Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Social and personality psychology not elsewhere classified'

This paper discusses how I have made an original contribution to the field of family therapy and systemic practice in relation to three themes: the therapeutic relationship; working with emotions in therapy, and self-reflexivity in practice. I track how these three themes have developed in the course of my research and clinical practice between 1983 and 2008 and then go on to show how I have developed these themes into an original 'practical theory' that has broader application to the field of family therapy and systemic consultation. I put forward eight publications, focusing on my two books, 'Death Talk: Conversations with Children and Families' (Fredman, 1997) and 'Transforming Emotion: Conversations in Counselling and Psychotherapy' (Fredman, 2004). I show how my original contributions to the field of family therapy theory and systemic practice take forward the following issues debated in the field in the past ten years: systemic therapy's theorising of the therapeutic relationship; -the use of cybernetics, psychoanalysis and social constructionism in systemic family therapy; -the relationship between modern and postmodern approaches in the field of family therapy; -the relationship between theory and practice.

This study investigates linguistic, perceptual, and pedagogical change (LPPC) in a short-term, study abroad English immersion program. It proposes the LPPC Interactive Model of second language acquisition based on Gardner's 1985 socioeducational model and Woods' 1996 beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge (BAK) structure. The framework is applied in a cross-cultural context, highlighting participants in the 1993 Camosun Osaka Aoyama English Language Institute involving Japanese English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students from Aoyama Junior College in Osaka, Japan, and non-Japanese ESL teachers at Camosun College and Canada's University of Victoria in British Columbia. The study examined the definition of teacher achievement; distinctions between language activation and language acquisition in the short-term, study abroad context; development of the constructs student BAK+, teacher BAK+, and class BAK+ to describe interactions in "class fit"; and the influence of temporal parameters on linguistic, perceptual, and pedagogical change. Data from teacher and student surveys and interviews suggest that change occurs in each of the linguistic, perceptual, and pedagogical dimensions and support constructs proposed for the model.

The area of research that was investigated for this study is self-harm, which is also known as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). NSSI can be defined as self-injury with no intention of dying. Examples of NSSI are the cutting of one’s skin or banging one’s head against the wall to the point of bruising. Digital self-harm (DSH) can be defined as cyberbullying directed at oneself. DSH is an area within NSSI and self-harm that has not been extensively studied. However, its consequences have already been fatal; in 2013, a 14-year-old suicide in the United Kingdom was linked to DSH. In this case, DSH manifested itself by masking as cyberbullying, when instead it was the individual themselves who was behind the malicious comments. Research shows that there are several risk factors for NSSI, one of which includes borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is a type of personality disorder that consists of impulsive and volatile mood. A high percentage of individuals diagnosed with BPD have been found to engage in NSSI. The current study conducted an anonymous Internet survey that measured the following variables: engagement in NSSI, engagement in DSH, what types of NSSI/DSH were engaged in, personality traits, and interpersonal/intrapersonal functions for engaging in NSSI or DSH. The study revealed that among freshmen at a large, Midwestern university (N = 112), individuals who engaged in NSSI were significantly more likely to engage in DSH. The sample included 61 (55%) of students who self-reported engaging in NSSI and 17 (15%) of students who reported engaging in DSH. However, the study did not find that all BPD personality traits correlated with individuals who engaged in DSH. Personality facets and functioning were similar among DSH and NSSI. Differences were found in levels of reinforcement function between individuals who engaged in DSH and NSSI. These results suggested a relationship between DSH behavior and BPD features, as well as the use of maladaptive strategies for self-regulating emotion. The authors conclude that future research should investigate different types of DSH and encourages clinical practitioners to include online behavior questionnaires in their evaluations of at-risk adolescents.

The way in which we perceive and interpret the causes of situations is likely to have a profound influence on our subsequent behaviour. It has been well established that the experience of anger is likely to systematically influence the cognitive processing style and cognitive skills that the individual will use in understanding, and responding to, interpersonal situations. One important process that may be affected by the regular experience of intense anger (trait anger), is the dispositional propensity to attempt to understand the thoughts, feelings, and point of view of another person in an interpersonal interaction (i.e., perspective taking). A study was conducted to test this theoretical hypothesis. In addition, the study attempted to examine the influence of perspective taking on anger experience, control, and expression.

