Book categories

Can I See Your Hands:

A Guide To Situational Awareness, Personal Risk Management, Resilience and Security

by Dr. Gav Schneider

2017

The title of this book, "Can I See Your Hands" refers to one of the key outcomes of this book-- being able to tell whether or not people want to cause us harm. To put it very simply, if you can see someone's hands and they are not concealing them, holding a weapon or positioning to strike you, one's levels of trust and confidence can increase. This simple example can serve as a reminder to all of us in many of the complex moments we have to deal with, and difficult decisions we have to make, in everyday life. Click here for details about the Audiobook edition read by Graham Rowat. WORDS OF PRAISE You hold in your hands an amazing book, unlike any other on the subject. Many good books have been written about the critically important topic of protecting yourself and your loved one...

Evolution, Information and Personality

Toward A Unified Theory of the Psyche

by Robert DePaolo

2007

If writing a multidisciplinary treatise is difficult (and this endeavor wasn't exactly a walk in the park) then I had to imagine how difficult it might be for the reader to assimilate the cross references to evolution, information dynamics and clinical psychology that characterize this book. Moreover, I had to consider that reading a book written in language derived from quantum physics, psychology and anthropology might prove to be a bit dreary, even for seasoned clinicians. So to preclude possible confusion this book was written with Information Theory in mind. That's why, for the sake of clarity, certain themes are repeated in successive chapters to serve as an anchor point for the diverse ideas that revolve around them. As to the book itself, it is offered as an integrative...

Psychology Led Astray

Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy

by Tomasz Witkowski

2016

This book shows how scientific and psychotherapeutic practices change into worthless rituals called by the famous physicist, Richard Feynman, "cargo cult." It is a must-read for everybody who is interested in psychology, who is studying or intends to study it, but also for present and potential clients of psychotherapists and parents of mentally-disabled children. Readers will learn which parts of psychology and therapy are cargo-cult-like and which are reliable. This book is the second part of trilogy devoted to the dark side of psychology. The first volume was published under the title Psychology Gone Wrong: The Dark Sides of Science and Therapy, also released by BrownWalker Press. IN THE NEWS See Chronicle of Higher Education (20 Mar 2017) BOOK REVIEWS Psychologist Witkowski f...

Psychology Gone Wrong

The Dark Sides of Science and Therapy

by Tomasz Witkowski & Maciej Zatonski

2015

Psychology Gone Wrong: The Dark Sides of Science and Therapy explores the dark sides of psychology, the science that penetrates almost every area of our lives. It must be read by everyone who has an interest in psychology, by all those who are studying or intend to study psychology, and by present and potential clients of psychotherapists. This book will tell you which parts of psychology are supported by scientific evidence, and which parts are simply castles built on sand. This is the first book which comprehensively covers all mistakes, frauds and abuses of academic psychology, psychotherapy, and psycho-business. The second volume was published under the title Psychology Led Astray Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy, also released by BrownWalker Press. IN THE NEWS See Chronicle of H...

Psychological Problems and Their Big Deceptions

Introducing Predicate-Equating Cognition, Metaphorical Communications, and the Unconscious Entity

by David W. Shave

2018

Psychological Problems And Their Big Deceptions reveals the multiple fraudulent and deceptive concepts of both Psychology and Psychiatry, such as the present-day gross misuse of the  "PTSD" diagnosis,  while introducing the foremost, but previously unrecognized, concept, the "Unconscious Entity." Though all people do not have a mental illness, everyone, without exception, has periods of being emotionally uncomfortable. This book convincingly shows what causes a state of being emotionally uncomfortable to any degree, and what is necessary to regain a state of being emotionally comfortable. In doing this, one will conclude it is a lot less the psychological counsel, in someone seeking professional help, and much more the listening, in any "counseling," that makes the cure. This book explores...

