Psychology Theses and Dissertations

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A Comparative Study of Certain Personality Characteristics of College Women Participating in Basketball and Modern Dance
(1965) Bird, Anne Marie; Johnson, Warren R.; Health Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
Twenty-five college women attending the University of Maryland during the spring semester of 1963 were studied in an effort to determine whether or not there were any identifiable personality characteristics among those (14) who chose to participate in basketball, as compared to those (13) who chose to participate in modern dance. The subjects used in this study voluntarily chose the activity in which they participated. The California Psychological Inventory was used to evaluate the personality characteristics of the subjects. Analysis of the data showed that the basketball group scored significantly higher, at the 5 percent level of confidence, on the community scale. The modern dance group scored significantly higher, at the 5 percent level of confidence, on the scales measuring flexibility and femininity. A comparison of the group means for all other scales proved insignificant at the 5 percent level of confidence.
Social Reinforcement and Diurnal Rhythms in Baboons
(1966) Thach, John S. Jr; Gollub, Lewis R.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The frequency with which one monkey opened a door for two minutes of visual and physical contact with another monkey was examined as a function of several experimental procedures. In the first series of manipulations removal of the second monkey allowed a comparison between the effects of the social reinforcing object and the effects of the non-social stimuli incidental to delivery of the social reinforcer. During daily four-hour sessions, reinforcement rates (number of door openings/unit time) with a monkey in the adjacent cage averaged several times those when no monkey was in the adjacent cage. Removal of the second monkey did not significantly affect rates of food and water reinforcement, but removal of food and water contingencies did increase rates of door opening to an empty cage. Idiosyncratic factors contributed to above-zero rates when the cage was empty. For example, one subject's empty-cage rates were halved, and his amount of stereotyped rocking nearly stopped, by a wall placed next to the door. The existence of pertinent variables peculiar to the individual subject and to the particular apparatus directs attention to the necessity of control procedures. In the second set of conditions two baboons lived in the cages 24 hours a day and were under continuous illumination, as they had been for several months. During a short initial period when either monkey could open the door, and in a second longer period when only one could open the door, the monkeys had a very regular day length of approximately 14 hours, which remained synchronous with clock time. The experiment did not identify the pertinent elements entraining the monkeys' activities. This persisting alignment with clock time under reasonably stable conditions suggests that the entraining environmental stimuli were more subtle than those demonstrated in the literature. The monkeys also revealed a distinctive patterning of frequency of social contact as a function of time of day. The distribution had a midmorning peak, a midday low, and a minor afternoon peak, the same pattern recently documented as occurring in troops of wild baboons. This pattern was only barely noticeable in distributions from individual days, and became significant only when averaged across days. To a lesser degree, similar patterns were evident in distributions of food and water reinforcement rates. In the final set of procedures two levels of food deprivation, two levels of social deprivation, and two times of day were produced by alternating the subjects in morning and afternoon sessions, by conducting only morning or only afternoon sessions, and by pre-feeding and "pre-socializing" in a sequence designed to contrast the effect of one condition against another. Regardless of deprivation of social or other reinforcers, the subjects displayed a higher rate of social reinforcement in the mornings than in the afternoons. An early morning "pre-socializing" session slightly lowered the usual morning rate of social reinforcement, but preceding an afternoon session with a morning session, an early morning and a morning session, or by no session since the previous afternoon, had no effect on the afternoon social reinforcement rates. Independence of social reinforcement rates from variations in food deprivation, and low frequencies of eating with the door open implied that the presence of food did not appreciably affect rates of social reinforcement. These studies established social reinforcement under controlled laboratory conditions as a strong reinforcer capable of maintaining behavior over long periods of time, and elucidated a pertinent variable in social reinforcement, that of diurnal rhythms.