Seligman (2011) introduced well-being theory as a multidimensional model to increase and measure well-being. The PERMA model of well-being theory defines well-being in terms of five constructs: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Together, these five constructs are the foundation of individual and community well-being. The end goal of well-being theory is flourishing, which is defined as optimal well-being, where one is in the upper range of all five PERMA elements. The purpose of this study was to test whether all five PERMA elements of well-being could be derived from items in the 2018 Purdue Student Experience at a Research University (SERU) survey, thus providing support for the multidimensional model in context of undergraduate students at a research-intensive university. Using confirmatory factor analysis, all five PERMA constructs were supported with use of 32 items and demonstrated good model fit statistics. A second order PERMA well-being construct was built and demonstrated adequate model fit with RMSEA = 0.04. In the full PERMA model, all 32 items were significant at p < .05. In the full PERMA model, all five constructs were significant at p < .001. Accomplishment had the highest factor loading (0.76) and Meaning had the lowest factor loading (0.25). Results from this study provide initial support for use of well-being theory in context of undergraduate students.

The purpose of this research study was to look at the effects of perceived discrimination and sexual positivity on relationship and sexual satisfaction of sexual minority couples. The present study hypothesizes that there will be a moderating relationship between sexual positivity and perceived discrimination; higher levels of sexual positivity will predict higher relationship and sexual satisfaction, and perceived discrimination will negatively effect relationship and sexual satisfaction of couples with lower sexual positivity. Individuals who identify as a sexual minority were asked to participate in this study and answer survey questions pertaining to the level of satisfaction they experience in their romantic relationship and their sexual relationship, how sex positive the individuals are, and the amount of perceived discrimination that they experience; all through a minority stress lens. The results suggest that neither perceived discrimination nor the interaction between perceived discrimination and sexual positivity has a significant impact on the relationship and sexual satisfaction of sexual minority populations. However, the results of this study do suggest a statistically significant relationship between sexual positivity and relationship and sexual satisfaction of sexual minority couples.

The prevalence of social media in political campaigns are changing the face of politics in the United States and abroad. The rapid pace at which this change is occurring demands inquiry into the previously unexplored area of unconventional political campaign messaging practices on social media. Investigation of Donald Trump’s use of tweets as rhetorical strategy in the discursive space of Twitter during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign revealed a bypass of traditional media and its source verification processes. This circumventing of mainstream media channels facilitated Trump’s deployment of an unchecked ‘broken system’ narrative alleging government corruption

and a rigged system. Trump’s tweet discourses tapped into existing feelings of disenfranchisement and disaffection felt by a self-identified politically marginalized segment of society. This study

investigates how social media use in political campaigns can serve as a public sphere for contestation of social and political norms. An interdisciplinary theoretical frame comprised of Feenberg’s critical theory of technology, McLuhan’s media ecology, Fraser’s counterpublic spheres, and Iser’s implied reader offer new understandings about the power of anti-establishment discourses and a hybrid discursive space to destabilize governing institutions and redefine social and political identities. Study of Trump’s tweets as rhetorical strategy granted insights into the social and political capacity of alternative truth to undermine the political process. Further, it uncovered the power of social media to awaken and leverage existing political identities for personal political gain.

In this thesis, it is argued that the fundamental goal of education is one of equipping individuals to partake of the good life as members of a just democratic society. It is argued further that a necessary condition for the realisation of this goal is that individuals are equipped to think well; more precisely, to make decisions on the basis of arguments that are both logically cogent (that is, which have true premises and which are either inductively strong or deductively valid) and ethically grounded (that is, with premises which express appropriate regard for the welfare of others). The concern of the thesis is the role education might play in fostering both the capability and the readiness to engage widely in such thinking. Although this concern has a long and complex history within the Western tradition, insufficient educational progress has been made. It is suggested that progress has been hampered on the one hand by the stark disciplinary divide between the descriptive approach of psychology and the normative stance of philosophy; and on the other, by a failure on the part of educational programme developers to take into account the constraints of prevailing educational structures. It is argued that what is needed is a new model of interdisciplinary research.