How to Cure Anxiety in Just Five Therapy Sessions

An Innovative Guide for Clinical Hypnotists and Psychotherapists

by Dr. Patrick McCarthy

2022

The purpose of this book is to carefully explain to therapists, who may have little or no experience with hypnosis, a simple therapeutic solution to anxiety and panic that often cures patients. My method works by addressing the answer to HOW we become anxious (the mechanisms that always exist) and not WHY we become anxious or WHAT makes us anxious. It is different than other methods because it essentially forgoes much if any history taking, which many patients enjoy as it so unexpected and different from any other therapists before. It focuses on the patient feeling understood rather than heard. Using this unorthodox method can transform your practice by quickly curing and relieving anxiety and panic in many patients. The book begins on the opening page with a joke but the joke is a power...

Essentially Alone

Overcome Unauthentic Relationships and Change Your World

by Charles R. Wang, MD

2022

The guide presented here will help us gain a level of understanding about our own discomfiting emotions and the incomprehensible behavior of others to a remarkable degree. This work takes a bio-psycho-social perspective in combination with human development to devise a targeted therapy that is distinct from available practices today. DSA begins by calling attention to chronic baseline emotions originating in adversity. The author explains how to use the Developmental and Systems Approach (DSA) for the treatment of anxiety, depression, addictions, eating disorders, self-mutilation, and externalizing behavior. For the discerning reader, learning through DSA will fuel authentic interpersonal growth and can be lateralized to many areas of human endeavors. Whether it is chronic low mood, abs...

ACT for Musicians

A Guide for Using Acceptance and Commitment Training to Enhance Performance, Overcome Performance Anxiety, and Improve Well-Being

by David G. Juncos and Elvire de Paiva e Pona

2022

While it is widely recognized that music contributes to the health and well-being of societies, the reverse is not necessarily true. Being a professional musician is a rewarding yet challenging occupation, and the results of newer survey studies show musicians experience psychological challenges, like depression and anxiety, at much higher rates than adults in the general public. This book introduces Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) as an intervention for addressing some of the most common problems facing student and professional musicians across the world. A broadly applicable model for behavior change, ACT can be used by professionals in both clinical and non-clinical settings with adequate training. Thus, this book is intended for musicians and practitioners from various back...

Being Autistic is Not a Behavior Problem

A Critique of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Era of Neurodiversity

by Daniel B. LeGoff, PhD

2023

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has become a widely used form of therapy for autistic children without its theories and methods being well understood. This critical analysis of the theories and research on which ABA bases its claim to being an evidence-based treatment is a must-read for everyone who has a stake in the lives of autistic individuals. This book reviews the literature which shows that ABA is not based on scientific research, and that practitioners of ABA are not required to be trained in child psychology, pediatrics, child development, education, family therapy, language development, or scientific research. ABA is not based on any form of developmental science, but primarily on the works of B.F. Skinner whose ideas were first published over seventy years ago. This philosoph...

Neuro-Ed Assessments and Screeners

Quick and Highly Effective Assessments of Common Disorders for Children and Adolescents

by Dr. Peter Thompson and Dodi Poulos

2024

Neuro-Ed Assessment and Screeners are fast and effective assessment forms for busy mental health and educational professionals. These practical assessments were created by practitioners who know the needs of professionals working in the field. The purpose of these assessments is to evaluate school-aged students for various disorders and difficulties as quickly and accurately as possible. These screeners provide a 360- degree view of a student's problem by utilizing parent, staff, and student rating forms. Professionals can choose individual 'one-page' screeners for the most common disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, executive function, autism, learning disabilities, processing speed, memory and social / emotional learning problems in less than five minutes per form. Table of...