Negotiation Behavior by Elected and Appointed Representatives Serving as Group Leaders or Spokesmen under Different Cooperative Group Expectations
(1972) Boyd, Norman Kent; Anderson, Nancy S.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
A common assumption is that the group representative is under pressure to remain loyal to his constituency while bargaining for its interests. The present investigation tested 3 factors thought to determine the extent of the representative's group loyalty for their effects upon his negotiation behavior. Two of these factors were associated with a component of representation called the representative's group leadership status. Predictions regarding these factors were based upon the notion that a group may not be inclined to sanction the behavior of all individuals who might serve as representative to the same degree. It was suggested that group members variously allow their representative to compromise the group's established position and yet consider him a loyal member of the group as a positive function of the status they accord him as a leader. It follows that the higher the representative perceives his leadership status the more willing he should be to yield from the group's position without fear of censure. The first factor thought to affect the representative’s group loyalty by influencing his perceived leadership status was his source of authority in becoming group representative. It was predicted that the process of election would elicit greater perceived status and thus greater yielding behavior than would the procedure of appointment. The second factor was whether the representative served as group leader or spokesman. The group leader was viewed as an individual who performs all group leadership functions, including that of negotiating for the group, while the spokesman was described as a person who acts only as the group's representative, It was predicted that group leaders serving as representatives would yield more than spokesmen due to their perceptions of relatively high leadership status. The third factor tested was the cooperative expectations of group members. Group expectations for the representative to cooperate with opposing negotiators were assumed inversely related to the group's announced positional commitment. Accordingly, it was predicted that evidence of weak, as opposed to strong, group commitment would result in more compromising behavior by decreasing the pressure upon the representative to demonstrate his loyalty to the group. The experimental simulation initially required each of 80 Ss to participate with 4 confederates in a prenegotiation discussion of a human relations issue. Following the establishment of a group position, half of the Ss were selected to be group leaders for the purpose of guiding the group's formulation of supporting arguments. A confederate was chosen as group leader in the other groups. After the argument formulation equal numbers of Ss were elected and appointed as representatives and informed of either high or low group commitment. Willingness to compromise the group position was measured following negotiations with a confederate representative. The results supported the prediction that elected representatives would yield more than those who had been appointed. The effect of the representative's source of authority was attributed to variable perceptions of leadership status. Conclusive findings regarding the effects of the other two factors were not obtained. The results were discussed as demonstrating the importance of isolating the representational components responsible for differential loyalty behavior by negotiating representatives.
Student Descriptions of Instructional Characteristics as Relevant Indices of Teaching Effectiveness
(1976) Hoffman, Roger Gene; Bartlett, C. J.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The Check-List of Instructional Characteristics (CLIC) is a student response questionnaire designed to provide university faculty with feedback concerning their instruction. The CLIC contains six factor analytically derived scales. Knowledge and Skill, Consideration, and Critical Demands refer to characteristics of the instructor. Coordination refers to the way readings, examinations, and class presentations are related. Student Involvement and Overall Satisfaction refer to student reactions. The purpose of this research was to assess the relevance of these scales to the assessment of teaching effectiveness. A model was constructed with Course Size, Course Format, Students' Initial Interest in the Course, and reported SAT as antecedents of the CLIC ratings, and Students' Outcome Interest, Self-Reported Learning Progress, and Student Course Performance as outcomes. Students' Satisfaction with the Instructor as a Teacher (Satisfaction/Teacher) and Students' Satisfaction with the Instructor as a Person (Satisfaction/Person) were assessed. Expected Grade, Grade Point Average, and reported SAT were examined as potential contaminants of the CLIC ratings. Results were analyzed for four groups of classes, 155 assorted Regular classes, 75 Math, 28 Speech, and 10 German classes. The Math, Speech, and German samples were each composed of sections of the same course, taught by different instructors, but using common student performance measurements. The following conclusions were drawn: (l) The CLIC scales, except for Consideration and Critical Demands, are related to Satisfaction/Person as a result of a common association with Satisfaction/Teacher. The relationships between Consideration and Critical Demands with outcome criteria are not contaminated by their relationships with Satisfaction/Person. (2) Reported SAT, and Grade Point Average are not related to the CLIC ratings. Expected Grade is correlated with the CLIC ratings, however, at least part of this relationship can be attributed to the relationships that expected grade and the CLIC ratings share with students' perceived Learning Progress. (3) Students' Initial Interest, Course Size, and Format may bias the level of the CLIC ratings, but do not appear to invalidate the ratings. (4) Coordination and Consideration are the instructor related scales most closely associated with Student Involvement. Furthermore, their relationships are independent of students' Initial Interest. The relationships may hold only in discussion classes. (5) Knowledge and Skill, and Student Involvement seem to be the scales most highly associated with students' Overall Satisfaction. (6) Student Involvement, Overall Satisfaction, and Consideration may be the most closely associated with Outcome Interest, after the effects of Initial Interest are removed. Knowledge and Skill, and Critical Demands also seem to have some relevance for this criterion. (7) In studying student learning as a criterion, the effects of student ability were statistically or methodologically controlled in each setting. The effects of Initial Interest were partialled out in Regular and Speech classes. None of the CLIC scales were related to the performance criterion in Speech classes. The Speech setting was the only setting in which the classes sampled were discussion sections which shared a common lecture. Instructors in the other samples were fully responsible for course presentations. Knowledge and Skill, and Overall Satisfaction were related to learning criteria in the Speech, Math, and Regular classes. In addition, Consideration, Coordination, and Student Involvement were related to learning in Math and Regular classes. The sample size restricted any generalizations from the German sample, although the correlations were in the expected directions. It is concluded that evidence was found to support the CLJC as a relevant criterion for evaluating teaching effectiveness, and that it may be useful as a guide for improving instruction. Overall Satisfaction, Knowledge and Skill, Consideration, and Student Involvement showed highly consistent relationships with the various outcome criteria.