A large body of literature suggests that cognitive abilities are important determinants for training and job performance, including flight performance. The associations between measures of ability tests and job performance have been the focus of many empirical studies, resulting in an overall conclusion that general mental ability, g, is the main source of prediction, while other narrower abilities have limited power for predicting job performance. Despite the attention given to cognitive ability-flight performance relationships, their associations have not been fully understood at the broad construct level, and most extant literature focused on the relations at the observed scores level. Thus, the present dissertation study was designed to contribute to the progression of this understanding by examining the relations between cognitive abilities and flight training performance, using data from four U.S. Air Force (USAF) pilot samples. For comparison, one navigator and one air battle manager sample were also analyzed. The data were obtained from correlation matrices of prior investigations and analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures.

Four studies are reported in the thesis: (1) preliminary study, (2) primary validation study, (3) cross-validation study, and (4) cross-occupation validation study. The preliminary study assessed the test battery used in the subsequent predictive studies. The primary validation study introduced a bifactor predictive SEM model for testing the influence of cognitive abilities in predicting pilot performance. The cross-validation study assessed the consistency of the predictive model suggested in the primary validation study, using three additional pilots’ samples. The cross-occupation validation study compared the predictive model using data from three aviation-related occupations (flying, navigation, air battle management). Ability factors were extracted from scores of pilot applicants on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT), the USAF officers’ primary selection test battery, whereas the flight performance scores were obtained from pilot records during the flight training program.

In addition to the g factor, verbal ability, quantitative ability, spatial ability, perceptual speed ability, and aviation-related acquired knowledge are the six latent cognitive ability factors investigated in the reported studies. Pilot performance measures were modeled either as observed or latent variables covering ratings of academic and hands-on flying performance in different phases of the training program. The studies of this thesis established that (1) general ability contributes substantially to the prediction models; however, it is not the only important predictor, (2) aviation-related acquired knowledge is the most robust predictor of pilot performance among the abilities examined, with a role even exceeding that of g, (3) perceptual speed predicted pilot performance uniquely in several occasions, while verbal, spatial, and quantitative abilities demonstrated trivial incremental validity for hands-on pilot performance beyond that provided by the g measure, and (4) the relative importance of cognitive abilities tends to vary across aviation occupations.

The ability to solve problems creatively has been crucial for the adaptation and survival of humans throughout history. In many real–life situations, cognitive processes are not isolated. Humans are social, they communicate and form groups to solve daily problems and make decisions. Therefore, the final output of cognitive processes can come from multi–brains in groups rather than an individual one. This multi–brain output can be largely different from the output that an individual person produces in isolation. As a result, it is essential to include team–level processes in cognitive models to make a more accurate description of real– world cognitive processes in general and problem solving in particular. This research aims to answer the general question of how working in a team affects creative problem solving. For doing that, first, we propose a computational model for multi-agent creative problem solving. Then, we show how the model can be used to study the factors that are involved in creativity in teams and potentially will suggest answers to questions such as, ‘how team size is related to creativity’.

Despite executive function deficits now been examined in relation to the propensity to commit crimes in the general offending population, to date there has been little investigation of this within an intellectually disabled offending sample. The aim of the present study was to undertake a content analysis of the offending patterns and general behavior of Disabilities SA clients with a view to ascertaining whether such an assessment is justified for this offending group. The present study involved content analysis of five participants, currently clients of Disabilities SA. A coding schema was used to assess for evidence of four executive functions: Learning from previous experience; Engaging in logical reasoning; Impulse control; and Understanding the reactions of others. Findings suggest that offenders with intellectual disability have difficulties in all four areas. These findings are discussed in terms of the need for more comprehensive assessment and treatment implications.

