Other Psychology Commons^™

Spiritual Coping As A Mediator Of Distress And Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Female Survivors Of Sexual Abuse By Religious Leaders, Angela R. St. Hillaire

Dissertations

Problem

Posttraumatic growth has been defined as the positive psychological and behavioral changes that come about in the aftermath of a struggle with traumatic life events. The literature notes the existence of posttraumatic growth among survivors of intimate partner violence, childhood and/or adult sexual abuse, bereavement, terrorism, and other events. This study explored posttraumatic growth in a sample of female survivors of sexual abuse by religious leaders by examining how distress, spiritual coping, and posttraumatic growth were related in this population. This study examined the mediatory role of spiritual coping between distress and posttraumatic growth.

Method

Surveys that measured spiritual …

The Relationship Between Combat Experience, Veteran Pathology And The Pathology Of Their Intimate Partners: What Factors Predict The Pathology Of Veterans And Their Intimate Partners, Edwin A. Brennan

Dissertations

Problem Statement

Military members and their family members who are part of the Global War on Terrorism have experienced deployments and war for over sixteen years and with the resulting toll on both the veteran and their intimate partner. As a result, higher levels of pathology, such as PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression have been experienced by this population. While research has studied the effect of combat on military members, very little research has addressed the effects on family members. Further, no research that has been found by this researcher, has addressed the concept of resonating of pathology between the combat …

The Use Of Play Therapy With Adult Survivors Of Childhood Abuse, Mary J. Roehrig

Dissertations

Problem. A growing trend among therapists is the use of play therapy interventions with adult clients to facilitate resolution of early childhood trauma and to promote emotional and spiritual growth. The purpose of this study was to explore the use and effectiveness of play therapy techniques with adult survivors of childhood abuse.

Method. In an exploratory approach, therapists were invited to participate in an online survey. Of the participating therapists, 21 agreed to a subsequent in-depth interview. The Theme Analysis for Word-Rich Data was used to identify themes from the interviews.

Results. Play therapy with adult survivors of childhood abuse …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Loneliness And Internet Use Among University Students, Katherine L. Dittmann

Dissertations

Problem . Research investigating the relationship between loneliness and various dimensions of Internet use is mixed. While some studies support the connection, other studies refute the link. More analysis in this area is needed to help clinicians, parents, college students, school counselors, and educators better understand the effects of the Internet on college-age students. This study attempts to expand understanding of the conflictual relationship that exists between loneliness and the dynamics of Internet use in undergraduate students.

Method . Four-hundred sixty-six randomly selected Andrews University undergraduate students who lived in residence halls, university apartments, and the community completed the UCLA …

A Comparison Of The Emotional Indicators On The House-Tree-Person Drawings And The Kinetic-House-Tree-Person Drawing, Denise Ann Stoddard

Dissertations

Problem. Robert Burns, author of the Kinetic-Family- Drawing, - has devised a projective test called the Kinetic-House-Tree-Person drawing. He has taken the House-Tree-Person projective technique and changed the instructions to include all of the figures on one page and also to include an action. In Burns's book on the K-H-T-P he claimed that his drawing gives a better clinical picture of the subject than the H-T-P. However, there is no research that compares the two tests for clinical information.

Method. The H-T-P and K-H-T-P were administered to 204 college students 18 years of age and older. These students came …

Differences Between Undergraduate And Graduate Students In Self-Concept And Depression, Ann L. Woolley

Dissertations

Problem.

Students have an opportunity for personal growth as they learn about themselves and the world around them. However, their levels of self-concept and depression can influence how they view' themselves, their relationships, and their world. This research compared undergraduate and graduate students with respect to their levels of self-concept and depression.

Method

A quantitative research design was used for an ex post facto study of 239 students from Andrews University and Western Michigan University. They completed the Demographic Questionnaire, the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Second Edition (TSCS:2), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II).

