Psychology
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Item 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.Item 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.Item 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.Item PREDICTORS OF PARENT AND CHILD BEHAVIORS DURING DAILY SEPARATIONS AND REUNIONS AT DAYCARE(1996) Livesey, Karen Anne; Fein, Greta F.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)To test a model which describes the factors expected to predict parent and child behaviors in separations and reunions in daycare, 88 dual-career mothers (n= 54) and fathers (n= 34) were observed during interactions with their infants and toddlers in this context. Simultaneous regression analyses and path analyses provided mixed support for the model. In general, separation behaviors were predicted better by the model than reunion behaviors. At separation, parent sensitivity was predicted by parent gender and increased levels of child distress was predicted by lower levels of parental involvement in child-care and increased parental separation anxiety. Parents who were less involved in their children's daily care had children who were more distressed at separation as did parents who were anxious about the effect of separation. At reunion, parent sensitivity was predicted by separation anxiety. Parents who were more anxious about employment-related separations were more sensitive in their interactions with their children. Child happiness at reunion was not predicted by any variables included in the model. There were mean differences between mothers and fathers on a number of variables including parent sensitivity (mothers were more sensitive), involvement in child-care (mothers were more involved), and anxiety about employment-related separations (mothers were more anxious). There were no significant differences in regression coefficients between mothers and fathers suggesting that the model held equally well for mothers and fathers. The results are discussed in terms of their support for the model and attachment theory.Item 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.Item 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.Item BEHAVIORAL AND AFFECTIVE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING STEREOTYPED(1996) Canfield, Jennifer Ellen; Stangor, Charles; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)Two studies were conducted to examine women's reactions to being stereotyped. I hypothesized that women who report a high concern with gender-based discrimination would be more likely to interpret a sexist comment as sexist, consequently exhibiting more anxiety and lower task performance as compared to women who report a low concern with gender-based discrimination. In study 1, women who reported a high or low concern with discrimination overheard either a sexist comment or no comment while performing on a task. A trend was found where high concern women who overheard a sexist comment experienced an increase in anxiety, and women who overheard the sexist comment (regardless of concern) subsequently displayed poorer task performance than women who heard no comment . For Study 2 , the control comment was changed from no comment to a nonsexist comment, allowing for comparison between the effects of receiving negative feedback which either was sexist or nonsexist . I found that women who overheard the sexist comment were the only group to interpret the sexist comment as sexist, a trend where women who perceived a sexist comment as sexist experienced an increase in anxiety, and that women's task performance significantly dropped after overhearing the negative comment , whether the comment was sexist or nonsexist. Also, women who perceived the sexist comment as sexist reported less enjoyment of the task, less likelihood of volunteering for a similar task, and less likelihood of improving their task performance than women who overheard a nonsexist comment or who did not perceive a sexist comment as sexist.Item Clients' Perspectives on Unresolved Therapeutic Impasses(1998) Petersen, David A.; Hill, Clara E.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)A therapeutic impasse is a stalemate between a client and a therapist that grinds progress in therapy to a halt. Left unresolved, therapeutic impasses typically lead to the client dropping out of treatment (Weiner, 1974). Although there is some agreement in the clinical literature about what factors contribute to therapeutic impasses, there has been minimal empirical research in this area. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with unresolved impasses that result in the client quitting therapy. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine whether therapeutic impasses evolve differently for clients with different styles of attachment to their therapists. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 former psychotherapy clients who dropped out of therapy due to unresolved impasses with their therapists. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997) was used to analyze clients' responses. In addition, clients completed the Client Attachment to Therapist Scale (CATS; Mallinckrodt, Gantt, & Coble, 1995), which assessed clients' degree of secure, avoidant-fearful, and preoccupied-merger attachment to their therapists. Results suggest that impasses in therapy are highly emotional events for clients. Whereas most of the clients reported that the therapists said or did something that bothered them, clients also admitted that they had difficulty expressing their dissatisfaction to their therapists, were reluctant to explore certain issues in therapy, and had issues or personality styles that interfered with therapy. Indeed, clients had significant pathology and may have been particularly difficult cases for their therapists. Progress in therapy also was impeded by disagreement over the structure and focus of therapy. Few clients felt that their therapists were aware that an impasse existed. Whereas most clients had an avoidant-fearful attachment style, those who also were high in preoccupied-merger attachment seemed to have especially negative experiences with impasses. The results of this study suggest ways in which therapists might decrease or resolve impasses, including assessing client variables that are associated with impasses, inviting feedback from clients about the process of therapy, and educating clients about therapy and the potential for problems.Item 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.Item 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.