In this dissertation, I sought to understand foster parents’ perceptions of giftedness, how foster children’s strengths, gifts, and talents affect their experiences and those of their foster parents, and what resources and information foster parents have for supporting their foster children’s education and gifts. To understand these beliefs, I analyzed quantitative and qualitative survey data from 53 foster parents throughout the United States and analyzed interviews from 14 of those foster parents. Most foster parents surveyed perceived their foster children as a little or very different academically and in other ways than their peers not in foster care, and perceived they had different educational experiences than their peers, largely attributed to their lived experiences prior to entering and during foster care. Most participants felt their foster children’s abilities, strengths, and talents affected foster parents a little or very much. Interviewed and surveyed foster parents defined giftedness as including the following attributes: academic achievement, natural ability or innate talent, intelligence, domain-specific capabilities, performance or skills above average for their age or above their peers, unique approaches to learning, and motivation for learning. Interviewees also addressed non-academic forms of giftedness, socioemotional characteristics of children with gifts and talents, and noted that these students may have some difficulties in school. Foster parents explained the adaptations they have made to their parenting because of their foster children’s strengths, talents, and abilities, and highlighted the unique life experiences of foster children, which were not only hinderances but also could help them succeed academically and in life. Participants also expressed why they think foster children are not identified for gifted education programming. Foster parents had many needs related to their foster children’s education and strengths, talents, and abilities. They made recommendations to those who train new foster parents and provide ongoing training to current foster parents; to schools and teachers of foster children; and to new foster parents about how to best meet the needs of foster children and encourage their gifts and talents.

Human society is presently beset by an array of anthropogenic social-ecological crises that threaten the sustainability of the social-ecological systems that sustain our livelihoods. While research alone will not rectify these issues, it can help to answer key questions that must be addressed to develop effective solutions. To address such questions in a cohesive, compelling manner, social-ecological research can be bounded, structured, and distilled through innumerable organizing principles or theoretical frameworks. For this dissertation, I focused on the geographic region of Tierra del Fuego and sought to draw from the array of disciplines and methods that use sound as a lens for biological, ecological, and/or social inquiry. I also endeavored to consider various temporal, spatial, and organizational scales while investigating a selection of topics with a) specific importance in the social-ecological systems of Tierra del Fuego and b) general relevance to global social-ecological challenges. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the dissertation, and Chapter 6 serves as a conclusion.

The objective of Chapter 2, “Biogeographical and analytical implications of temporal variability in geographically diverse soundscapes”, was to provide some guidance to passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) practitioners on how to design appropriate temporal sampling schemes based on the temporal variability of the sounds one wishes to measure and the power and storage limitations of acoustic recorders. We first quantified the temporal variability of several soundscape measurements and compared that variability across sites and times of day. We also simulated a wide range of temporal sampling schemes in order to model their representativeness relative to continuous sampling.

For Chapter 3, “Sentinels for sentinels: passive acoustic and camera trap monitoring of sensitive penguin populations”, we tested the utility of PAM to monitor behavior and abundance of Magellanic (Spheniscus magellanicus) and southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) at different spatial and temporal scales. We conducted in situ observations of the acoustic behavior of each species, and we compared acoustic metrics with penguin counts from narrowly focused camera traps and larger-extent observations of colony density.

Chapter 4, “Acoustic monitoring shows invasive beavers (Castor canadensis) increase avian diversity in Tierra del Fuego”, is focused on impacts of the invasive North American beaver (Castor canadensis) on Fuegian bird communities. We sought to determine how bird communities might differ between intact riparian forests, beaver ponds, and beaver meadows created by pond drainage. We conducted PAM and classic avian point counts under each of these conditions across seasons to test for differences between impact conditions and to compare the two methodologies.

For Chapter 5, “Human-nature connection and soundscape perception: insights from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina”, we evaluated the relationship between soundscape perception and nature relatedness by conducting surveys and soliciting responses to soundscape audio prompts. We also examined the potential for any demographic influences on nature relatedness or soundscape perception in the context of local social tensions.

