasing cultural diversity between providers and clients in stressful medical situations, awareness of the interaction of the characteristics of oneself and another (i.e., dialogism) could potentially enhance both the efficacy and experience of care.

This study included (a) narrative reflection …

Represent: The New York City Public Housing Resident Alliance And Its Struggle Against The Imposition Of The Neoliberal Agenda, Gretchen Susi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This research has focused on four interconnected topics: the formation of a citywide group of public housing residents and advocates (The New York City Public Housing Resident Alliance); a collaboration between the Resident Alliance and building trade unions in New York City to gain jobs for public housing residents—The TRADES Coalition (Trade Unions and Residents for Apprenticeship Development and Economic Success); public housing activism in an era of neoliberal reform; and efforts on the part of the Resident Alliance to engage in what Henri Lefebvre refers to as the production of space. It has examined how The New York City …

Wonderwise 4-H: Following In The Footsteps Of Women Scientists, A. N. Spiegel, S. K. Rockwell, D. S. Acklie, K. French, J. Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Wonderwise 4-H: Women in Science introduces youth to contemporary female scientists in their labs, out in the field, and with their families through nine interactive multimedia kits. Youth learn about the scientist’s occupation and participate in hands-on science activities similar to the actual work of a female scientist role model. Using role models was effective in improving youths’ attitudes about science through engaging activities and realistic videos. A web survey of 150 adult youth leaders showed Wonderwise 4-H brings “real science” into youths’ lives by (a) engaging them in actual scientific activities, (b) increasing their understanding of what science is, …

Gender Differences In Social Support For Socially Anxious Individuals, Lindsay Ham, Sarah A. Hayes, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Given that social anxiety disorder is a common, chronic, debilitating disorder and socially anxious women appear to have different experiences related to social development and social support than men, it is essential that the gender differences in social anxiety and social support be understood. The present study examined perceived social support quantity and satisfaction in 23 women and 28 men seeking treatment for social anxiety disorder. Contrary to expectations, men and women did not differ on measures of social support. However, younger, unmarried women reported having smaller social support networks and less satisfaction with their social support networks than older, …

Musical Stem Completion: Humming That Note, Jill A. Warker, Andrea Halpern

Faculty Journal Articles

This study looked at how people store and retrieve tonal music explicitly and implicitly using a production task. Participants completed an implicit task (tune stem completion) followed by an explicit task (cued recall). The tasks were identical except for the instructions at test time. They listened to tunes and were then presented with tune stems from previously heard tunes and novel tunes. For the implicit task, they were asked to sing a note they thought would come next musically. For the explicit task, they were asked to sing the note they remembered as coming next. Experiment 1 found that people …

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy And Sense Of Belonging In Young Adolescents At School, Elisabeth Freeman

Theses : Honours

Research emphasises the importance of adolescents' psychological sense of belonging in relation to academic, motivational, psychosocial, developmental, and behavioural outcomes, particularly during transition to high school. However, adolescents' adjustment during transition period does not occur in isolation, it occurs in conjunction with normative biopsychosocial change-related effects. As most of adolescents biopsychosocial needs are negotiated in high school, the school's social context assumes a fundamental role in facilitating successful adolescent adjustment, and school belonging. Features of the high school context such as perceived peer, parent, and teacher support have an influence on adolescents' perceived belonging. Similarly, the educational values, in terms …

Personality And Individual Differences In Health-Promoting Behaviors, Benjamin J. Bristow

Honors Program Theses

University students (N = 100) completed a self-administered questionnaire with scales assessing health attributions, dispositional optimism, and health behaviors. Health-promoting behaviors were calculated using a questionnaire measuring six components: health responsibility, physical _ activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management. Optimism was correlated with higher self-reported physical and emotional health, internal locus of health control, reliance on God through passive and active spirituality, and health-promoting behaviors. Internal locus of health control was correlated with emotional health promotion. Spirituality was correlated with both physical and emotional health promotion. Health promotion was correlated with higher scores of self-reported physical and …

Psychometric Characteristics Of The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale For Children In Adolescent Samples, Nicole Carlson

Honors Program Theses

Most children and adolescents, on any given day, experience some levels of anxiety. They worry about school, about friendships, and about their physical appearance. For most children and adolescents, these worries are considered a normal part of growing older. ln some cases, these worries take control over the child's life and seriously affect the normal developmental process. When the symptoms of anxiety become excessive and debilitating, a person may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. ln the child and adolescent literature, the three primary internalizing disorders are anxiety disorders, somatization disorders, and depressive disorders. This paper focuses on the anxiety …

Factors Affecting Judicial Decision Making, Brooke Marie Hansen

Honors Program Theses

The U.S. court system relies on the discretion of judges for most sentencing decisions. Even when there are sentencing guidelines, the judicial decision making process requires judges to use their discretion to determine the actual sentence. Personality characteristics play a role in juror decision making, as shown by studies of the effect of authoritarianism on verdicts (Narby, Culter, & Moran, 1993). Little research has focused on the personality characteristics of judges and what role they play in sentencing decisions. Judicial decision making is a debated topic as demonstrated by the fact that the Supreme Court heard the case Blakely v. …

Food Preferences Between Diverse Ethnic Groups In A College Population, Enrique Gallegos Covarrubias

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Obesity and its psychosocial and medical consequences are costing the United States billions of dollars per year. Many factors such as lack of physical activity, changing lifestyles, and unhealthy eating behaviors contribute to the increasing prevalence of obesity. In the present study, food preferences among college-aged students were measured from two different geographical locations (Texas and Iowa). Gender (men vs. women), ethnicity (Hispanic vs. Caucasian), and Body Mass Index scores (normal vs. overweight) were utilized as dependent variables to measure food preferences. Participants were required to rate four menus, which included important nutritional information. Ratings were obtained to measure how …

Perceptions Of Luck And Gambling Patterns, Dustin Daugherty

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Current research examining situations that elicit gambling behaviors have tended to focus on many structural features such as the "near miss" phenomenon. This is the idea that individuals will play longer on a slot machine that almost lands on a jackpot symbol than one that does not. Until now this research has focused mainly on a near "win" situation and ignored what will be called a near "loss" situation. Previous findings indicate that by experiencing a near loss, a participant will perceive that he/she has more personal good luck than those individuals who experience a near win. The study presented …