Psychology Commons^™

Happiness And Me: An Exploratory Study Of Parental And Romantic Attachments And Self-Esteem And Their Effects On Adulthood Body Image Dissatisfaction, Stephanie Kibble

Masters Theses

In this study, the author investigated parental attachments, self-esteem, and romantic satisfaction as they related to the cognitive and affective components of the selfconcept when represented through Body Image Dissatisfaction (BID). The study was a within-subject design with 70 participants. They participants were instructed to report their feelings about each of these variables through 4 questionnaires. Individuals with low self-esteem identified as having increased BID as compared to those individuals with high self-esteem. Compared with those who reported supportive parental attachments, individuals with a highly overprotective mother reported higher BID. Multiple regression analysis indicated that gender had no significant impact …

Using Alternating Treatment Design To Determine Math Interventions For Linear Equations, Bridget Mckenna

Masters Theses

Although algebraic skills are vital to continuing success in higher order mathematics, few studies have examined the effectiveness of mathematics interventions with high school students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of four mathematics interventions, contingent reinforcement, repeated practice, mathematic problem previewing, and immediate corrective feedback, with six students working on linear equations. Three participants were performing instructional level and four at frustration level. After a curriculum based assessment and baseline, an alternating treatment design examined the effectiveness of each intervention across participants. The distance between the data and the x axis was analyzed to determine …

School Attachment And The Use Of Alcohol Among Rural High School Students, Michelle L. Weiler

Masters Theses

The present study examined the relationship between school attachment and alcohol use in rural communities to determine if students with high levels of school attachment were less likely to participate in alcohol use. Participants included 4,768 high schools students in the largest rural geographic educational region in the state of Illinois. The students participated in a program called I Sing the Body Electric and completed a survey which asked questions including how well students are attached to their school and alcohol use. Chi square goodness of fit tests were used to analyze student's reporting of school attachment, how old they …

A Study Of Positive Emotions And Turnover Intentions Among Hong Kong Police Officers : The Mediating Role Of Psychological Capital And Work Well-Being, Chun Lok Lui

Lingnan Theses

With reference to Fredrickson‘s (2001) broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the current study investigated the mechanism of how positive emotions contribute to desirable outcomes to the organization through psychological capital (PsyCap), which is a positive, state-like, and performance-related resource comprising self-efficacy, hope, optimism and resilience. To date, only few studies have been done particularly on the relationships between PsyCap and positive emotions among Chinese employees. Studies on PsyCap of police force are even rarer. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism relating positive emotions and work outcomes, specifically to examine the separate roles of positive …

A Comparison Of Paper-Pencil Versus Video-Conferencing Administration Of A Neurobehavioral Screening Test, Tyler Cole Duffield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regardless of the reason, many patients/clients do not have access to face-to-face medical, neuropsychological, or mental health consultation, assessment, or treatment (Cowain, 2001). The term Remote Neuropsychological Assessment (RNA) has been proposed by Browndyke to denote the general use of telecommunication and Internet-based technologies in neuropsychological assessment and practice (as cited in Schatz & Browndyke, 2002). RNA (Telemedicine) offers a plausible, potentially cost-effective solution to individuals in need of medical, neuropsychological, or mental health consultation, assessment, or treatment that are located in geographical areas away from the specialist (Armstrong, 2006; Berman, 2005; Cowain, 2001; Jacobsen, Sprenger, Andersson, & Krogstad, 2003). …

Evaluation Of The Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (Ecalc) For Reducing Alcohol Use Among High School Students, Janani Sivasithamparam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use is the single most alarming behavior among youth in the United States. Adolescents especially are at risk for increases in heavy episodic drinking and drunkenness leading to alcohol-related problems such as academic failure, interpersonal violence, risky sexual behavior and death. In an effort to address this endemic issue, a number of alcohol use prevention programs have been developed and are currently implemented in the high school setting. Many of these programs, however, lack an empirical basis and have been unable to demonstrate significant reductions in alcohol use over time. The need for the development and dissemination of effective …

Investigating The Optimal Presentation Of Feedback In Simulation-Based Training An Application Of The Cognitive Theory Of Multimedia Learning, Wendi Van Buskirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are many different training interventions that can be used in simulation based training systems (e.g., cueing, hinting, highlighting, deliberate practice, etc.). However, the most widely used training intervention in the military is feedback, most often presented in the form of a debrief. With advances in technology, it is possible to measure and diagnose performance in real-time. Thus it is possible to provide immediate feedback during scenarios. However, training systems designers should not consider the timing of feedback in isolation. There are other parameters of feedback that must also be considered which may have an impact on performance. Specifically, feedback …

