Ethnically Mixed Individuals: Cultural Homelessness or Multicultural Integration? (open access)

Ethnically Mixed Individuals: Cultural Homelessness or Multicultural Integration?

Studies addressing racial/ethnic identity development have often overlooked the developmental cultural context. The impact of growing up with contradictory cultures has not been well explored. Immersion in multiple cultures may produce mixed patterns of strengths deficits. This study reviews the literature's currently inconsistent usage of the terms race, ethnicity, and culture; introduces the concept and theoretical framework of Cultural Homelessness; relates CH to multicultural integration; and develops two study-specific measures (included) to examine the construct validity of CH. The sample’s (N = 448, 67% women) racial, ethnic, and cultural mixture was coded back three generations using complex coding criteria. Empirical findings supported the CH-specific pattern of cognitive and social strengths with emotional difficulties: social adaptability and cross-cultural competence but also low self-esteem and shame regarding diff
Date: May 1999
Creator: Navarrete-Vivero, Veronica
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vicarious Traumatization, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Burnout in Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Agency Staff and Volunteers (open access)

Vicarious Traumatization, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Burnout in Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Agency Staff and Volunteers

Two constructs, vicarious trauma (VT) and secondary traumatic stress (STS), describe therapists’ reactions to clients’ traumatic material. VT (TSI Belief Scale [BSL]), emphasizes cognitive belief system changes resulting from cumulative exposure to survivors. STS, (Compassion Fatigue Self-test for Psychotherapists [CFST]) combines PTSD and burnout symptomatology explaining sudden adverse reactions to survivors. Burnout (BO; Maslach Burnout Inventory [MBI]), links emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and deficient personal accomplishment to inadequate institutional supports in interpersonally demanding work. This study investigated BSL and CFST validity, counselor trauma history, and client exposure-related VT, STS, and BO in 105 trauma counselors. Results demonstrate concurrent validity between BSL and CFST; other results dispute adequate validity. BO, and client exposure were related. Traumatized counselors scored higher than non-traumatized counselors on CFST, BSL, and SCL-90-R.
Date: August 1999
Creator: Baird, Stephanie
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Investigation of Psychopathy in a Female Jail Sample: a Study of Convergent and Discriminant Validity (open access)

An Investigation of Psychopathy in a Female Jail Sample: a Study of Convergent and Discriminant Validity

The present study was designed to assess both the construct of psychopathy in a female jail sample as well as the quality of the measures that have been employed to assess this personality style. Utilizing the multitrait-multimethod matrix proposed by Campbell and Fiske (1959), the construct of psychopathy was measured via three instruments: (a) the Antisocial Scale of the Personality Assessment Inventory, (b) the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised, and (c) the Antisocial Scale of the Personality Disorder Examination. In addition, the predictive validity of each of these measures of psychopathy was evaluated to determine their ability to predict institutional violence and non-compliance. The results revealed significant convergence and divergence across the three instruments supporting the construct of psychopathy in a female jail sample. In addition, the measures of psychopathy demonstrated moderate predictive validity.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Salekin, Randall T. (Randall Todd)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Father Absence, Onset of Menarche, and Body Dissatisfaction: Importance of Father Absence (open access)

Father Absence, Onset of Menarche, and Body Dissatisfaction: Importance of Father Absence

Relationships between body dissatisfaction, dieting methods, father absence, and puberty timing were investigated in this study. Participants included adolescent females from Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health. Logistic regression results indicated that girls without a biological father in the home were significantly more likely to have an early onset of puberty than on-time or late. Girls who experienced early puberty exhibited higher levels of body dissatisfaction, but didn't use more dieting methods. Early onset girls more likely used dieting methods if their biological father was present than absent; however, no significant difference in body dissatisfaction was shown. A negative relationship with fathers indicated more body dissatisfaction. None of the attained findings were found when the biological mother was absent, and having a stepfather did not seem to matter. Evidence was revealed that fathers play a role in their daughters' view of their own bodies.
Date: August 1999
Creator: Gartrell, Stacey R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Influence of Family Environment on Ease of Discussion of Sexual Issues With a Partner (open access)

Influence of Family Environment on Ease of Discussion of Sexual Issues With a Partner

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ease of discussion of sexual likes and dislikes with a sexual partner and religious, expressive, and affectional influences in the family of origin.
Date: May 1995
Creator: Broodo, Beth (Beth Lauren)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Relationship of Team Design and Maintenance on Performance and Satisfaction for Self-Directed Work Teams (open access)

Relationship of Team Design and Maintenance on Performance and Satisfaction for Self-Directed Work Teams