The Hidden Psychology of Our Talking

Predicate-Equating Cognition and its Role in Communication

by David W. Shave

2019

This book introduces the concept of the "unconscious entity" and reveals it as the most important concept in psychology. The book begins by presenting that the basic emotional need of humans is the need to be emotionally comfortable. Anything, that makes us emotionally uncomfortable, is a frustration of our basic emotional need, that then produces anger. The bigger the frustration, the more anger is produced. If that anger is not immediately expressed, it becomes repressed, and then stored in our mind as "unconscious entity," making any unwanted feeling we have, more unwanted. Unconscious entity arises from our unexpressed anger. It manifests itself as unwanted feelings. The feeling we least want is the very feeling most likely to be produced by our unexpressed anger. To reduce the intensi...

Bullied!

Coping with Workplace Bullying

by Vanessa M. Gattis

2018

Workplace bullying, the repeated and regular act of harassing, offending, socially excluding someone, or negatively affecting someone’s work over time has been recognized as a serious threat to the health and well-being of employees. This study sought to explore resilience as a coping strategy to help improve the physical and mental health effects of professional women who have or are experiencing workplace bullying. The central research question was, how does perceived resilience, when used as a coping strategy, help with the physical and mental health stressors while helping to improve the overall well-being of professional women who were or have experienced workplace bullying? Using a qualitative methodology with a single-case study design, 10 professional women who have and are still e...

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles

Exploring the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles Among Information Technology Professionals

by Eniola O. Olagundoye

2019

All around the world, information technology is evolving at an alarming rate, and it could be challenging keeping up with the growing changes that we are witnessing with it. This paper explored the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership styles among information technology professionals. Does emotional intelligence predict leadership style and do leadership styles predict emotional intelligence components? A total of 185 participants were involved in this study. The leadership styles, which are comprised of transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant, were measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire - MLQ 5X (Bass & Avolio, 1995). The emotional intelligence components, which are comprised of perception of emotion, managing own emotions, managing others...

Determinism and Its Discontents

Morality, Religion, and the Need for Freedom of Will

by Suresh Kanekar

2021

The deterministic position is that all events are effects of previous events and causes of future events, in inexorable cause-effect sequences, which leave no room for intervention of anything outside of the stream of causal relationships, such as free will, thus rendering moral responsibility meaningless. Libertarians believe in freedom of will which is, for them, indispensable for moral responsibility. This controversy can be resolved only by making a clear distinction between two kinds of freedom. In common parlance, freedom means freedom from constraint or compulsion, which can be designated as contra-constraintual freedom. The second meaning of freedom is freedom from causation, which has been referred to as contra-causal freedom, and this is the meaning that is inherent in the conce...

Not Now, Cancer, I'm Busy

Facing a Health Crisis in Early and Midlife

by Melissa Trevathan-Minnis, PhD and Deanne Meeks Brown, APCC

2022

Are you or is someone you love facing a cancer diagnosis in the prime of life? You're not alone. The likelihood of developing cancer in one's lifetime is 1 in 2 for males and 1 in 3 for females, and the numbers are rising. A cancer diagnosis at any age is traumatic, but young to middle-aged adults who are often raising or planning for children, establishing careers, and getting on their financial feet face unique challenges. When cancer strikes, this group can become overwhelmed by navigating treatment options, mounting debt from medical bills, threats to fertility, and the necessity of facing one's mortality. It can become a mental battle ground. In Not Now, Cancer, I'm Busy, Melissa Trevathan-Minnis and Deanne Meeks Brown offer research, resources, and support to help you overcome the ...

How to Stop Dying for a Cigarette

A Workbook-Diary to Enable Smokers to Break the Habit Without Drugs, Substitutes or Withdrawal

by Ruthe Price

2020

Are you serious about ending your addiction to cigarettes? Are you ready to break free of tobacco without drugs, patches or the agony of withdrawal? The reason smokers cannot stop smoking is twofold. One, the cigarette companies have deliberately added chemicals that are effective in addicting the user and two, the act of lighting up is always connected to something else. The cure lies in the breaking of those connections. This is drug addiction but, unfortunately, the methods that affect other addictions don't work. HOW TO STOP DYING FOR A CIGARETTE uses the how, when and where of your smoking habit to attack the root cause of your addiction. As you dissociate smoking from the activities to which you’ve attached it, you begin to resent its intrusion into your life. The more you lesse...