Mixed Signals At The Intersection The Effect Of Organizational Composition On Ratings Of Black Women's Management Suitability, Laticia D. Bowens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historically, Black women‘s workplace experiences have been understudied, partially due to an implicit assumption that their experiences are subsumed by research on Black men and/or White women. This oversight is even more evident in the field of management. However, considerable attention has been given to the debate about whether Black women are at a double advantage (i.e., as supposed affirmative action ―two-for-one bargains‖) or at a double disadvantage due to their double marginalizing characteristics. Empirical research in the area has found support for each side, furthering the debate, but also advancing an overly simplistic explanation for a set of experiences …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between Motivation, Worker Role Conflicts And Worker Outcomes, Robert C. Kennedy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships between several work motivational process variables and work-life-conflict (WLC) and how these variables contribute to job related outcomes such as work performance, job satisfaction and life satisfaction. This survey study identified several correlations which suggest that a more comprehensive model of motivation should include variables such as energy pool and direction toward organizational objectives. Results also suggest that WLC contributes to the amount of energy pool available to workers and the amount of motivation exhibited by workers. WLC also impacts important job and life attitudes directly and through the above mentioned motivation process variables. The …

A Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Adults With African American And Korean Heritages, Elizabeth Sue Bradshaw

Dissertations

Scholarship on biracial persons has been primarily focused on those of African American and White heritages. The dominance of research on this one segment of the biracial population has in turn led to the myth of a universal biracial experience. There is a critical need to hear the voices and experiences of those who are members of two or more communities of color. While many researchers have recommended that more studies be done with biracial participants from two or more communities of color, few studies have been conducted. The purpose of this study was to explore exclusively the lived experiences …

Evaluating The Impact Of Small-Group Discussion On Learning In Anorganizational Psychology Class Utilizing A Classroom Response System, Thorhallur Orn Flosason

Dissertations

A classroom response system is a technology that allows individual students to clickers favorably. The second study showed that clicker use during lecture was associated with higher exam scores, but that relationship can be interpreted in several different ways, some of which are not tied to active responding. The implications of these findings with respect to previous research are discussed. provide answers to questions posed by the instructor during lecture using hand held remotes (clickers) that transmit a signal to the instructor's computer via a receiver and computer software (Judson & Sawada, 2002). This instructional technology is widely used in …

The Influence Of A Personal Practice Of Meditation On One’S Therapeutic Practice, William W. Fitzgerald

Dissertations

The focus of this study was to examine counseling professionals’ personal experience with meditation and how it influences their clinical work, including the formation of a therapeutic relationship. Using phenomenological methods, data were gathered from 10 psychotherapists and then analyzed.

There has been a great deal of effort devoted to investigating what contributes to positive counseling outcome for clients. One constant in the therapeutic process is the person of the therapist. While the person of the therapist is frequently mentioned in the literature, much less attention has been given to the examination of personal development paths of the therapist. Little …

A Proposed Theoretical Model Of Literacy Learning Using Multisensory Structured Language Instruction (Msli), Judith E. Rusinko

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Multisensory Structured Language Instruction has been used for decades by clinicians and practitioners as an intervention for teaching students with dyslexia. Multisensory Structured Language Instruction uses the integration of multiple senses (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile) simultaneously to teach literacy. Although the anecdotal evidence for Multisensory Structured Language Instruction is strong, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support its effectiveness. In addition, Multisensory Structured Language Instruction includes the foundational skills recommended by the National Reading Panel (2000), but the use of multiple senses to teach these skills has not been thoroughly studied. This theoretical dissertation focused on one element …

Walking In Two Worlds: Living An Animistic Spiritual Worldview In The Western United States, Joanne Dorpat Halverson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

An abundance of culturally derived ideological influences inform our lives. The dominant culture exerts a powerful influence on understandings of reality. For some people, their spiritual way of being in the world deviates from cultural norms. In this qualitative study I sought to understand the lived experience of people who hold an animistic spiritual worldview and yet function well within society. They walk in two worlds. The research design employed both phenomenological and heuristic methods. To understand the socio-cultural-historical context of the study a lengthy background was provided. Six individuals who self-identified as adhering to animistic spirituality living on the …

Integrating Morita Therapy And Art Therapy: An Analysis, Ayako Sato

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study presents therapeutic interventions combining Morita Therapy with art therapy techniques. The author presents literature reviews of art therapy as well as the original Morita Therapy formulated by Shoma Morita, M.D. A new art therapy technique based on the work of Kenji Kitanishi, M.D. (2008) for outpatient treatment is also presented. A case illustration of an eleven‐year‐old Vietnamese‐American boy who presented with high anxiety and school refusal is used as an example of the effective integration of Morita Therapy with art therapy techniques formulated by the author. Even though the boy was not familiar with Morita Therapy principles, the …