Stroke recovery is complex and poorly understood. As a legacy of pervasive pessimism in the face of limited treatment, it is conceptualised and researched from biomedical and psychosocial perspectives that address impairment, problems of performance, quality of life, burden and disruption. Little stroke research is conducted once professional input has ceased, and yet considerable change occurs after this period with evidence that post-stroke wellbeing is independent of impairment and function -- many people do well in the face of poor prognoses, while others remain miserable despite 'good recovery'. Current advances in acute stroke management are generating increasing optimism, but lack of understanding about individuals' post-stroke experiences and long-term outcomes continues. While it is recognised that the impact of stroke on the lives of survivors and families is profound, rehabilitation focuses on recovery as task achievement and measured functional outcomes. For many survivors and their families 'recovery' is contested, ambiguous and extended. For some, it becomes a lifetime marathon because stroke represents an assault, not only to the body, but to the self and the lifeworld -- it is a 'life' event. This narrative inquiry into life after stroke explores recovery as a process taking place over time and conceptualised as a life transition. The work is grounded in narrative theory with the concept of transition providing the lens and focus for the research, its processes and analyses. Individuals' stories remain intact enabling evocation of diverse stroke meanings and the mapping of individual experience. Bringing these whole stories into conversation with each other elucidates post-stroke transition which is interpreted in light of theories of response to traumatic loss and informed by narrative theory. The thesis presents stories of trauma, loss and grief, situated in past lives and selves where assumptions about selves and future lives are shattered. The future makes no sense in terms of participants' past and present lives; life plots are lost and stroke therefore represents 'lost futures'. Stories of moving on to new lives are focused on being and doing in the present and have an expectant view of life. Although mindful of past lives and enduring losses, survivors actively engage in processes to reconfigure their lives with hope for a meaningful future. Transition is interpreted as 'reconfiguring the future'. The life tasks of reconfiguration are embedded in dynamic models of traumatic loss where grief is conceptualised as recursive movement between loss and meaning reconstruction evident in narratives that slowly move towards wellbeing. Despite broad recognition that loss and grief are part of the stroke experience, they are rarely addressed; where attention is paid it is likely embedded in explanatory models of staged response that oversimplify human experience. This thesis offers a new framework. It represents a fresh interpretation that highlights the ongoing traumatic impact of stroke. The post-stroke journeys of survivors and families are affected by individual circumstances and meanings. Although their stories are permeated with loss, many people move forward towards lives worth living. This interpretation suggests ways of reconfiguring lives in the face of devastation and ongoing traumatic loss. The work identifies a complex interaction of individual, emotional and social factors contributing to transitions to wellbeing following stroke and thus adds to a prospective vision of post-stroke life that can inform rehabilitation, discharge and stroke support strategies. Post-stroke transition will be enhanced when we use narrative framing and understanding to guide rehabilitative practice that uses meaning-centred models to prepare survivors and their families for a return to the lifeworld.
Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2009

The land-grant university system was founded in the 19th century as a public means to help improve people’s everyday lives. A century and a half later, the challenges that the public faces to live a quality life are constantly changing, creating a need for the land-grant system to respond and adapt to continue to fulfill its mission. While the literature contains a wealth of conceptual papers addressing the role and mission of land-grant universities, relatively few papers could be found that reported empirical data or proposed and tested metrics for public engagement constructs. The current study sought to address this void in the literature through the investigation of factors influencing Indiana residents’ level of interest in engaging with Purdue University. Mail survey methods were used in which up to three contacts were made with adult members of 4,500 Indiana households identified through address-based sampling. Stratified random sampling was employed to ensure adequate rural household participation for other project purposes. Usable responses were received from 1,003 households representing 87 Indiana counties for a total response rate of 26%.

The facilitator model for dual credit offers a way for student to earn directly transcripted credit to colleges and universities, overcoming many barriers faced by other dual credit models. Successful implementation of this model requires high degree of involvement from the cooperating institution. This IRB approved qualitative case study explored the needs of five teacher facilitators in both summer professional development and on-going support throughout the school year when implementing a facilitator model for dual credit with open-ended design coursework. Code-recode and axial coding techniques were applied to over 90 hours of transcribed data, artifacts, and observations from a seven month period to find emerging themes and offer recommendations for implementation.