Pressure to Behave, Believe, and Become

Identity Negotiation Stories from People Who Grew Up "Cult"

by Patricia A. Millar

2013

This research explored how identity transitions are accomplished when individuals experience distress in relationship to the social systems in which they are embedded. Study participants grew up in cultic groups, where they were parented by committed members. Twenty-two people who chose to leave or were ejected from 12 cultic groups provided low point, high point, and turning point stories for an exploratory narrative analysis. Life story narratives revealed a jarring disconnect between what participants were expected to believe and become and how they experienced themselves. The research interviews provided richly textured data about the experience of growing up cult, the process of leaving, and what helped or hindered as participants navigated new social contexts. A categorical conten...

Lego-Based Therapy

Current Theory and Practice

by Daniel B. LeGoff

2023

This book provides a description of the current theory and methodology of LEGO-based therapy (LBT) for social development. It is intended for all readers who have an interest in LBT and both how and why it works to improve the development of social communication and interpersonal collaboration. This work provides an update from previous publications on LBT methods and offers the first in-depth discussion of the theoretical basis for the LBT model. Educators, therapists, parents, and administrators will gain a clearer understanding of how LBT can be used to improve social adjustment and initiate participation in social learning, creativity, and interpersonal synergy. Regardless of the context in which LEGO materials are used to facilitate improvement in interpersonal communication and colla...

Boosting the Mind's Eye

Visualizing for Social and Emotional Intelligence

by Erin Phifer

2008

Boosting the Mind’s Eye is a theory-based program guiding parents, educators, counselors, and psychologists through progressive steps bolstering emotional intelligence in children and adults through the development of visualization and language skills. This program was originally designed to address the emotional and social deficits of individuals along the Autistic Spectrum; however, it has become a useful tool in aiding the social understanding of all individuals presenting social weaknesses, regardless of diagnoses. The book offers theory, research, a step-by-step guide, photos, and sample dialogue to improve upon many skills, such as reading facial expressions, body language, emotional vocabulary, visualization, expressive language, and role-playing. This program creates a marriage...

Quality Instruction

Building and Evaluating Computer-Delivered Courseware

by Robert T. Hays, Ph.D.

2008

This book provides a theoretically- and empirically-based method to evaluate the instructional quality of computer-delivered courseware. The book is intended to help instructional developers, instructional procurement officials, instructors, and other individuals responsible for ensuring that the resources invested in courseware result in the highest instructional quality. The method can be applied throughout the instructional systems development process, from earliest requirements analysis to the delivery and implementation of the computer-delivered courseware.

Social Work and Psychological Services for African Refugee Children

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Statutory Service Provision Based on a Research Study in Wales, UK

by Takwana Chenyika

2011

This research, undertaken with children's services social workers who have worked in an urban Local Authority in South Wales, UK, sets out to explore whether statutory social services departments meet the psychological needs of refugee children. The study is in the form of a comparative study of refugee and non-refugee children. The comparison was made in relation to the children's psychological presentation pre- and post-intervention by the statutory social services department. This investigation was undertaken in response to general observation and research evidence that suggest the possibility of lack of appropriateness and effectiveness of psychological support services for refugee children. The study combines the use of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The qualitative compo...

A Guide to Managing Workplace Stress

by Trevor Hicks & Caroline McSherry

2007

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has commissioned recent research which has indicated that: -about half a million people in the UK experience work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill; -up to 5 million people in the UK feel "very" or "extremely" stressed by their work; and -a total of 12.8 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2004/5. Work-related stress is therefore a serious problem and tackling it effectively can result in significant benefits for organizations. This can result in a happier and more productive workforce with fewer days away from work with stress related illnesses. Managers will also want to comply with recent HSE advice on managing stress within the workplace fulfilling their duty of care to e...

