Other Psychology Commons^™

Is The Error-Reaction Time Correlation In Category Verification Tasks Evidence Of Fuzzy Limits In Categories?, Sergio Chaigneau

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis attempts to review evidence supporting a positive error-reaction time correlation in category verification tasks. All reviewed models predict that categorization errors will increase when the time needed to make a membership judgement increases. This is explained either as a result of the structure of categories (e.g., as another manifestation of category fuzziness), or as a product of the category verification process (e.g., attributed in general memory models to the random nature of the retrieval process). Two specific models that attempt to explain the correlation were tested. One that assumes the correlation is the result of incomplete or inconsistent …

American Violence: Where Does The Danger Really Come From?, Elizabeth Kandel-Englander

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

South Africa In Transition: The Influence Of The Political Personalities Of Nelson Mandela And F.W. De Klerk, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to examine salient factors accounting for South Africa’s relatively peaceful transition from apartheid state to nonracial democracy, focusing on the political personalities of South African leaders P.W. Botha, F.W. de Klerk, and Nelson Mandela. Following a brief overview of situational variables, the paper describes the political personalities of Mandela and De Klerk as assessed by the Millon-Type Political Personality Checklist (MPPC). The study shows that one cannot fully account for political developments in South Africa’s transition without considering (a) the interaction between situational variables and the political personalities of Nelson Mandela and F.W. de …

A Correlational Study Of Hardiness, Health, And Burnout Among Teachers In The Sullivan County School System, Deborah F. Morelock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among hardiness, health and burnout and to investigate the relationships of the subscales of hardiness to health and to the subscales of burnout among teachers in the Sullivan County School System. The Hardiness Test was used to measure hardiness and the Maslach Burnout Inventory Form Ed to measure burnout. Results of the Health Evaluation and Risk Test was reported on the Educators Demographic Data Survey. The study sample consisted of 501 teachers. A statistically significant relationship was revealed between hardiness and health; among the hardiness subscales, commitment accounted for the …

Personal Space And Territoriality Of Users In An Academic And Public Library, Ruth A. Hamilton

Graduate Research Papers

An observation checklist was used to investigate responses of patrons to intrusion in their personal space. The study was done in a small academic library and a small public library. After the subject was seated an intruder would come in and sit as close to the subject as possible. The responding time was limited to five minutes. The response of the subject was recorded on a detailed checklist. Findings indicated that female subjects make more adjustments than male subjects. In general, adjustments made by subjects were minimal in number and minor in nature.

The Assessment Of Political Personality: A Psychodiagnostically Relevant Conceptualization And Methodology, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to narrow the conceptual and methodological gap between existing formulations in psychodiagnostic theory and current practice in political personality. It is suggested that accurate assessment of the personalities of high-level leaders can significantly improve the prediction of political outcomes but that this endeavor has been hampered by inadequate transposition from the source disciplines of personality theory and psychodiagnostics to the target discipline of contemporary political psychology. It is proposed that Theodore Millon’s personological model offers a viable integrative framework for the study of political personality. The present article explicates Millon’s model, specifies the relevance …

An Assessment Of Role Ambiguity, Role Conflict, Role Frustration, And Job Satisfaction Of Presidents At Selected Private Four-Year Colleges In The Southeastern United States, Gary W. Juhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current literature has suggested that the role of the college president has perhaps become too ambiguous, complex and demanding for an individual to perform for an extended period of time. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship between perceived role ambiguity, role conflict, role frustration and job satisfaction of selected private college presidents in the Southeastern United States. The method of the study was correlational in design. Using a thirty-seven item questionnaire developed by the author, data were collected from 141 college presidents of institutions within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The institutions were private …

Organizational Culture: How Changes Impact Attitudes Toward Job Satisfaction, R. M. Browder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine how a shift in elements of organizational culture impacted attitudes toward job satisfaction in a medium-sized, consumer-owned electric utility over a period of 13 years. The unit of analysis was a municipal utility distributing electrical energy to approximately 27,000 customers. Data collection included the Science Research Associate Employee Inventory, a review of the organization's documents, and a subjective Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. A one-tailed z-test was performed to test whether or not the proportion of employees answering favorable in one survey was greater than the proportion answering favorable in the other survey. It …

