Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of Item Grouping On Test Reliability, Holly Mackey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Optimal ordering of items on a multidimensional test has been the focus of several studies. In all but one study, previous research centered on measures of personality or opinion. The current study examines item grouping effects for a cognitive ability test. Two forms of a cognitive ability test containing four constructs (verbal ability, basic computation, number series, and spatial visualization) were prepared. Form A consisted of items grouped by construct, and Form B had items dispersed randomly throughout the test. The order of items within a construct remained the same for both forms. Tests were administered to 186 undergraduate psychology …

Human Aggression And Sports Media Violence, Justin Wright

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study was designed to gain more perspective on human aggression and how sports media violence affects aggression levels. Anderson (1997) defined aggression as behavior that is intended to harm others or one's self. Anderson (2001) defined media violence as a portrayal of intentional harmful behavior directed at another person or the self. To define sports aggression, the definition of aggression must be manipulated slightly. The definition should be changed to a form of behavior intended to injure, whether or not an actual injury occurs, directed at an opposing team or opposing player to gain an advantage during the …

A Critical Review Of The Clinical Applications Of Continuous Performance Tests, Yvette Gutierrez

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computerized testing has emerged as an important assessment tool for clinicians. In particular, continuous performance tests (CPTs) have become popular measures to assess sustained attention; yet research regarding the clinical usefulness of CPTs appears mixed. This paper will review research literature on CPTs published in peer-reviewed journals/periodicals between 1980 and 2004. A range of descriptive data will be gathered and summarized from the articles including history and present uses of CPTs and psychometric information on various versions of commercially available CPTs. This information will be used to present a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of CPTs as well as …

Factors Affecting Income Among Men And Women Psychologists, John Christian

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Income differences between men and women psychologists in independent practice have long been noted. Some have suggested that the differences result from the traditional gender roles in household responsibilities and/or gender differences in career decisions have resulted in men and women pursuing different career paths and making different practice decisions that lead to differing incomes. Others explanations regarding income differences suggest that men work more, charge more, and adapt more efficient practice models that reduce overhead. However, no studies have investigated these hypotheses in relation to the practice patterns of independent practitioners. The current study investigated several hypotheses about factors …

Evidence For A Simpatico Self-Schema In Studies Comparing Hispanics And Whites, Renee Holloway

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Considerable evidence exists that many Latin American cultures emphasize concept of simpatia or simpatico (Triandis, Martin, Lisansky, & Betancourt, 1984). The purpose of this research project was to test for evidence that Mexican-Americans use a simpatico self-schema more than White Americans do. Study 1 assessed the participants' reported self-schemas using the "Who am I?" paradigm (Gordon, 1968). As predicted, the Hispanic participants reported significantly more simpatico-related terms in their self-descriptions than the White participants. Study 2 also assessed the self-schema of the participants, using a traditional cognitive paradigm (Markus, 1977). However, none of the predicted hypotheses for that study were …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Psychosocial Adjustment Of Khmer Refugees In Three Massachusetts Communities, Leakhena Nou

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This paper uses a sociological stress process model to explore the Khmer adult refugees’ experience in Massachusetts. The analysis is based on the responses of three focus groups in the Khmer communities of Lowell, Lynn, and Revere, Massachusetts. The focus groups provided an in-depth understanding of sources of stress, stress mediators, and psychosocial adjustment/adaptational patterns for Khmer refugees who had experienced the Cambodian genocide. Symptoms and reactions associated with underlying causes of mental health problems had culturally specific relevance to physical illness and mental health.

The Impact Of Reading Programs As A Map Project Strategy, Tena Jones

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 was enacted to protect the United States' most vulnerable students and was signed into law in January 2002 (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). For many years, black, Hispanic, special education, and limited English proficient students were not achieving at the same level as their white, middle-class counterparts because schools were not held accountable for their individual progress. The achievement gap is well documented in previous research at all levels of education. Scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress  (NAEP) from 1996 to 2000, obtained from a national sample of 8th- …

The Role Of Cingulate Cortex In Spatial Learning And Pain Processing, Rebecca Weaver

Psychology Theses - Archive

Research implicates the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) mediates the affective component of pain processing but not spatial learning. The Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC) mediates spatial learning but not pain processes. This study investigated the roles of each cortex in spatial learning and pain processing. Lesions were made using standard stereotaxic procedures on 96 animals. Inflammatory condition was induced via carageenan. Animals were randomly assigned between both MPWT and PEAP followed by Morris Swim Test or vice versa in order to prevent an order effect. As hypothesized, ACC lesioned animals resulted in no spatial learning decrement, but showed no avoidance behavior …