The Relative Effects of General versus Descriptive Praise on a Card Sorting Task
(1976) Scheer, Robert Ryan; Pumroy, Donald K.; Psychology; Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
It has frequently been postulated that descriptive praise, which labels the behavior being praised, is superior to general praise, which delivers an accolade without specifying the behavior being praised. Research investigating this postulate is meager. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether in fact descriptive praise is superior to general praise. Fifty fifth- and sixth-grade students from the Lida Lee Tall Center in Towson, Maryland were randomly selected to serve as subjects. Twelve boys and eight girls were randomly assigned to each of two praise conditions (i.e. descriptive praise and general praise) and six boys and four girls were randomly assigned to a control condition. Subjects were seen individually and pretested to ensure they could perform the experimental task. The assigned task was to sort 108 cards by one of three possible sorting methods. The first 54 card sorts served as a baseline to determine the preferred sorting method for each subject. During the final 54 card sorts, subjects in the two praise conditions received either general praise (e.g. "Great") or descriptive praise (e.g. "Great. I like the way you are sorting by shape") on a FR3 schedule for sorting cards by a randomly selected sorting method. Baseline data were collected for the entire 108 card sorts in the control condition. Multivariate analyses of variance were carried out on the extent to which the three groups changed their sorting method from their baseline method and on the extent to which the two praise groups sorted by the method they were reinforced for. The results indicated that the descriptive praise group performed significantly better than both the general praise and control groups. No significant difference emerged between the general praise and control groups. The male and female subjects did not significantly differ in their response to the two praise conditions. These results support the position that descriptive praise is more effective than general praise. It was suggested that the labeling of the behavior being reinforced in descriptive praise increased the informative value of the reinforcer thereby giving subjects in this condition an advantage over the subjects receiving general praise who had to, in effect, guess what response on their part elicited the praise.
Reactions to a Request for a Benefit in Communal and Exchange Relationships
(1977) Clark, Margaret Snydor; Mills, Judson R.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
Based on a distinction between communal relationships, in which benefits are given in response to the needs of the other, and exchange relationships, in which benefits are given with the expectation of receiving comparable benefits in return, the following hypotheses were proposed: 1) If a person has been aided by another, that other will be liked more when he requests a benefit than when he does not request a benefit, if the person expects an exchange relationship with the other. 2) If a person has been aided by another» that other will be liked more when he does not request a benefit than when he does request a benefit, if the person expects a communal relationship with the other. 3) If a person has not been aided by another, that other will be liked more when he does not request a benefit than when he does request a benefit, if the person expects an exchange relationship with the other. 4) If a person has not been aided by another, that other will be liked more when he requests a benefit than when he does not request a benefit, if the person expects a communal relationship with the other. Under the guise of a study of performance, female college students worked on a vocabulary task while a television monitor showed another female working on a similar task in another room. In order to manipulate the expectation of an exchange or a communal relationship, some of the subjects were told that the other was married, had a child, lived far from the university and that she and the subject would be discussing differences in interests in the second study (Exchange condition). Other subjects were told that the other was new at the university, did not know many people and that she and the subject would be discussing common interests in a second study (Communal condition). The other female finished the task, received one point and gave the subject aid on her task or did not give aid. The other female then requested a point from the subject or did not request a point. Finally, the subject's liking for the other and her expectations concerning the future discussion with the other were assessed. In general the results for the measure of liking provide evidence for the distinction between communal and exchange relationships. In support of the first hypothesis it was found that the other female was liked more in the Exchange-aid-request condition than in the Exchange-aid- no request condition. In support of the second hypothesis it was found that the other female was liked more in the Communal-aid-no request condition than in the Communal-aid-request condition. In support of the third hypothesis it was found that the other female was liked more in the Exchange-no aid-no request condition than in the Exchange-no aidrequest condition. The fourth hypothesis was not supported; there was no difference in liking for the other female in the Communal-no aid-request condition and in the Communal-no aid-no request condition. As would be expected from the distinction between communal and exchange relationships, liking was greater in the Exchange-aid-request condition than in the Exchange-no aid-request condition, marginally less in the Communal aid- request condition than in the Communal-no aid-request condition and less in the Exchange-aid-no request condition than in the Exchange-no aid-no request condition. The results for the measure of pleasantness of the future discussion with the other were also consistent with the distinction between communal and exchange relationships. The results on the liking measure demonstrate that equity principles, which have been useful in understanding a number of different social relationships, do not apply to all relationships.
