UMD Theses and Dissertations
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Item Reparative Forms: Poetry and Psychology from the Fin de Siècle to WWI(2021) O'Neil, Lindsey; Rudy, Jason R; English Language and Literature; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)“Reparative Forms: Poetry and Psychology from the Fin de Siècle to WWI” identifies an as yet-unrecognized body of poetry written by women and colonial subjects that shows those authors’ engagements with early psychological writing. The years between the fin de siècle and the First World War saw the rebirth of psychology as a distinct discipline in contrast to its previous life as a vaguely scientific subset of philosophy. Across these decades, psychological discourse first engaged with and then finally overtook philosophy and poetry as the predominant framework for exploring the inner workings of the human mind. In tracing this history and the specific contributions of women’s poetry at the turn of the century, my dissertation actively engages in interdisciplinary work, incorporating the histories of science and medicine, Indigenous studies, and colonial studies. Women and colonial subjects employed the idioms of white male psychologists in order to represent both belonging to and estrangement from national identity. These writings constitute a greater British communal psychology whose characteristics scholarship has yet to account for. While some women and colonial subjects were bold iconoclasts, many more existed in an open-ended negotiation between their alliance to the nation and their alliance to themselves. While none of the texts resolve the conflicts and inconsistencies of poetry steeped in systems of sexism, imperialism, and nationalism, the framework of psychology is an important tool in order to navigate and make sense of the incomplete story of British nationalism. Questions of who can create, join, or destroy communities resonate with our current political and cultural moment. My dissertation traces a historical narrative that helps to make sense of our present moment in which the sovereignty of Britain is being renegotiated. More broadly, the anxiety surrounding the gradual decline of the British Empire and the literary reactions to this decline anticipate our current global political climate, including Euroscepticism, racially charged suspicions of immigrants, an increased emphasis on cultural integration, and a reinvigoration of nationalist rhetoric.Item An Essay on the Nature of Visual Perception(2016) Ogilvie, Ryan Graham; Carruthers, Peter; Philosophy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In this dissertation, I address two distinct, but related questions: (1) Is vision encapsulated from higher-level cognitive content? For example, do higher cognitive states like belief and desire alter the contents of vision? (2) What is the scope of visual content? Is the content of vision restricted to “low-level” properties like shape and color or does vision involve a recognitional component? Regarding the first question, I argue that vision is cognitively penetrable, that what we see depends in part on the particularities of our beliefs, expectations, and goals. Regarding the second question, I argue that we visually represent at least some relatively high-level, abstract properties, such as causal interactions, animacy, and facial categories. Both these positions speak to broader issues concerning the epistemic status of our visual capacities. More specifically, we can no longer understand vision as an entirely non-epistemic capacity, one that merely provides us with a structural description of the environment; rather, the visual system carries ontological commitments and by virtue of these commitments it imposes at least a primitive order on what we see.Item The acquisition of adjunct control: grammar and processing(2016) Gerard, Juliana; Lidz, Jeffrey; Linguistics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation uses children’s acquisition of adjunct control as a case study to investigate grammatical and performance accounts of language acquisition. In previous research, children have consistently exhibited non-adultlike behavior for sentences with adjunct control. To explain children’s behavior, several different grammatical accounts have been proposed, but evidence for these accounts has been inconclusive. In this dissertation, I take two approaches to account for children’s errors. First, I spell out the predictions of previous grammatical accounts, and test these predictions after accounting for some methodological concerns that might have influenced children’s behavior in previous studies. While I reproduce the non-adultlike behavior observed in previous studies, the predictions of previous grammatical accounts are not borne out, suggesting that extragrammatical factors are needed to explain children’s behavior. Next, I consider the role of two different types of extragrammatical factors in predicting children’s non-adultlike behavior. With a new task designed to address the task demands in previous studies, children exhibit significantly higher accuracy than with previous tasks. This suggests that children’s behavior has been influenced by task- specific processing factors. In addition to the task, I also test the predictions of a similarity-based interference account, which links children’s errors to the same memory mechanisms involved in sentence processing difficulties observed in adults. These predictions are borne out, supporting a more continuous developmental trajectory as children’s processing mechanisms become more resistant to interference. Finally, I consider how children’s errors might influence their acquisition of adjunct control, given the distribution in the linguistic input. I discuss the results of