Library: Psychology

AIDS has become a ubiquitous disease of catastrophic proportions. In this 'sex study' included as part of the Advocate magazine in 1994, attitudes and sexual activities of 13,000 gay men nationwide were surveyed. A set of research hypotheses were made, these were: that there would be a relationship between various sociodemographic, intepersonal and relational, substance use, sexual, experiential, and health care variables and high-risk sexual behavior. Some of these hypotheses were confirmed, while others were not. The particular value of this study is that it was nationwide, contained large ...

This dissertation studied the correlation between the number of hours spent by seniors on the internet in three categories of online activities and the seniors' levels of depression. The subjects were men and women age fifty-five and older living in an active retirement community. The three categories of online activities were communications activities, information-gathering activities, and personal transactions. Number of hours spent online was measured by a self-reporting questionnaire. Level of depression was measured by administration of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Spearman's rho was...

This study had two primary purposes. First, this study assessed the psychometric properties of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) questionnaires used to record juvenile firesetting events (Fineman, 1997a, 1997b,1997c). Second, this study initiated preliminary analyses that (1) contributed to the identification of a typology of firesetters, (2) account for variance in the severity of fires set by juveniles, and (3) predicted the likelihood of recidivistic behaviors in juvenile firesetters. Predictors were restricted to a limited set of exploratory variables; including age, sex, deli...

This study uses two short stories by Flannery O'Connor to explore D. W. Winnicott's theory of early childhood development. This thesis proposes that the "inherited potential" of the individual is determined by the quality of the early maternal environment, especially during the period of Winnicott's first two paradoxical stages of development: Absolute Dependence and Relative Dependence. The mother-adult/child relationships in O'Connor's two short stories "Good Country People" and "The Enduring Chill" serve as case studies to examine the ramifications of "not good-enough" mothering on the in...

Two hundred ninety-three college students responded to a measure designed to examine retrospective accounts of the physical affection received during early childhood. The study looked exclusively from the perspective of the adolescent. Assessing the importance of touch in human development, and the role it plays in adult attachment and the ability to form and maintain close and intimate relations with others was the purpose of the study Six separate measures were used to assess the role of touch in adolescent development: three items from Gupta and Schork to assess physical affection (to...

This study of eighteen adults of African-American and Jewish-American heritage explores how biracial subjects of two minority parents negotiates mixed race heritage and identity in a society that maintains a hostile attitude toward interracial unions. Data collection included1) a semi-structured interview to determine subjects' own sense of racial/ethnic identity, 2) a measure of parental closeness, and 3) a series of twelve anecdotal hypothetical situations as a stimulus to revealing subjects' affective, cognitive and behavioral responses in contexts in which the subjects mixed-heritage migh...

The study of the general development of children in infancy assumes special significance in connection with the reform of schools providing general education and vocational schools, and also in connection with the change to starting systematic study at the age of 6 years. One way of solving this problem may be to look for methods stimulating a more dynamic psycho-physiological development of infants. The assumption is that during the first months of life, when psychosomatic development proceeds more rapidly •than in the adult, the study of the effect of environmental factors on the formati...

This project defines the intervention of yoga therapy for perimenopausal symptoms of hot flushes, anxiety, and depression according to the principles of Ayurveda. This is important in light of research showing the costs versus the benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and the growing population of hormone users as the lifespan increases. The research shows that there is a basis for effective alternatives to HRT for women who cannot or choose not to supplement estrogen levels using pharmaceutical hormones. Ayurveda offers a diagnostic approach that includes consideration of a woman'...

Alcohol use continues to be one of the most serious and complex social and health-related problems affecting the African American community today. A review of the literature suggested that African American drink less but suffer from more negative consequences of drinking. Although African Americans are only 14% of the population, they are reported to consume 30% of malt liquor beers. Most surveys which seek to measure alcohol consumption patterns for African American men refer to questions related to mainstream alcohol types. For African American men, the literature has not addressed these...

Scope of Study:This dissertation examines the impact of an anti-bullying program on the prevalence of bullying in junior and senior high school. Three research questions were posed: Will an anti-bullying program reduce the prevalence of bullying in Junior (Grades 7-9) and Senior High (Grades 10-12) school? Will the program be more effective at the Junior or Senior High school level? Are there gender issues related to the effectiveness of the program (i.e., do males or females benefit more from the implementation of the program)? Findings and Conclusions: Data collected and analyz...