Social Comparison Threat and Interpersonal Attraction
(1978) Gould, Robert J.; Sigall, Harold; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The self-esteem of 80 male subjects was temporarily either raised or lowered by giving them false feedback on an alleged personality test. Subsequently, subjects were led to believe that their attractiveness to a physically attractive female student would be compared with that of a male stimulus person. The perceived ability of the male stimulus person to be attractive to females was varied and subjects were given an opportunity to indicate their liking for the male target either before learning the outcome of the female's comparative evaluation or after learning that the female had indicated a preference for the stimulus person. From an analysis of self-esteem threat based on Festinger's theory of social comparison processes (1954), a three way interaction was predicted. Under conditions where subjects had received negative comparison feedback it was predicted that low self-esteem subjects would indicate greater liking for the stimulus person than high self-esteem subjects, regardless of the stimulus person's perceived ability. In contrast, under conditions where comparative evaluation feedback was anticipated, it was predicted that low self-esteem, relative to high self-esteem, subjects, would indicate greater liking for the target perceived to have high ability, but would indicate less liking for the stimulus person perceived to have low ability. The results supported these predictions and are discussed in with respect to furthering our understanding the self-esteem construct and the process of self-esteem maintenance, and the extension of the applicability of social comparison principles.
Modelling of Heuristic Evaluation Strategies in Game Playing: Linear and Configural Effects in Othello
(1981) Phillips, Robert Vernon III; Norman, Kent L.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
Psychological research on problem solving began with Thorndike's work on trial and error learning with cats, dogs, and monkeys. Kohler later initiated research with apes which convinced him that problems could be solved with insight. Through the 1940's, the study of human problem solving focused on general principles (following the Gestalt tradition) and S-R mechanisms to explain how people solve problems. The advent of computer technology in the 1950's spurred research in artificial intelligence, game playing, and problem solving. Formal definitions of problems outlined the components of a constituting the problem representation. This provided a framework for computer scientists to mechanize problem Solving with algorithms of search. Computer scientists met with success in developing programs to work on well-defined problems, such as games and puzzles, where the components of the problem representation are easily stated. Once the representation is adopted, solution is a matter of search. It has been shown that the efficiency of mechanized search is aided by the use of a ''heuristic evaluation function" (Nilsson, 1971), which has a form similar to psychological models applied in research on human decision making and judgment (Slovic and Lichtenstein, 1972). Samuel (1959), used a regression model of human judgment based on the knowledge of skilled checkers players in order to produce a heuristic evaluation function for a checkers playing program. Another model which can also be used to provide a heuristic evaluation function is based on Anderson's (1962) technique of functional measurement. This approach allows estimation of subjective scale values for the levels of information components relevant to playing a game. In contrast to these linear models, Edgell (1978) has argued that people can utilize configural information when making judgments, an issue which has been avoided by most decision modelling research. Samuel (1967) showed that use of configural infermation by a heuristic evaluation function can augment the skill of a checkers playing program, but the question of whether human players use such information was not researched. This paper reports one pilot experiment and two other experiments which were conducted to investigate whether people do use configural information when evaluating alternative moves in a game situation. The effects of game experience, learning, and training on use of configural information were examined. In addition, the research was conducted in a game playing situation in order to address the issue of ecological validity (Neisser, 1976) in psychological research. As Newell and Simon (1972) have argued, a good psychological theory of how a good chess player plays chess should play good chess.