Sexual Interactions

The Social Construction of Atypical Sexual Behaviors

by Andreas G. Philaretou, Constantinos N. Phellas, & Stavros S. Karayanni

2002

This book provides an exploratory investigation into the world of atypical sexual variations and interactions, in particular, the intersections of homosexuality and ethnicity, sexual addiction and codependency, sex work and cabaret patronage, and Cybersex addiction. It deals primarily with the intrapersonal, interpersonal, historical, social, and cultural manifestations of such atypical interactions and their social construction as atypical behaviors. This book is primarily intended for graduate, and upper level undergraduate, students in psychology, sociology, family studies, and social sciences. Upon reading the book, readers will come to an understanding of how homosexuality, codependency, sex work, and Cybersex (Internet pornography) come to affect our emotional, psychological, sexu...

Beyond Psychotherapy

123 Life Changing Ideas

by Dr. Don N. Bacchus

2006

Psychotherapy may be more a program of dependency than growth. Inside each person is a reservoir of strength and determination to overcome personal difficulties. Beyond Psychotherapy - 123 Life Changing Ideas encourages everyone to rely on their own inner strength for their personal growth and healing.

Fraud and Corruption

A Convenience Perspective

by Petter Gottschalk

2019

Fraud and Corruption is at the core of financial crime by white-collar offenders. This book provides an introduction to the shadow economy and presents the theory of convenience for white-collar crime. It explains why so few are willing to blow the whistle on people in the elite for misconduct and crime. The book is aimed at readers who are training for and working in control functions. The book illustrates challenges in controlling public administration by political bodies. Readers will learn the definitions of fraud and corruption, the convenience perspective, the role of whistleblowers, and the importance of fraud and corruption investigations. In addition, it presents updated research on white-collar crime as explained by convenience theory and illustrated by problematic issues such as...

Research in Law Enforcement Selection

by Michael G. Aamodt

2004

This book is the most comprehensive reference ever written for individuals interested in law enforcement selection. The chapters contain meta-analyses (statistical reviews of the literature) investigating the validity of methods used to predict police performance. These methods include education requirements, cognitive ability, background variables (e.g., military experience, arrest record, discipline problems at work), personality inventories, interest inventories, physical agility tests, assessment centers, and interviews. The first chapter in the book is a short primer on meta-analysis that informs the reader about the purpose of meta-analysis and how to interpret the meta-analysis tables contained in the book. Chapter 2 describes the methods used to conduct the meta-analyses for thi...

Conjugate Gaze Somato-Emotional Release

A Novel Approach to Physiotherapeutic Mind-Body Therapy

by Vincent L. Perri

2014

Conjugate Gaze Somato-Emotional Release is a novel approach in the release of repressed mind-body traumatisms. The Conjugate Gaze approach works toward facilitating central nervous system processing through the activation of the hypothalamic limbic axis, and the use of specific reflex contacts and verbal cues. Such diverse topics as "the psychic space" and "the alternate psyche" will open new avenues in the treatment of somato-emotional disorders.

The Study of a Secret Society

Resistance to Open Discussion of Suicide in the United States Coast Guard

by Stephanie I. M. Steinmetz

2011

This project began as an investigation into the high rate of suicide among members of the Coast Guard in comparison to other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. The course of research revealed Coast Guard officials' chronic reluctance to disclose information about suicide. Therefore, the new focus of research became a comparative investigation of the Coast Guard's resistance to discussing suicide within the organization. The study was conducted through interviews with a sample of Coast Guard and other military members as well as through discussion boards on the Internet. Questions centered on military life experience, stress, depression and suicide. The data suggest that members of the Coast Guard 1) initially appeared excited to participate in the study, however, when asked to discuss or d...