a corpus analysis, including the possibility that adjunct control could be learned from the input. The kinds of information that could be useful to a learner become much more limited, however, after considering the processing limitations that would interfere with the representations available to the learner.Item Violence and Obscurity; Asylums and the Transformative Experience from Feminine Misfortune to Healing(2013) McRainey, Katrina; Gournay, Isabelle; Linebaugh, Donald; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Psychiatric institutions have been notorious for the neglect, experimentation and abuse inflicted on patients throughout the field's development. Historically, asylums were not so much a place of healing as a place of harm and maltreatment. From London's Bethlem Hospital to the first psychiatric hospital in the US, historical record provides many examples of violence against patients. While this violence was not discriminatory in choosing its victims, women were uniquely vulnerable. With a status of minimal personal rights, women were commonly institutionalized for a variety of suspicious, often trivial reasons, whether their spouse simply grew tired of them or they proved to have a "disagreeable nature." The violence perpetrated within the walls of these institutions is typically attributed to human behavior while the structural characteristics of the environment are not commonly considered. From the decisions made in space planning to the social culture of the staff, the harm done by patients was reinforced as much by non-tangible factors as it was by any individual's hand. As discussed in a series of articles in Architecture and Violence, "The notion of spatial violence as a mute incorporation of power into the built environment has been voiced by a number of theorists, critiquing architecture's complicity with bureaucracy . " Evidence of this complicity is written into spatial organization, planning and quality. Paupers were housed in substandard conditions because it was believed by designers that they "would not desire or benefit from the luxuries that were essential for the cure of the wealthy . " Deeply troubled individuals were left in isolation in the basement where their sounds or outbursts of violence would not trouble the outside world. Now, many of these structures have become melancholy relics on the land, sitting ducks for vandalism and vagrancy. There is a significant missed opportunity in allowing these structures to decay instead of applying their vast square footage to an important use. Though their history is mired by sorrow and abuse against women, the story of the asylum need not end there. The mission to provide a place of healing failed, but by adaptively reusing the old asylum, that mission may be reinvigorated. These buildings can be reborn as positive environments by fulfilling critical needs for struggling women today. By researching the history of thought and design of asylums from the 1800's to today, I aim to pull away the fundamental principles that led to the violence against patients and demise of the structures around them. With this set of fundamentals in mind, I will analyze the theoretical doctrine in the history of psychology, gender equality and the cognitive effects on self in order to determine how these institutions became such a perfect storm of disregard. Once established, I will take the doctrine and fundamentals of old asylums and compare them to principles of healing environments. This will provide me with a rubric of positive space I can use to transform the abandoned asylum into a true haven for women in need. Kenzari, Architecture and Violence, 101. Yanni, The Architecture of Madness Insane Asylums in the United States, 24.Item PERCEPTIONS OF SPANISH/ENGLISH BILINGUAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS REGARDING COMPETENCY IN ASSESSMENT AND FUTURE TRAINING NEEDS(2012) Pena, Anne Marie; Strein, William O; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)With the changing demographics of the school population, the need for bilingually competent school psychologists has become increasingly important. The current study examined the influence of training and regional factors on Spanish-speaking, bilingual school psychologists' self-perceptions of competence regarding assessment of non-native English-speaking students (English Language Learners (ELL)), of the value of their training experiences related to bilingual assessment, and of the need/desire for a separate bilingual school psychology credential or certificate. Research participants completed an internet-based survey of individuals who self-identified as Spanish-speaking bilinguals in the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) bilingual directory. The response rate of 44% was substantially higher than all other published surveys relating to this same topic area. Overall, respondents viewed themselves as very competent across all competency areas. In addition, all training and experience items were seen as at least "somewhat valuable" by the vast majority of respondents. Region was not correlated with perceptions of competence or with the perceived value of training experiences. Finally, an overwhelming majority of respondents indicated they believed a separate certificate or credential was very important for the field as a whole, as well as for themselves personally. Recent developments related to bilingual school psychology are discussed and the implications for the future development of bilingual credential are explored.Item A SURVEY OF UNIVERSITY COUNSELING CENTER THERAPISTS: WORKING WITH CLIENTS WHO HAVE RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL ISSUES(2005-08-04) Kellems, Ian Stuart; Hill, Clara E.