Effects of a Workshop Designed to Promote Effective Coping with Sexual Harassment and Its Associated Effects: A Single-Case Design
(1985) Goldfarb, Rosalind Gore; Spokane, Arnold; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The effects of training victims of sexual harassment in coping techniques to deal with harassment was studied in a single-case study using six subjects who had experienced sexual harassment. Subjects were six women in their 20s and 30s who were employed in local and government business and industry. All were volunteers who either responded to advertisements in local newspapers or were referred by counselors. Subjects responded to a series of questionnaires about their experiences with sexual harassment prior to and four times following a training workshop in coping techniques. The subjects also completed the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale prior to and one month following training. Each subject was interviewed before the training workshop. The information from the questionnaires, the interviews, and the Internal-External Scales were evaluated to determine whether Locus of Control was a contributing factor in the subjects' experiences with sexual harassment. Internals appeared more likely to report harassment than were externals and appeared to make more attempts to deal with the harassment than did externals. They were more prone to use avoidance than were externals, who were more prone to use denial to deal with harassment. Prior to training, neither group anticipated being ab le to stop the harassment. Neither behaviors of primary control (assertive) nor behaviors of secondary control (passive) were perceived as having been effective in the past. After training, anticipation of success increased. Behaviors of primary control were anticipated to be effective, but were perceived to be even more successful. Behaviors of secondary control were anticipated to be ineffective (Pre- and Post-test + (5) = 3.85, p <.05), but were perceived to be possibly effective (+ (5) = 7.75, p <.01). Physical symptoms declined following training (+ (5) = 3. 78, p <.05), while emotional symptoms remained unchanged for the group. Generalizations from these data are severely constrained by the ex post facto single-case design which was imposed after extensive attempts to recruit subjects failed. The evidence tends to indicate that training victims in techniques to cope with sexual harassment alters their anticipation of success and thereby encourages them to attempt new behaviors. It was also observed that all subjects, regardless of locus of control, were lacking in confrontation skills, a factor which appeared to be related to their experiences of sexual harassment.
Expectations for Organizational Combinations
(1985) Rentsch, Joan; Schneider, Benjamin; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
This study is an attempt to learn more about the expectations that people hold for organizational combinations (mergers and acquisitions). A measure of organizational combination expectations was developed to test hypotheses regarding the power, autonomy, identity, job security, and morale expectations that people hold for combinations. It was hypothesized that one's expectations would depend on the individual's perspective in the combination, that is, whether one is in an acquired, merged, or acquiring organization. Expectations were also hypothesized to differ depending on the motive for the combination (e.g. organizational survival or organizational growth). It was expected that perspective would also influence perceived uncertainty. The relationship between perceived uncertainty and motive, and the influence of perspective, and motive on expected satisfaction were also explored. 252 MRA students were presented with scenarios of combinations in which perspective and motive were manipulated. They then responded to the survey of combination expectations, a measure of perceived uncertainty and a satisfaction scale. Results indicated that motive and perspective did have significant effects on expectations, but they did not influence expected satisfaction. The influence of perspective on uncertainty was not significant. Uncertainty was influenced by motive, such that there was less uncertainty when growth was the motive than when survival was the motive. Exploratory analysis indicated that expectations are better predictors of expected satisfaction than is uncertainty, Implications of the results and the limitations of the study are discussed.
The Relationship Between Women's Perceptions of the Campus Environment and Self-Esteem as Moderated by Women's Identity Attitudes
(1986) Ossana, Shelly Lynne; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
An examination of the relationships among undergraduate women's self-esteem, perceptions of the campus environment, and women's identity attitudes (i.e., attitudes about, and identification with, women and the sociopolitical issues unique to women) was conducted. 649 female undergraduates, freshman through seniors, were surveyed in classes at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. Results indicated that Encounter (characterized by rejection of previously held stereotypical views about women and heightened awareness about the sociopolitical issues unique to women) and Immersion-Emersion (characterized by active rejection of male supremacist values and beliefs) attitudes were positively related to perceptions of gender bias in the campus environment and inversely related to self-esteem. Internalization (chararacterized by acceptance and pride in one's women's identity) attitudes were inversely related to perceptions of environmental gender bias and positively related to self-esteem. Perceptions of gender bias were inversely related to self-esteem, indicating that the more negatively one viewed oneself the more likely one was to perceive the campus environment as biased, or conversely that the more positively one viewed oneself the less likely one was to perceive inequities reflecting gender bias in the campus environment. Implications for counseling and future research are discussed.