Evolution Of Gender Differences In Adult Crying, Carrie Lane

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

The evolutionary function of gender differences in adult crying was investigated, specifically whether females were selected to cry more than males ostensibly to aid in their survival. Both studies were based on the idea that crying is a signal to others that attention is needed. Study 1 examined how female crying acts as a signal to alert males during a conflict that they have overstepped boundaries, and thus, crying prevents conflict escalation. Study 2 investigated female crying as a signal that requests help and acts as a catalyst in bonding between females, thus strengthening their social networks and increasing their …

Social Familiarity As A Predictor Of Observational Learning In The Domestic Dog (Canis Familiaris), Lana Gent

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Experiments utilizing observational learning in dogs are becoming more frequent, but few investigate the familiarity relationship between model and observer. Two experiments were designed to explore the familiarity relationship between conspecifics and heterospecifics. The first experiment utilized a heterospecific-conspecific training dynamic and the conditions of the experiment varied how familiar (familiar or unfamiliar) observing dogs were to the heterospecific and conspecific models. Forty-eight dogs were assigned to four conditions varying in familiarity of the human demonstrator and model dog. A separate control condition (n=12) were trained with operant techniques and did not receive demonstration or familiarity variables. Analysis of data …

College Students And Gambling: Gauging The Effects Of Gender On Impulse Control, Sensation Seeking, And Mental Health As Predictors Of Involvement, Terry D. Burger

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of the current study was to enhance the global understanding of adolescent Internet gambling involvement by examining rates of participation and the influence of impulse control, sensation seeking, and mental health problems as predictors of involvement. In addition to a demographic survey to gather information including year in school, age, gender, mode of gambling participation (online vs. traditional venues), age gambling participation began (for both non-Internet and Internet modes), disposable income, and hours spent online each week, the current research study questionnaire was comprised of a three standardized instruments: {a) the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS); (b) …

Effects Of Anxiety Induction On Facial Recognition Skills Within A Sample Of Adult Victims Of Childhood Abuse, Kathryn M. Bell

Dissertations

Although it is well established that interpersonal victimization can lead to affect regulation problems, less is known about the extent to which childhood victimization impairs facial recognition skills. Most studies exploring this relationship have focused on emotion recognition (ER) in physically abused and neglected children. The degree to which these ER problems apply to sexual victimization and extend into adulthood is yet unknown. The current study examined the impact of physical and sexual childhood abuse on adult ER skills under a heightened arousal condition in 104 women with varying childhood victimization experiences. The relationship between childhood victimization and ER skills …

An Evaluation Of Intraverbal Training And Listener Training For Teaching Categorization Skills, Anna Ingeborg Petursdottir

Dissertations

Behavioral language interventions, such as those employed in early and intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs, target both expressive and receptive language skills. Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior provides a framework for analyzing expressive and receptive language in terms of stimulus control and reinforcement history. From this perspective, different expressive language programs target different verbal operants, such as tacts, intraverbals, and echoics , whereas most receptive language programs target a type of listener behavior that may be referred to as manded stimulus selection (Michael, 1995). Although EIBI curricula (e.g., Maurice, Green, & Luce, 1996; Leaf & McEachin, 1999) have frequently …

A Role For Vasopressin And Oxytocin In Parental Behavior Of The Male Sprague-Dawley Rat, Ekaterina V. Karelina

Master's Theses

Paternal behavior, though infrequent in many mammalian species, can be induced under laboratory conditions through manipulation of either hormonal or environmental states. Rodent studies of parental behavior have implicated similarities for males and females in not only the actual behavioral repertoire, but also the brain mechanisms governing the set of behaviors in both sexes. The current project investigated changes in oxytocin and vasopressin in the hypothalamus of paternal male rats. We found that paternal behavior, which was readily induced through sensitization (chronic pup exposure), was significantly correlated with increasing oxytocin and vasopressin immunoreactivity within the paraventricular nucleus. Further, corticosterone levels …

Learned Fear And Reaction To Novel Stimuli: Behavioral And Hormonal Stress Responses In The Maternal Rat, Brandi Nicole Rima

Master's Theses

The present thesis examines the relationship between reproductive experience and the behavioral, neural, and hormonal processes of learned fear in the female rat. Multiple research models indicate that reproductive experience functions to decrease the female's stress response in potentially harmful environments, thus providing her with numerous survival benefits, including decreased fearfulness, increased aggression, and refined hunting skills. Based on existing understandings of maternal experience and unconditioned fear, this study was designed to determine how nulliparous (no reproductive experience, NP), primiparous (one reproductive experience, PP) and multiparous (more than one reproductive experience, MP) rats comparatively respond to a Pavlovian paradigm of …

Are Socially Dominant Men More Facially Dominant And More Prone To Sexual Jealousy?, Chawki Ahmed Belhadi