Self-Concepts Of Career Level Ii And Iii Teachers And Career Ladder Eligible Teachers In The Public Schools Of Tennessee, Lois C. Myers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference in the self concept of Career Level II and III teachers and teachers who are eligible to apply but have not elected to participate in the Career Ladder Program in the public schools of Tennessee. The technique of causal-comparative research was used in this study. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS), developed by William Fitts, was selected as the appropriate instrument for use in this study. The TSCS is a versatile instrument that measures ten dimensions related to self concept: total level of self esteem, self …

Career Achievement Of Employed Adult Women As A Function Of Family Variables, Kimberly Sue Wright

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While women's career development is beginning to be addressed in the literature, little is known about the variables which influence women's career achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify a subset of family variables which would predict career achievement for women. This study investigated the differences between high and low achievement women with respect to the following variables: marital/relationship status, number of children, parental education levels, parental occupation levels, birth order, relationship with parents (support, rejection, overinvolvement) and general family functioning. iii The participants were 140 women between the ages of 25 and 45 who were employed full …

Occupational Stress Among Nurse Administrators In General Hospitals In Tennessee, Ruby T. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of occupational stress among nurse administrators and to identify the types of strategies used by nurse administrators to deal with or manage occupational stress. The study examined the relationship between selected demographic variables, occupational stress, and strategies. The research design included five research questions along with seven null hypotheses testing the relationship between occupational stress and demographic variables--age, gender, marital status, years of professional nursing experience, years as a nurse administrator, educational attainment, and hospital bed capacity. There were seven additional hypotheses testing the relationship between the same demographic variables …

Psychology, David E. Leary

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although the discipline of psychology, in its contemporary form, is only a century old, psychology's historical antecedents reach back to the beginnings of civilization. Whether defined as the study of the soul or the study of human faculties, as it was in earlier times, or as the study of consciousness, mind, or behavior, as it has been over the past hundred years, psychology has dealt with some of the fundamental questions and issues pertaining to the functions, processes, and mechanisms of human and animal nature.

"A Strange Liking": Our Admiration For Criminals, Martha Grace Duncan

Faculty Articles

This article explores noncriminals' admiration for the lawbreaker. Drawing on literature, films, history, and psychoanalysis, the article seeks to delineate and explain this paradox. Each part of the article adopts a different approach to the subject of admiration for criminals. Part II, "Reluctant Admiration," sets the stage by presenting evidence that such admiration, and conflict over it, are pervasive. Parts III and IV present two quite different strategies that noncriminals employ to cope with their inner conflict over criminality. Thus, Part III, "Rationalized Admiration," depicts noncriminals who express undisguised enjoyment in, and reverence for, criminals. These noncriminals justify their attraction …

The Relationship Of Personality Type To Leader Style And Perceived Effectiveness Among Dental Hygiene School Administrators, Susan J. Willette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify personality types among dental hygiene school administrators and faculty and to determine if correlations existed between leader style, ideologies of leader style, perceived effectiveness, and personality type. Selected demographic variables were also examined. The dimensions of personality investigated were derived from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: extroversion, introversion, sensing, intuition, thinking, feeling, judging, and perceiving. The leadership behavior dimensions were the two dimensions of the real and ideal Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaires: consideration and initiating structure. Effectiveness was measured by a 39 item Likert-type instrument based on Tucker's (1981) categorical listing of chairperson …

"Self-Esteem Enhancement: A Personal Approach" Leader's Guide, Jodi L. Hammer

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

This workshop is designed to:

1. Provide participants with an increased understanding of what self-esteem is, its impact on life, and how it can be enhanced.

2 . Assist participants in developing personal action steps to increasing their self-esteem based on a variety of enhancement techniques discussed.

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 …

Amanda’S Mirror, Judy Stark

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research project was to explore the problem-solving and positive self-concept techniques used in drama and dance programs. After studying the specific techniques of role play, pantomimes, and body control, the book Amanda's Mirror was written. The specific problem was can a children's book be written using problem-solving and positive self-concept techniques used in drama and dance programs.

0482: Dr. Walter Freeman's Papers From Huntington State Hospital, 1897-1984, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Please note: this collection does not contain individual patient hospital records or records about individuals who stayed here. The items in this collection come from a specific doctor who worked here and his research.