Cuban Latin Americans: Psychosocial Correlates of Cultural Adjustment
(1988) Sinclair, Elsa A. Rivera; Magoon, Thomas M.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The process of adjustment to a new culture-acculturation-- is considered a crucial factor contributing to variations of psychological distress and anxiety among immigrant groups. It is believed that a person's level of distress during the cultural adaptation process is a reflection of the interconnection of the psychological and sociocultural processes of personality functioning. Behavioral scientists' accounts of the psychological effects experienced by Latin Americans during the cultural adjustment process point to maladjustment rather than to the positive aspects of this cultural phenomenon. To a lesser degree the literature reveals that acculturation may have a wholesome effect for some individuals in the long run. Some evidence, however, suggests that biculturalism may be a healthy approach to cultural adjustment. The present study investigated the psychosocial correlates of biculturalism. Two-hundred and fifty four male and female Cuban participants ranging from 18-90 years of age, living in metropolitan Washington, o.c., were administered self-report questionnaires. This field study examined the role played in biculturalism (Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire, BIQ) by age, length of time in the United States, and gender of the participants. The role played by presence of a support group, educational level, income level, ethnic identification, and use of mental health facilities was also explored. The criterion for level of adjustment was the participants' anxiety scores (State Anxiety Scale, SAS). The investigation's assumption is that biculturalism is related to relatively low anxiety levels. A hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis revealed that (a) biculturalism and anxiety are related to the length of time the Cuban participant has been in the United States, (b) biculturalism is associated with the person's age, (c) there is a significant and positive linear relationship between BIQ scores and SAS scores. This means that if a person continues to remain monoculturally Cuban while living in a bicultural community, his/her levels of anxiety will be high. This tested the psychosocial model of adjustment. However, the test for the curvilinear relationship was not significant, and (d) the presence of support group networks, educational level, family income and ethnic identification are significantly associated with the process of biculturalism.
PREDISPOSING FACTORS IN PEDOPHILIA
(1989) Gordon, Susan; Spokane, Arnold; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
This was an exploratory study about the etiology of pedophilia which examined the biological, psychological, and social background variables that may predispose men to a paraphilic sexual orientation. The biological variables included were chromosomal and hormonal irregularities. The psychological variables were introversion, depression, moralistic attitudes, and aggression (MMPI scales). The social background variables were childhood losses, relationship with parents, childhood sexual victimization, familial pedophilia, incest, and violence. Data on these variables were collected from a retrospective chart review of former male patients at Johns Hopkins sexual Disorders Clinic. The patients represented six different paraphilic (sexually deviant) diagnostic categories: (a) Homosexual pedophiles (b) Heterosexual pedophiles (c) Bisexual pedophiles (d) Exhibitionists (e) sexual sadists (f) Atypical paraphiliacs. Results of a stepwise discriminant analysis indicated that there were significant demographic, biological, and social differences among these six paraphilic groups. There were also significant differences between the major groupings of pedophiles (homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual pedophiles) and non-pedophiles (exhibitionists, sadists and the atypical group). Demographically, the diagnostic groups differed with respect to age, birth order, marital status, number of children, occupation and education. Biologically, the paraphilic groups had different testosterone levels. Psychologically, the paraphilic groups did not differ. Because only 14 of the 211 subjects had been given the MMPI, however, results of the analysis of psychological variables must be interpreted cautiously. Socially, the paraphilic groups' differences included experience of childhood loss, age of first sexual involvement, use of violence, and incestuous involvement. Two path analyses were conducted to test models of correlational relationships among the variables. The path analyses were conducted first with, and second without, the HMPI scores. Results indicated that two path coefficients were significant: (a) social circumstances, and particularly having a pedophile relative, was related to childhood sexual involvement with an adult, F(4,118)=6.54, p<.001; (b) incestuous involvement with a child was related to sexual orientation, F(1,203) = 11.19, p<.001. It is concluded that although generalizations about pedophiles as a single group cannot be made, a biological predisposition (hormonal irregularities) may interact with childhood familial relationships (father-son) in the development of paraphilias. This study's limitations, suggestions for future research, theoretical and practical implications are presented.
The Role of Gender, Race and Racial Identity in Relation to Attitudes Toward Interracial Dating
(1991) Murray, Melita Josephine; Fretz, Bruce R.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The purpose of this study was to examine whether an individual's gender, race, and racial identity significantly relate to interracial dating attitudes. Two hundred subjects (101 Blacks, 99 Whites) were administered an interracial dating questionnaire and a racial identity measure. Findings indicated that there were no significant main effects for gender, but race was significantly related to interracial dating attitudes with blacks having more positive attitudes. As hypothesized, racial identity was also found to be Significantly related to both Blacks' and Whites' attitudes toward interracial dating.