Psychology Theses - Archive

Previous studies show that men with masculine facial characteristics are perceived as more dominant than men with less masculine facial characteristics. This study investigated whether facially dominant men behaved more dominantly and were more prone to sexual jealousy. Participants were 115 males enrolled in UTA introductory psychology classes. Dominant behavior constituted the number of times participants stuck to their position in a series of cooperative decision making trials; sexual jealousy was measured using a modification of Buss et al's. (1992) jealousy scenario, and facial dominance was measured using subjective ratings. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between facial dominance and …

Validity Of The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System In Pediatric Populations, Christopher J. Fisher

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) (Delis, Kaplan, & Kramer, 2001) is a battery of tests purported to measure those higher-level abilities generally termed "executive functions." While the D-KEFS possesses generally credible psychometric properties, the absence of adequately demonstrated "ecological validity" has been identified as a weakness of the D-KEFS. The purpose of this study was to attempt to assess the ecological validity of the D-KEFS using a sample of child chess players.

All 18 of the D-KEFS tests appropriate for children were administered in this study. For comparison purposes, several other measures were also administered: the Wisconsin Card Sorting …

Discriminating Between Cognitive And Supportive Group Therapies For Chronic Mental Illness, Sarah A. Hayes, Debra A. Hope, Lori S. Terryberry-Spohr, William D. Spaulding, Melanie Vandyke, Dirk T. Elting, Jeffrey Poland, Somaia Mohamed, Calvin P. Garbin, Dorie Reed, Mary Sullivan

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This descriptive and comparative study employed a Q-sort process to describe common factors of therapy in two group therapies for inpatients with chronic mental illness. While pharmacological treatments for chronic mental illness are prominent, there is growing evidence that cognitive therapy is also efficacious. Groups examined were part of a larger study comparing the added benefits of cognitive versus supportive group therapy to the treatment milieu. In general, items described the therapist’s attitudes and behaviors, the participants’ attitudes and behaviors, or the group interactions. Results present items that were most and least characteristic of each therapy and items that discriminate …

Hate: Juror Perceptions Of Crime Classification, Attributions Of Blame, And Impact Of Extra-Legal Factors, Karyn M. Plumm

Theses and Dissertations

A jury simulation paradigm was employed in this series of studies exploring hate crime. In the first two studies., crime label (i.e., bias-motivated assault ·vs. first degree assault) and victim gender were varied within the context of a sexual orientation motivated (study 1) or gender motivated (study 2) hate crime scenario. Results from the first study indicated that attributions of blame against the victim varied as a function of participants' attitudes toward minority sexual orientation. Results of study two indicated that participants in the assault condition were more likely to find the defendant guilty than those in the hate crime …

Gender And Cultural Differences In Body Dissatisfaction And Self-Esteem, Nadezhda Shepeliak

Honors College Theses

A total of 144 college students (103 were females) participated in a study investigating the gender and cultural variation in the relationship betwen body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem. The results revealed a significant negative correlation between one's body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem. No cultural differences were found in either body dissatisfaction or self-esteem; however, the study did yield several findings with regard to gender differences. Females were more satisfied than male participants with their upper torso, and male engaged in more body avoidance behavior than did female participants. Social-cultural approach to studying body image dissatisfaction was evaluated and discussed with …

Acceptance Of Technological Change: Do Age, Expertise And Self-Efficacy Matter?, Cheryl Fernandez

Student Work

This study was designed to examine the acceptance of change by employees of different ages, in different contexts. This study challenged the stereotypes held against older individuals by proposing that factors other than age contribute to the acceptance of changes. It examined two context-specific variables, self-efficacy and expertise which contribute to acceptance of technological changes. The findings indicated that older individuals with computer experience had higher self-efficacy. On the other hand, younger individuals had higher self-efficacy, regardless of computer experience. Also, individuals who felt younger than they actually were had higher self-efficacy when they had experience with computers, compared to …

Paraprofessionals In The Classroom: Creating A Test Bank, Linda Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this thesis was to create a valid, reliable, fair test bank for the textbook Paraprofessionals in the Classroom (Ashbaker & Morgan, 2006). This textbook was written specifically for the education of paraprofessionals. Further education beyond high school is one of the options recommended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to assist paraprofessionals in becoming highly qualified to work with children with special needs. Extensive research was conducted by the researcher on what constituted a good test bank. Excerpts were selected from seven chapters of the textbook. Questions and a rating scale for each question …

The Relationship Between Posttraumatic Growth And Substance Abuse In Homeless Women With Histories Of Traumatic Experience, Monica J. Stump

Psychology ETDs

The phenomenon of posttraumatic growth (PTG) may be particularly relevant for homeless women, who have higher levels of trauma exposure than the general population. However, homeless women also have higher rates of substance use, which some research has linked with less PTG. The present study examined the relationship between PTG and substance use in homeless women. lt was hypothesized that substance abuse would be associated with less PTG, more avoidant coping, and more Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptomatology. It was further predicted that PTG would be unrelated to psychological distress. Participants were 50 homeless women with histories of trauma who were …