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

Supportive Interventions for Anti Social Behaviour: Their Use and Effectiveness, Especially on People with Mental Health Problems

by Jayne Mugo

2012

This dissertation is an evaluative research study of supportive intervention tools for tackling anti-social behaviour implemented by a large housing association, since the Home Office Respect Agenda Action Plan was launched in 2006. The dissertation set out to explore the use and evaluate the effectiveness of supportive interventions as compared to enforcement interventions, and especially where people with mental health problems are involved The phenomenological theoretical underpinning of the research is informed by the philosophy of reaching far beyond the facts to identify the meaning and understanding of social phenomena as the people involved in it perceive experience and interpret it.The research used a mixed method approach. It was based on a quantitative data gathered from the ...

Does Causality Orientation Moderate the Relationship between Assignment Choice and Academic Achievement in Air Force Officers Performing the Nuclear Mission?

by Christopher J. Ewing

2011

United States Air Force Officers are not often given the choice of career fields when they enter active duty. This may have some impact on performance on an academic measure in the assigned field. In addition to choice, levels of two causality orientations were assessed using Deci and Ryan's 1985 General Causality Orientation Scale, 12-Vignette version. Causality orientations are posited to exist in varying degrees in every individual and, for the purposes of this study, are tested to determine their association with academic achievement in a situation of limited choice. The overall aim of this study is to determine whether choice and/or causality orientation predict academic achievement in missileers, and if a moderation model represents the relationship between the predictors and academi...

Juvenile Firesetting

An Exploratory Analysis

by Michael L. Slavkin

2000

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, delinquency, pathology, and social skills. However, individual characteristics (delinquency, social skills, and psychopathology) were better predictors of recidivism, the magnitude of fire damage and the ...

A Study of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) with Japanese Subjects

by Jennifer L. Gray

1999

The purpose of the study was to identify common themes on the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) for Japanese subjects. In addition, Japanese TAT themes were compared with American TAT themes (Stein, 1981) for any significant differences. It was hypothesized that significant differences in narrative themes would exist between Japanese and American subjects. The subjects included sixty male and female college students attending courses in Tokyo, Japan. Subjects were enrolled in college courses during the administration of the test and ranged in age from 18 to 27 years of age. All the participants were fluent in English--allowing them to make responses in that language; therefore, eliminating the errors inherent in translation. Japanese subjects were then compared with Morris I. Stei...

Is an Objective Measuring System for Facial Attractiveness Possible?

by Mounir Bashour, MD, CM, PhD, FRCSC, FACS

2007

There exists a need for the creation of an objective system for measuring facial attractiveness and along with it a detailed mathematical analysis and understanding of facial sexual dimorphism. Both the areas of ophthalmic and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and the areas of facial attractiveness and recognition research in psychology would greatly benefit from achieving these goals. The objective of this work has been to: develop and test a system for measuring facial attractiveness in an objective manner; and analyze orbital and facial sexual dimorphism. A facial overlay system or mask variously called the phi, archetypal, golden, or golden ratio mask has been claimed to be capable of being adapted to create an objective system for measuring facial attractiveness. The cen...

The Re-Emergence of the Divine Feminine and its Significance for Spiritual, Psychological and Evolutionary Growth

by Franceska Perot, Ph.D.

2008

For millennia a patriarchal society has ruled to the exclusion of the feminine or the Goddess who was peacefully worshipped before being completely replaced by a warrior Father God. The Goddess and hence women have been relegated to second-class citizens. The concept of woman as defined by traditional patriarchal society has disempowered the female sex and deemed them inferior. This exclusion and denigration of the divine feminine has done serious damage to women and men both individually and collectively, not to mention the damage this masculine mindset has caused to the environment through wars and other aggressive acts. In this dissertation, the history of the Goddess from the Paleolithic to the present is discussed and causes for the rise of patriarchy, such as invasions by warrior cu...