DREAM INTERPRETATION GROUPS WITH DIVORCING WOMEN
(1993) Falk, Dana Rachel; Hill, Clara E.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The effectiveness of dream interpretation groups with recently separated and divorced women was the topic of this investigation. 34 women aged 23 - 57 participated in this study; 22 were assigned to a dream interpretation group and 12 to a wait-list control condition. Four eight-week groups, with a semi-structured dream interpretation format were run. It was hypothesized that dream interpretation group intervention would help this population to feel less anxious, less depressed, to experience higher self-esteem and to cope better with the stress of the divorcing process. Outcome measures were administered at pre- and post-test points. Client psychological-mindedness was expected to moderate treatment effectiveness. Women in the experimental condition were expected to gain dream interpretation skills. Trained raters judged the insight of interpretations collected from all subjects at pre- and post-test points. In an effort to understand the role of group process in treatment effectiveness. three process measures were examined: (a) Clients and therapists utilized a sociometric instrument after each session to nominate whom they believed to be most "involved," (b) clients and therapists both rated the working climate of the group each week. using the Group Climate Questionnaire, and (c) trained Judges viewed 30 minute segments of the three middle sessions (4, 5. and 6) on videotape and rated group cohesion. An overall MANOVA for treatment effectiveness was significant. indicating that group participants made more progress on outcome measures than did controls. However. due to low statistical power, univariate analyses of the effects due to each of these factors were all nonsignificant. A t-test of independent means for insightfulness of dream interpretations was significant. suggesting that group members improved their dream interpretation skills more than control subjects did. Psychological-mindedness was not found to be related to any of the predictors and thus was dropped as a covariate. In general. measures of group process (cohesion. group climate, client involvement) were neither significantly related to client outcomes nor to each other. Clients and therapists were not in agreement concerning group climate or client involvement. Observer and participant perspectives of group cohesion differed. as well.
African-Americans and African-English-Speaking West Indians: Relationships Between Racial Identity Attitudes, Self-Attitudes, Self-Esteem, Skin Color Perceptions and Sex-Role Attitudes
(1994) Murray-Carney, Melita Josephine; Fretz, Bruce; Psychology; Digital Repository and the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
This study examined the relationship of racial identity attitudes to skin color perceptions, sex-role attitudes and self-esteem among 106 African-Americans and 102 African-English speaking West Indians. Skin color perceptions were measured by Helms and Carter's (in press) skin color scale and the present author's (1992) skin color chart. Sex-role attitudes were measured by the Bem's Sex-role Inventory and self-esteem by the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale respectively. It was hypothesized that differentially statistically significant relationships would be found among racial identity attitudes, skin color perceptions, sex-role attitudes and self-esteem for African-Americans and African-West Indians . For African-Americans , the results indicated racial identity was associated with self-esteem but was not related to skin color perceptions or sex-role attitudes when gender was controlled. For African-English speaking West Indians, racial identity was associated with sex-role attitudes but was not related to either skin color perceptions or self esteem. Additional exploratory results pointed to a need to include other variables such as socioeconomic status and education in understanding more about racial identity attitudes of African-Americans and African-English speaking West Indians. Research and counseling implications for African-Americans and African-English speaking West Indians are discussed.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SENSATION SEEKING, ANXIETY, SELF-CONFIDENCE AND AIDS-RELATED SEXUAL RISK-TAKING IN A COLLEGE STUDENT SAMPLE
(1994) Isralowitz, Stuart Adam; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
The researcher investigated how the personality traits of sensation seeking, anxiety, and self-confidence are associated with AIDS-related sexual risk-taking of college students. It was hypothesized that individuals who exhibited high levels of sensation seeking, low anxiety, and low self-confidence in specific domains would participate in a significant amount of sexual risk-taking. If this were true, then preventive approaches could be geared toward helping risk-takers cope with the characteristics that place them at-risk. The researcher administered the following measures to 313 college students: the Sensation Seeking Scale Form V (SSS V), the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales-Trait (EMAS-T), the Personal Evaluation Inventory (PEI), a modified Sexual Behavior Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Two aspects of sensation seeking (Disinhibition and Boredom Susceptibility) on the SSS V were significantly associated with AIDS-related sexual risk-taking. High sensation seekers engaged in more sexual risk-taking than low sensation seekers in these areas. In addition, moderate sexual risk-takers only exhibited less anxiety than low risk-takers in the Daily Routines aspect of anxiety on the EMAS-T. Moderate risk-takers displayed greater self-confidence regarding Romantic Relationships than low risk-takers on the PEI. The association between sensation seeking and anxiety was negative. High sexual risk-takers showed a greater worry about getting AIDS and higher perception of AIDS risk than low sexual risk-takers. No gender differences were found in sexual risk-taking. Implications for research included conducting studies regarding sensation seeking and AIDS-related sexual behavior with gay and lesbian college students, and with individuals of college age not attending college. Studies measuring the psychometric qualities of the SSS V and the PEI were also suggested. A practical outcome of this study was the proposed use of an updated measure to assess participation in novel, varied, and risky activities. Clinicians could employ this measure in public schools and college counseling centers, under certain circumstances.