Drug Addiction And Mothers: Does Parenting Get Better With Treatment?, Concetta Arabia

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To examine the parenting skills and attitudes of substance abusing mothers in a comprehensive drug treatment facility in Camden, NJ. Methods: Giving three self-report measures and urine analysis to 14 mothers at intake, 2-months, and 6-months. Participants were reimbursed for their time and travel. Results: Mothers parenting skills and attitudes at intake were found to lack the confidence and enjoyment in their parenting and to have high levels of perceived stress. Bigger sample sizes are needed. Discussion: Progress towards incorporating parenting skills training in in-patient and out-patient treatment facilities has been made. However, a distinction between bad parenting and …

The Effects Of Rumination On Problem-Solving Self-Efficacy And Self-Efficacy For Controlling Upsetting Thoughts In The Context Of Depressive Symptoms, Christina Marcia Gilliam

Dissertations

Two cognitive variables that are of interest in their role in depression are self-efficacy and rumination. Self-efficacy refers to individuals¿ own appraisal of their ability to successfully accomplish a domain of tasks (Bandura, 1977). Rumination, as defined by Response Styles Theory (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), refers to the process of repetitively and passively thinking about negative emotions, consequences, and symptoms of distress. Although the relationship between these two constructs and depression has been examined in both experimental and correlational studies, there has been minimal research on the relationship between self-efficacy and rumination among depressed individuals. The present study was intended to replicate …

Constructing Meaning Through Religious Coping: Rebuilding The Shattered Assumptive World Of Mothers Bereaved By Homicide, Accident, And Illness, Laura Thea Matthews

Dissertations

Researchers have begun to examine the theory that religion may help bereaved individuals to provide meaning to an otherwise inconceivable event. In addition, work by Janoff-Bulman (1989; 1992) and others (see Kauffman, 2002) has spawned a growing understanding that bereavement forces individuals to restructure and rebuild previously held assumptions about the self and the world. This study examined mediator-moderator effects of positive and negative religious coping on relationships between grief intensity and world assumptions in 117 mothers bereaved by the death of a child (homicide, illness, or accident). Mothers with higher grief intensity rated the world as less meaningful and …

Eating Disorder Risk In Subgroups Of College Freshman Women, Karen E. Gochnour

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to identify subgroups within the college population having a heightened risk for eating disorders. The information for this analysis was retrieved from an existing data set. The two variables that were compared were self selection of college major at the initial collection during freshman year. The sample size of 1,924 was used to see if subgroups of college majors had a heightened risk. Twenty groups composed of similar majors were studied. The majors of Dance, Dietetics, Physical Education, and Communications had heightened risk according to analysis percentage of each group in the clinical range …

Early Predictors Of Self-Regulation In Middle Childhood, Rebecca A. Colman, Sam A. Hardy, Myesha Albert, Marcela Raffaelli, Lisa J. Crockett

Faculty Publications

The present study examined the contribution of caregiving practices at ages 4–5 (Time 1) to children’s capacity for self regulation at ages 8–9 (Time 2). The multiethnic sample comprised 549 children of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) participants. High levels of maternal warmth and low levels of physically punitive discipline at Time 1 were associated with a greater capacity for self-regulation at Time 2. These associations remained signifi cant once initial levels of self-regulation were taken into account, indicating that the development of self-regulation is open to caregiver infl uence during childhood. Neither child gender nor ethnicity moderated the …

States' School Crisis Planning Materials: An Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Considerations And Sensitivity To Student Diversity, Neil O. Annandale

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of providing appropriate crisis intervention to individuals and families from diverse backgrounds is an often overlooked aspect of service provision. In particular, school-based crisis intervention has only recently begun to address this issue. This study reviewed state mandated school crisis plans, state directives for crisis plans, and state resources to assist school districts in developing crisis plans. The content of these materials was examined to determine the extent and type of coverage given to student diversity, particularly cross cultural considerations. Materials were obtained from state department of education internet sites and from the state offices of Safe and …

The Impact Of Sexual Abuse And How Children Cope: Different Perspectives From Caretakers And Children, Megan M. Schacht

Dissertations

Child sexual abuse is a complicated stressor with a broad range of associated symptoms. It has been suggested that the coping techniques children utilize may act as a mediating variable in the relationship between child sexual abuse and subsequent difficulties. Until recently, child sexual abuse sequelae were assessed in a piecemeal fashion, with individual tests for each symptom domain and reporter. However, recent developments in the area of trauma assessment have provided researchers with complementary caretaker- and self-report measures to assess a broad range of trauma-related symptoms (i.e., the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children [TSCYC] and the Trauma Symptom …