This collection consists of historical materials from the Huntington State Hospital during the period 1897 through 1984. The collection includes correspondence of hospital personnel and patients, administrative records, newspaper clippings, and a large number of photographs. Significant to the collection are files relating to transorbital lobotomies performed by Dr. Walter Freeman in the early 1950's as part of a larger lobotomy project in West Virginia. The …

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 …

The Ecology Of Foraging Behavior: Implications For Animal Learning And Memory, Alan Kamil, Herbert L. Roitblat

Avian Cognition Papers

In his recent Annual Review of Psychology article, Snowdon (1983) discussed the synthesis of ethology and comparative psychology. A similar synthesis of behavioral ecology and animal learning is beginning to take place. This article reviews developments in the behavioral ecology and ethology of foraging behavior relevant to psychological research on animal learning. The psychological literature shows that animals possess a wide range of learning abilities, including “simple” classical and operant conditioning; they acquire spatial, nonspatial, and temporal discriminations; they exhibit various forms of rule learning (e.g. matching-to-sample and learning set), and may even in certain senses learn language. Why does …

Research Note: An Established Canon? Textbook Orthodoxy In Psychology, James R. Scroggs

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Optimal Foraging Theory And The Psychology Of Learning, Alan Kamil

Avian Cognition Papers

The development of optimization theory has made important contributions to the study of animal behavior. But the optimization approach needs to be integrated with other methods of ethology and psychology. For example, the ability to learn is an important component of efficient foraging behavior in many species, and the psychology of animal learning could contribute substantially to testing and extending the predictions of optimal foraging theory.

The Psychology Of Jakob Friedrich Fries (1773-1843): Its Context, Nature, And Historical Significance, David E. Leary

Psychology Faculty Publications

Most German philosophers in the early nineteenth century were devoted, to the idealistic « completion » of Immanuel Kant's critical philosophy. A few independent philosophers, however, were preoccupied with the elaboration of a non-idealistic, and less speculative, conclusion to Kant's thought. Among the earliest opponents of the speculative idealists was Jakob Friedrich Fries (1773-1843), a philosopher of wide-ranging interests who might have had a much greater impact upon the course of German philosophy had his liberal political affiliations not curtailed his academic career. As it was, his influence was considerable anyway. One aspect of this influence is of particular interest: …

Spatial Learning As An Adaptation In Hummingbirds, Susan Cole, F. Reed Hainsworth, Alan Kamil, Terre Mercier, Larry L. Wolf

Avian Cognition Papers

An ecological approach based on food distribution suggests that hummingbirds should more easily learn to visit a flower in a new location than to learn to return to a flower in a position just visited, for a food reward. Experimental results support this hypothesis as well as the general view that differences in learning within and among species represent adaptations.

Exploratory Study Of A Measure Of Self-Actualization, Norma C. Troncoso

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to measure positive personality change expected to occur during four years of a self-actualizing program. The first study computed inter correlations among the scales of the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) for students in the Psychology and English Departments of a Spanish-speaking college, which were then compared with those reported in the test manual. Generally, correlations were greater than those in the manual, which suggested possible influence by the humanistic and Christian philosophy of the college. The second study examined the effect of training for self-actualization and personality growth on the behavior of a group of psychology …

Empathy, Communication Skills, And Group Cohesiveness: A Systematic Approach, Michael Hass

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This article presents an approach to the teaching of interpersonal communication skills to children from 7-11 years of age, and should be of great interest to professionals in the fields of psychology, social work, education and people involved in training such persons."

Consciousness, Neurons, And Laughing Gas, Dody Michelson Orendurff

Dissertations and Theses

Psychological and physiological effects of nitrous oxide resemble those of eight other drug categories. Lipid solubility or hydrate microcrystal theories correlate behavioral measures with measurable parameters of the molecule N₂O. N₂O, a spindle poison, halts mitosis in metaphase, producing widespread physiological consequences. N₂O affects the microtubules of the spindle in a number of specific ways. Microtubules are utilized in other parts of eukaryotic cells, in a wide variety of functions. In neurons, microtubules build and maintain dendritic sensory processes. Since microtubules are built of two dissimilar proteins, constantly assemble and disassemble, and maintain a …

A Content Analysis Of The Portrayal Of The Emotionally Disturbed In Books Popular With Adolescents, Judith A. Heusinkveld

Graduate Research Papers

The major purposes of this research were to analyze the portrayal of emotionally disturbed characters in books which adolescents are reading and to attempt to determine if this portrayal was realistic and balanced in terms of the entire group of books. A panel of experts was used to obtain a sample of ten books. The portrayals of twelve characters from these ten books were analyzed using an inventory of twelve elements which were derived from traditional stereotypes of the emotionally disturbed. The results of this analysis suggested that, for the most part, a realistic and generally balanced portrayal of emotionally …