Aching to Age

by Betty L. Creamer

1999

During the adolescent years, young people seek to leave behind childhood and the age of "informed consent"--i.e, the years when adults informed and expected children to consent! Teenagers strive for adult roles and passionately seek ways to prove their maturity to themselves, peers, and adults. This quest for adult roles leads teens through a variety of rites of passage both formal and informal. Some rites of passage which involve youth/adult partnerships delineate the movement from childhood to adulthood in positive ways while young people (psychological orphans) who do not have adult support for rites of passage often create their own rites which involve dangerous risk-taking and destructive behavior. Aching to Age explores rites of passage both ancient and modern, formal and informa...

Paradox Lost and Paradox Regained

An Object Relations Analysis of Two Flannery O'Connor Mother-Child Dyads

by Sherry L. Lebeck

2000

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 infant's psychological state during these first two stages of development. The concepts of mirroring, impingement, true and false self development, illusion, transitional phenomenon, and aggression ar...

Shades of Community and Conflict

Biracial Adults of African-American and Jewish-American Heritages

by Josylyn C. Segal

1998

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 might be expected to evoke conflict. A qualitative analysis, incorporating socio-cultural, psychodynamic, and historical perspectives, was utilized to investigate 1) racial and cultural stereotyping, ...

The Impact of an Anti-Bullying Program on the Prevalence of Bullying in Junior and Senior High School

by Beaton J. Walsh

2000

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 analyzed to address the above questions suggest that the anti-bullying program was ineffective in reducing the prevalence of bullying at the junior and senior high school level. The treatment group at St. ...

Cognitive, Contextual, and Personality Factors in Wife Abuse

by Brad M. Hastings

1999

This study is designed to show how personality dispositions and cognitive variables may combine with social norms to influence wife abuse. Prior research examining the role of individual differences in wife abuse has been sparse, unsystematic, and appear questionable for two reasons. First, these studies have not considered that contextual norms and cognitive variables are likely to interact with dispositional variables to either facilitate or discourage abuse. Second, the theoretical relationship between dispositional variables and macrolevel approaches (i.e. feminist and sociological) has not been investigated. How demographic variables, contextual norms, and individual differences interact may have important implications for the study of wife abuse. The present project addresses th...

Customized Job Enrichment and its Effect on Job Performance

by Ira Feder

1999

A new type of highly customized job enrichment was studied for its impact on job performance, by comparing its impact on job performance to those resulting from classical job enrichment. The study was conducted on participants comprised of employees of a financial institution and a small section of a residential population. Participants (n=38) were Human Resources staff in the financial institution and of mixed professional occupations in the other group. The Job Diagnostic Survey was used to measure job enrichment, and performance ratings were used to measure job performance. Correlations between job enrichment and job performance were studied for those participants categorized in classically enriched jobs vs. those in jobs that had customized job enrichment. Certain limitations of t...

Adolescents' Recollection of Early Physical Contact

Implications for Attachment and Intimacy

by Mark D. Oleson

1998

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 (touch); Simpson's attachment style measure; Gerlsma, Arrindell, Van der Veen, and Emmelkamp's parental warmth measure; and Rosenthal, Gurney, and Moore's Erikson Psychosocial Inventory Scale to assess i...

Children's Beliefs about the Social Consequences of Emotional Expression

by Jose Feito

1997

This study investigated young children's expectations regarding others' potential reactions to their emotional displays. These expectations were considered precursors to the display rules for emotional expression evident in middle childhood. Possible gender differences in the children's expectancies for the expression of anger, sadness and fear were examined. Preschool and early grade school children (ages 4.3-6.4 & 7.0-8.7, respectively) were presented with eight hypothetical narratives illustrated with felt puppets. The identity of an audience figure accompanying the protagonist of each narrative varied between subjects in three experimental conditions: mother, father, and same-sex peer. The narratives also varied the social context within which the protagonist expressed an emotion. ...