A COMPARISON OF THE MMPI-2 AND RORSCHACH INKBLOT TECHNIQUE IN ASSESSING SCHIZOPHRENIA
(1995) Lindgren, Karen N.; Smith, Barry D.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The study examined the concordance of Rorschach and MMPI-2 variables relating to schizophrenia. 85 psychiatric inpatients were administered both the MMPI-2 and Rorschach. A profile analysis compared individuals who elevated on the Rorschach SCZI index to nonelevators. No significant profile differences were found using a SCZI index cutoff of 4. When more distinct SCZI index groups were created ( ≥ 5 vs. ≤ 2) the profiles were found to be significantly different (average MMPI-2 profile for elevated SCZI group = 8-6-7) and the elevated SCZI group evidenced higher MMPI scale scores overall. The 8-6-7 profile has been associated with schizophrenia in previous research. The sensitivity, specificity, and hit rate of both instruments in predicting clinical diagnoses were also calculated. The MMPI-2 demonstrated better sensitivity while the SCZI index yielded higher specificity; the combination of instruments produced the best hit rate. The study demonstrated a relationship between MMPI-2 and Rorschach variables related to psychosis.
Gender Identity and Psychological Adjustment in Men with Serious Mental Illnesses
(1995) Selby, Peter M.; Coursey, Robert D.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
Masculine gender identity and its relationship with self-concept and psychological adjustment was studied for men with serious mental illnesses. Two hundred and thirty-eight men with serious mental illnesses from 15 psychosocial rehabilitation centers in Maryland and Northern Virginia rated a set of 47 masculine beliefs and attributes. Items were derived from a previous study (Keller, 1994) which generated a set of 78 beliefs about masculinity through a series of 9 focus groups with men in this population. Each of the 4 7 items in the present study was rated in terms of (a) how much each item was " like me" and (b) how important each item was to being a man. Test-retest correlations for the set of 47 items were r =.62 for ratings of how much "like me" items were and r =.92 for ratings of importance. Internal consistency (alpha) for the two sets of ratings were .93 and .94, respectively. Participants also completed (a) self-ratings of the words "masculine" and "feminine" (Spence, 1984) and (b) measures of psychiatric symptoms and psychological adjustment including the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale and the Internalized Shame Scale. Factor analysis of ratings for masculine beliefs and attributes revealed three dimensions (labeled morality, family, and toughness) which diverged from the patterns described in the general literature on masculinity. A cluster analysis based on factor scores for these dimensions failed to reveal subgroups of men distinguished by gender identity as defined through the factors. Degree of discrepancy between men's ratings of how much masculine beliefs and attributes were "like me" and ratings of the importance of those items to being a man was associated with higher global symptom severity (r =.21, p<.01), depression (r =.32, p<.01), and internalized shame (r =.26, p<.01), and with lower self-efficacy beliefs (r =.33, p<.01). Men who rated themselves as more masculine than feminine revealed significantly better adjustment, on the above measures, than men who rated themselves as neutral or more feminine than masculine. Divergence between the current factors and those from the general literature on masculinity, in terms of the dimensions of masculine beliefs and attributes found for this group of men, is discussed as a function of the losses and limitations inherent in the experience of serious mental illness. The inverse association between psychological adjustment and self-discrepancy on the set of masculine beliefs is presented as locus for further research and intervention.
Making It: A Qualitative Study of Resilience Among Single Mothers Raising Daughters in Risky Neighborhoods
(1995) Brodsky, Anne E.; Lorion, Raymond P.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
Most prior research has identified only pitfalls for urban, low-income, African American, single mothers. This qualitative study focused on resilient single mothers and using semi-structured interviews allowed participants to define and describe their own experiences, both stresses and strategies for coping. Ten women who had been single mothers for at least two years were identified as resilient by school-based key informants and participated in two hour-long individual interviews. The risky neighborhoods in which these women live are urban neighborhoods characterized by poverty, violence, crime and drugs. A literature review and focus group were utilized to develop initial interview topics and coding formats. Interviews were taped and transcribed, and coded using an open-ended recursive template. Participants described a unique balance of both the stresses and resources existing in eight dimensions in their lives: self-attributes, role as parent, family, friends, male significant others, money, spirituality, and their neighborhood. Each participant had a balance based on a unique person-environment fit. Resilience or "making it" was found to involve both the attainment of goals and the constant process of reaching further. Participants were able to both appreciate their current status and were motivated to strive for more. The findings reported present a more heterogeneous and emic picture of urban, low-income, African American, single mothers, shed light on the processes of resilience, and also have implications for the design and implementation of intervention to support further successes among other women in similar situations.

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