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)University counseling center therapists (n = 220) completed an internet survey about one of their recent therapy cases in which the clients' issues involved religion/spirituality (RS). Responses were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Common RS issues for clients involved questioning one's childhood religion, exploring RS beliefs, and using client's RS as a source of strength. The similarity of therapist and client RS values is not related to the strength of the therapeutic relationship. A therapist's religious commitment is related to both the goals that therapist considers important when working with RS issues and to how frequently the therapist uses religiously/spiritually-oriented interventions. Regarding training, therapist self-efficacy in working with RS issues is positively related to the amount of training the therapist has engaged in about how to work with RS issues. Implications for practice, research, and training are discussed.Item THE CONDUCTOR AND THE ENSEMBLE(2005-05-18) Chuang, Pi-Hua; Maclary, Edward; Silvey, Phillip; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In my experience as a beginning conductor, I encountered some difficulties with self- emotional control and conflict with the ensemble members. When I was inexperienced, it was easy for me to be nervous and tense. Sometimes I lost the ability to control my temper and facial expression and couldn't communicate with the ensemble well enough. I was aware that the interaction between the conductor and the ensemble is a key element of efficient rehearsal and for successful music making. The conductor, as the one who stands in front of people, can affect the emotional involvement of the ensemble through his attitude and personality. That is why there exists a common perception regarding the power of the conductor. Because music has such an intimate relation with emotions, the emotional involvement is very important for music making. Music can display the human being's affection unreservedly and also arouse emotionality directly. Thus, if the conductor wants the ensemble members to be able to play the interpretation of the composer's intent, he needs to demonstrate it either through his own singing voice, description, or his conducting technique. If he is able to produce the correct emotional response from the ensemble, then they can perform with the "right" feeling for each particular piece. This dissertation discusses the practical psychological methods in rehearsal, and how the conductor can earn the respect and trust of the ensemble in order to bring out the maximum influence upon his ensemble, assuming he has excellent musicality and musicianship. If the conductor knows what is the quickest and best way to inspire his ensemble and really tries to create a "psychological bridge" to his ensemble, it will be a great help for efficient rehearsal. How do the ensemble members think? In Chinese proverb, "if you want someone follow you willingly, you need to know what is his favorite and dislike, then you can earn someone's heart." In order to investigate how ensemble members perceived their conductors and related to them, I conducted a survey of 153 students participating in performing ensembles at the University of Maryland between March 28th and April 1st, 2005. I created this survey by drawing questions from my research on this topic and refining them with input with from my adviser. The appendix A of the paper includes the results of the survey.Item THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPE AND PERFORMANCE TIME WHILE WEARING A RESPIRATOR(2004-12-10) Koh, Frank; Johnson, Arthur T; Biological Resources Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The brain efficiently utilizes dominant templates to think, learn, create, solve problems, and communicate. Many studies have shown that individuals perform better if not wearing a respirator than with wearing a respirator. This study examined the degree of performance reduction attributable to specific dominant character traits. The subjects performed on a treadmill at a constant speed and grade resulting in 80-85% of maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). A modified M40 respirator was used to create three levels of inspiratory resistance: 2.78, 16.79, and 27.27 cmH2O*(sec/L). The 31 subjects were tested using a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Multiple regressions and an ANOVA were used to test for correlation. When air intake is very constricted, the multiple regression that was found to be statistically significant was sensing-intuition (how one takes in information) and thinking-feeling (how one makes a decision) versus performance time with 27.27 cmH2O*(sec/L) inhalation resistance.Item "Who wants real? I want magic!" Musical Madness in _A Streetcar Named Desire_(2004-04-30) Maiman, Nichole Marie; DeLapp, Jennifer; MusicIn both the 1947 play and 1998 opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, both Tennessee Williams and André Previn depict the mental decline of the fragile Blanche DuBois through her desperate cries for human affection, her loss of sanity deriving from the constant struggle between male society's prescriptions for female behavior, and her own internalization of these roles. The constant clash between Blanche's thought and deed her façade of the perfect Southern belle hiding nymphomaniacal tendencies along with her rape, also contributes to her to madness. In this paper I explore Blanche's character and both Williams's and Previn's use of music to illustrate her lunacy. I then conclude with a consideration of the writings of prominent literary, theater, music, and feminist writers to show how gender roles and sexual violence serve as catalysts for the female madness manifested in A Streetcar Named Desire.