Results

Using 13 as the B D …

Kinetic Family And Human Figure Drawings Of Child And Adolescent Sexual Offenders, Lyle Curtis Miller

Dissertations

Problem. Juvenile sexual offenders constitute a significant percentage of the total offender population. This study sought to determine whether the KFD and the HFD can be useful in identifying male juvenile sexual offenders by identifying specific characteristics in their drawings that differentiate them from the general population.

Method. KFDs, HFDs, and demographic information were collected from 401 male general subjects and 49 male juvenile sexual offenders ages 8 to 17. Forty-three KFD and 30 HFD dependent variables involving emotional and behavioral indicators and sexual symbols were analyzed by Chi-Square Analysis and Discriminant Analysis. Significance was set at .05.

Results. …

The Role Of Volition In Exercise Behavior, Mary L. Digangi

Dissertations

Problem. Many theorists have long pondered the ability of human beings to self-determine or to demonstrate volition. Researchers in the human-studies field have been unable to demonstrate empirically the volitional components in human behavior due to the limitations of traditional, scientific methodologies. This study shows how volitional research could be conducted in the context of exercise behavior.

Method. Thirty-five individuals were recruited who wished to increase exercise behavior in their lifestyles. The study ran for 112 consecutive days and was conducted in four phases: baseline, simple volition, volition-plus, and maintenance. In the two volitional conditions, subjects tried to exercise as …

The Relationship Between Moral Judgment, Selected Personality Factors, And Marital Satisfaction, Thomas C. Wallace

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to observe relationships between moral judgment, personality, and marital satisfaction.

Method. The population included all white, American, married couples whose religious orientation was Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Seventh-day Adventists, or United Methodists. A total of 264 subjects (132 married couples) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the Defining Issues Test (DIT), and the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). Data were analyzed using multiple-regression analysis and analysis of variance. The influence of stage of family life cycle, educational achievement level, and religion were controlled.

Results. Means and …

A Profile Analysis Of The Scl-90-R For Aggressive And Nonaggressive Adolescents With Conduct Disorder : A Comparison Of Aggression And Nonaggression In Relationship To Psychoticism And Depression, Hostility And Anxiety, Janet M. Rice

Dissertations

Problem. Dissatisfaction with the DSM-III classification of conduct disorder has led the editors of the DSM-III-R to group the socialized and undersocialized, aggressive and the undersocialized, nonaggressive conduct-disorderd youth together in the same category (Solitary Aggressive Type). However, the symptoms and behavior of aggressive and nonaggressive youth are so diverse, they should be placed in totally separate categories. The implications of misdiagnosis are serious for rehabilitation and treatment.

Method. One hundred-thirty male adolescents labeled aggressive and nonaggressive conduct-disordered were administered the SCL-90-R. The Chi-square test determined what percentage in each group scored at the 70th percentile or above in the …

The Development Of A Self-Esteem Protocol For Adults, Steven D. Mauro

Dissertations

Problem. Counseling researchers and practitioners studying the self-esteem construct have had difficulty conducting consistent assessments. Varying approaches have led to ambiguous findings and inconsistent client assessments. There was a primary need for combining a clearly defined self-esteem construct with accepted methods of assessing clients. The instrument containing the combined assessment techniques was identified as the Self Esteem Protocol.

Methods. The preliminary phase of research consisted of developing 60 items for the Protocol by combining Maslow's self-esteem construct with acceptable assessment techniques. The items combined techniques by using a structured interview, test scores, and counselor observations. Six professional counselors …

Assessing The Social-Psychological Interior Of The Family : An Empirical Basis For The Study Of Family Functions, John Edward Rodgers

Dissertations

Problem. Although the family has been the subject of continued research over the years, recently interest in family theory and family therapy has increased. According to contemporary studies, there is a lack of scientific information about family life relevant to the needs of those working in the area of helping people relate to one another as a family. The purpose of this study was to give an empirical test to the eight hypothesized family functions as identified by Reichert (1978).

Method. An instrument, the Family Functions Scale (FFS), was developed to assess some of the activities and services in which …