A Qualitative Approach To Spiral Of Silence Research: Self-Censorship Narratives Regarding Environmental And Social Conflict, Christopher John Ryan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research is to seek narratives of self-censorship from in-depth interviews of 19 participants acquired through a purposive (criterion) sampling protocol. The primary research question driving this study is “What types of sanctions contribute to people choosing to self-censor their strongly held beliefs, values, and opinions.” Previous research conducted on the topic of self-censorship (generally under the rubric of the spiral of silence theory) has been predominantly quantitative and consideration of sanctions influencing self-censorship have been limited to fear of social isolation. I suggest that ostensibly important sanction variables have not been utilized within these existing frameworks. …

A Conceptualization Of Treatment Stigma In Returning Veterans, Jason B. Flick

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The dissertation project combines three theoretical models that inform conceptualizations of the origins, manifestations, and consequences of stigma: the Social Psychological model (SPM), the Sociological model (SM), and the Cognitive-behavioral model (CBM). These models merge into a single, integrative lens, through which stigma can be examined on both cultural and individual levels. This lens is then applied to the cultural and individual manifestations of the stigma of seeking psychological treatment experienced by veterans who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Through this lens, an understanding of the inception, maintenance, and effects of this treatment …

A Self-Psychological Exploration Of Multiple Sclerosis In Its Biopsychosocial Context, Elisabeth Anne Parrott

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This theoretical dissertation constructs a new frame of reference for understanding relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) using self psychology to develop a biopsychosocial formulation of the illness in order to better inform the medical treatment of patients. After conducting a critical exploration of MS in its historical context and providing a brief overview of the etiology of MS, this paper examines the phenomenology of the illness using the concepts of self psychology to further develop the theory of Engel’s (1977) biopsychosocial model. The relationship among biological, intrapsychic, and social factors and coherent conceptualization and medical treatment of multiple sclerosis is addressed. …

A Training Curriculum For Assessing And Treating Sex Offenders With Mental Illnesses, Shawna Elizabeth Walker Boles

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this paper was to develop a continuing education program to teach sex offender-specific treatment providers (SOSTP) in the community how to appropriately assess, treat and manage adults with severe mental illness who are also sex offenders (SMISOs) in an outpatient setting. This paper begins with an overview of the most relevant literature associated with the treatment of sex offenders and a presentation of some of the current programs developed to treat sex offenders with severe and persistent mental illnesses. This review also outlines the paucity of resources and the need for SOSTPs to receive expanded training to …

An Examination Of American-Born Muslim College Students’ Attitudes Toward Mental Health, Benjamin A. Herzig

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Despite American Muslims’ growing numbers in the United States, their frequent encounters with prejudice, and their increased self-reports of emotional stress, little research has been geared toward understanding American Muslims’ attitudes toward mental health, specifically those born and raised in the United States. On the basis of current demographic trends, it is reasonable to suggest that American-born Muslims represent the future of Islam in the United States. This study examined the mental health attitudes of American-born Muslim college students (N = 184). A primarily quantitative survey approach was employed to address several research hypotheses and questions on the topic of …

A Task Analysis Of Metacommunication In Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy, Theodore Matthew Austin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examined how successful metacommunication unfolded in time-limited dynamic psychotherapy (TLDP) using the task-analytic paradigm developed by Greenberg (2007). Specifically, the purpose of the study was to discern the elements, themes, and temporal sequences that were common to effective metacommunication. In accordance with the paradigm, this was accomplished by the creation of a rational model, which combined existing theoretical literature on metacommunication and anecdotal clinical evidence. Next, the distilled components of metacommunication in six high-quality (HQ) sequences were contrasted to the distilled components of six low-quality (LQ) sequences in order to generate an empirical model. These sequences were selected …

Work Interrupted: A Questionnaire Assessing The Relationship Between Work-Related Distress And Psychological Adjustment To Cancer, Betsy A. Bates Freed

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Cancer is an increasingly survivable disease that significantly impacts the ability of individuals to negotiate successfully the developmental task most distinctly affiliated with middle adulthood: creating meaning through achievement, creativity, and service. For many adults, these goals are accomplished through employment. When cancer intrudes, patients may be deprived of the ability to participate fully in the “generativity” that developmental psychologist Erik Erikson deemed essential to a healthy adulthood. In qualitative studies, patients’ narratives speak of many work-related losses — of routine, normality, economic stability, social connection, purpose, and identity. While psychosocial issues and quality of life are viewed with increasing …

Foreword: Advances In The Behavioral Analysis Of Law: Markets, Institutions, And Contracts, Avishalom Tor

Journal Articles

Avishalom Tor, Special Editor

The collection of articles in this Special Issue is based on an international conference on Advances in the Behavioral Analysis of Law: Markets, Institutions, and Contracts that took place on December 8, 2009 at the University of Haifa Faculty of Law in Israel. The conference addressed cutting-edge legal issues at the intersection of law, economics, and psychology from a diverse set of viewpoints, bringing together scholars engaged in both theoretical and experimental behavioral analyses of law.