Hawaii and Christian Religious Addiction

A Survey Of Attitudes Toward Healthy Spirituality And Religious Addiction Within Christianity

by James Slobodzien

2003

A literature review was conducted on the relatively newly recognized phenomenon of religious addiction within Christianity. The symptoms, beliefs, and stages of religious addiction along with the characteristics of religiously addictive organizations are also considered. In addition a religious attitudes inventory was designed to assess general spirituality, religious addictive beliefs, religious addictive symptoms, and church leadership practices. The author surveyed ministers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and the general public to assess the relationship between religious addiction and church leadership. More specifically, the purpose of this survey was to attempt to determine if religious addictive beliefs and symptoms are more positively correlated with churches s...

Determinants of High Risk Sexual Behavior

The Advocate Study of Gay Men

by Harry Drasin

2000

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 numbers of participants and large numbers of variables, included all sizes of metropolitan areas, and specifically defined high-risk sexual activity. While many of the results confirm previous studi...

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Malt Liquor Beer Drinking Behavior Among African American Men in South Central Los Angeles

by Didra Brown Taylor

2000

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 phenomena nor adequately provided a culturally specific theoretical framework by which to start addressing these issues. The present study uses an Africentric perspective based on the Association of...

Seniors on the Internet

Correlation Between Levels of Depression and Time Spent in Communications Activities, Information-gathering Activities, and Personal Transactions

by Marie Napoli

2000

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 used as the correlation coefficient. Level of significance was .05. No significant correlation was found between the variable level of depression and the three categories of online activities. Fur...

Innovative Interventions in Psychotherapy

by Seymour Hoffman and Brurit Laub

2006

The present volume unquestionably constitutes a significant contribution to clinical literature. The case reports, with their descriptions of many types of therapeutic interventions and combinations of interventions in dealing with a wide variety of difficulties presented by different patients and patient groups, as well as the discussions of important topics in psychotherapy, add to our knowledge of the many facets of psychotherapy, enrich our understanding of the treatment process, and deepen our appreciation of the importance of therapeutic sensitivity and flexibility.

The Effects of Career Development on Employment and Recidivism Among Juvenile Offenders

by Leendert Roos

2006

A major failure of the juvenile justice system is to provide youth with career development skills that will ensure their successful entry into the workforce and reduce recidivism. This study had two purposes, which were to first examine the impact of career development on the formation of mature attitudes and competencies for realistic career decision-making for incarcerated youthful offenders, and second to determine the likelihood of gaining employment and the probability of recidivism for this population from participation in career development. A random sample (N = 50) was selected from a population of incarcerated youth offenders, approximately half of which participated in an employment program. The Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) was administered to both groups as pre- and ...

The Experience of Long-Term Sobriety for Men Ages 55 Through 65 Who Are Currently Members of Alcoholics Anonymous

by James M. Strawbridge, Ph.D

2007

For several decades, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has played a major role in the lives of people recovering from alcohol dependence. For many, AA is a first-line treatment, while others join AA during inpatient or outpatient substance abuse treatment programs. Many AA members are middle-aged and older adults. However, in an organization that does not keep formal records, it is difficult to discern what proportion of older members classify as early onset or late-onset alcohol dependents. The research question was: What is the experience of long-term sobriety for men ages 55 through 65 who are currently members of Alcoholics Anonymous? Older adults have historically been neglected in research on AA, as they have been in research on substance abuse in general. A key source of AA’s strength lies ...

Special Education Students' Perceptions of Counseling

A Qualitative Analysis

by Harry Barsuk, Ed.D., NCC

2005

The purpose of this study was to uncover the counseling-related thoughts and feelings of special education students who began their participation in counseling involuntarily. Under exploration were the client variables and other influences that accounted for resistant or cooperative approaches toward participation in counseling. Eight students enrolled in special education classes at one middle school and two high schools in a rural area of Western New York State were randomly selected from a list of 24 potential research participants. The list of 24 potential research participants was assembled by a local expert commissioned to do so using a purposeful sampling method. A qualitatively designed, semi-structured interview format was chosen as the means of data collection. All int...