Short-Form Analysis Of The Restructured Clinical Scales And Psy-5 Scales Of The Mmpi-2, F. Scott Winstanley, Bradley N. Axelrod

Archives of Assessment Psychology

The Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales and Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) Scales of the MMPI-2 are becoming more popular for interpretation of standard MMPI-2 profiles. These new scales were developed using all 567 questions of the MMPI-2, making it necessary for the patient to complete all items for interpretation of these scales. This study generate estimations of the RC and PSY-5 scales with protocols in which only 370 questions were completed. Equations were created with over 1000 protocols and then cross-validated with a different set of protocols. The results showed moderate utility of the RC and PSY-5 scales with only 370-items …

Sem-Based Composite Reliability Estimates Of The Crisis Acuity Rating Scale With Children And Adolescents, Steven Thurber, Michael R. Bonynge

Archives of Assessment Psychology

A Likert-type rating scale of crisis acuity was completed by on-call clinicians with 227 children and adolescents admitted consecutively to a youth crisis unit of a rural community mental health center. Traditional methods of estimating reliability for the scale were precluded. In particular, the scale was not found to be unidimensional when subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. This rendered Cronbach's alpha coefficient inappropriate. A six-factor oblique model corresponding to apriori subscales was supported. SEM-based reliability estimates for this confirmed factor structure using a phantom composite was detailed. The results yielded a point estimate of .845 with a bootstrap (1000 samples) …

Prediction Of Mmpi-2 Clinical Scales For Incomplete Protocols: Comprehensive Short-Form Analysis, F. Scott Winstanley, Bradley N. Axelrod, Leif V. Lalone

Archives of Assessment Psychology

The MMPI-2 is a thorough tool for personality assessment that has substantial importance in the field of neuropsychology. However, there have been reported problems for many neurologically impaired individuals who do not complete the test because of the demands of its length. Incomplete protocols are of little value with no formal way of scoring and interpreting the completed items. The following study examined the clinical utility of short-form versions of the MMPI-2 validity and clinical scales. Raw score correlations between various short-form and full-form tests on all validity and clinical scales, as well as mean raw score differences between short-form …

Cultural Differences In Forgiveness Fatalism, Trust Violations, And Trust Repair Efforts In Interpersonal Collaboration, Jessica L. Wildman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mistakes and betrayals can cause developing interpersonal trust between parties to be broken, and damaged trust can have serious negative impacts on relationships, such as withdrawal from group interaction or the enactment of revenge. Research has suggested that the use of apologies helps to repair damaged trust. However, this research is almost exclusively based in westernized populations and has not begun to explore any cross-cultural differences. Therefore, the primary goal of this comparative cross-national laboratory study was to examine if, and how, the effectiveness of trust repair efforts differs across cultures. The effectiveness of three manipulated trust repair strategies (no …

Policy Appears Upon The Scene, Hand In Hand With Poverty: An Analysis Of The Moderating Effects Of Teacher Attitude On The Relationship Between Professional Development And Student Achievement., Kristen Beth Adler

Master's Theses

Massive deficits in local, state and national education budgets are forcing schools to adapt their spending to align with these reductions. Rather than merely increasing or decreasing resources, the effectiveness of resource allocation is demanding renewed attention at all levels of educational expenditure. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of teacher professional development across five campuses at Chicago International Charter School. It is the goal of this project to examine how teacher professional development directly impacts student performance, as well as to evaluate whether this relationship is moderated by teacher attitude towards professional development activities. It …

Prenatal Maternal Stress Programs Infant Stress Regulation, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn, Feizal Waffarn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: Prenatal exposure to inappropriate levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) and maternal stress are putative mechanisms for the fetal programming of later health outcomes. The current investigation examined the influence of prenatal maternal cortisol and maternal psychosocial stress on infant physiological and behavioral responses to stress.

Methods: The study sample comprised 116 women and their full term infants. Maternal plasma cortisol and report of stress, anxiety and depression were assessed at 15, 19, 25, 31 and 36 + weeks' gestational age. Infant cortisol and behavioral responses to the painful stress of a heel-stick blood draw were evaluated at 24 hours after …

Parental Precaution: Neurobiological Means And Adaptive Ends, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Colin Holbrook, Martie G. Haselton

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Humans invest precious reproductive resources in just a few offspring, who remain vulnerable for an extended period of their lifetimes relative to other primates. Therefore, it is likely that humans evolved a rich precautionary psychology that assists in the formidable task of protecting offspring. In this review, we integrate precautionary behaviors during pregnancy and postpartum with the adaptive functions they may serve and what is known of their biological mediators, particularly brain systems motivating security and attachment. We highlight the role of reproductive hormones in (i) priming parental affiliation with young to incentivize offspring protection, (ii) focusing parental attention on …