Five models for designing work teams from the Work Group Design Measure (Campion & Medsker, 1992b) and the models7 relationships to effectiveness criteria were compared using 30 self-directed work teams (SDWTs) in a manufacturing/production setting of a large defense contractor. The models which are from social psychology, socio-technical systems theory, industrial engineering, and organizational psychology include Job Design, Composition, Context/Resources, Potency/Interdependence, and Process. The study also examined distinguishing demographics, team characteristics, and interpersonal processes within the teams that differentiate higher performing teams and/or teams with higher job satisfaction. Effectiveness criteria were performance and job satisfaction. Among the findings, four of the five team design models (i.e., excluding the Composition Model), and the team-oriented interpersonal group processes correlated with performance and SDWT member job satisfaction.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Root, Dawn G. (Dawn Gaignat)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Classification of Denial in Sex Offenders; an Investigation of Response Styles (open access)

Classification of Denial in Sex Offenders; an Investigation of Response Styles

Standard psychological assessment instruments have not produced consistent results by which decisions can be made regarding the appropriate placement and legal disposition of an individual who has committed a sexual offense. The purpose of the present study was to systematically investigate deception and dissimulation as measured by three assessment instruments commonly utilized with sex offenders. A denial classification system was utilized in order to classify offenders into categories based on their level of admission to the legal system. The four group classification system did not produce significant differences on all measures of deception and dissimulation. Contrary to previous research, admitters were found to respond more defensively than deniers on one of the assessment instruments. In addition, partial deniers were identified as responding significantly differently from both admitters and deniers on a separate instrument. The differences found suggest that sex offenders' level of deception is multifaceted. Difficulties in identifying classificatory strategies and implications for theoretical conceptions of denial within this population are discussed.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Cruise, Keith R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Longitudinal Investigation of Different Exercise Modalities on Social Physique Anxiety (open access)

A Longitudinal Investigation of Different Exercise Modalities on Social Physique Anxiety

The current study examined if students' levels of social physique anxiety vary depending on the type of exercise setting they select. The study determined the degree to which social physique anxiety changed over the course of semester-long involvements in different exercise settings.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Diehl, Nancy S. (Nancy Sue)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effect of Presence of Support Systems and Level of Agreement on the Performance of Work Groups (open access)

The Effect of Presence of Support Systems and Level of Agreement on the Performance of Work Groups

In the study of team-based organizations most of the research has focus on the internal make-up and structure of teams. Recently there has been more interest in the effects that environment has on teams. With this new focus Support Systems in organizations have become an area of interest. Examining the perceptions of workers with respect to support systems of organizations could give insight into performance. This study specifically examines the interaction between a team's shared perception of the support in their environment and the level of support in their environment. The interaction between the two does seem to have a strong relationship with perceived performance. How do the two concepts interact, and what does this mean for organizational designers? Both questions are discussed.
Date: May 1999
Creator: Adcock, John R. (John Roger)
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Construct Validation Study of the Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY) Using an Incarcerated Juvenile Population (open access)

A Construct Validation Study of the Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY) Using an Incarcerated Juvenile Population

The Personality Inventory for Youth (PIY) is a recently developed, multiscale assessment instrument designed specifically for adolescents between the ages of nine and 18. The purpose of this archival study was to establish clinical correlates for the PIY scales. PIY profiles were collected from 100 juvenile files at the Gainesville State School and examined in conjunction with the Child Assessment Scale (CAS) and the Personal Attitude Scale (PAS) to provide evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Results indicate modest to moderate convergent validity according to Campbell and Fiske's criteria for construct validity; however, discriminant results indicate considerable overlap among traits which are not expected to be highly correlated.
Date: August 1997
Creator: Liff, Christine Denise
System: The UNT Digital Library
Team Compensation Systems: a Survey and Analysis (open access)

Team Compensation Systems: a Survey and Analysis

The purpose of this project was to examine team compensation systems and to evaluate the impact of their critical elements--level (what to motivate), compensation mixture (what rewards motivate), and employee perceptions (how to motivate)--on team effectiveness. Twenty-three organizations, 108 teams, and 769 team members participated in this study. Project results found that teams that utilized team level rewards, especially when associated with a complete compensation mixture, had significantly higher team effectiveness scores compared to teams that utilized only individual level rewards. With respect to employee perceptions, results found that: (a) perceptions of system understanding, measure controllability, pay-for-performance, and payout frequency, particularly, were significant components of employee compensation system satisfaction; and (b) employee compensation system satisfaction and perceptions of compensation system effectiveness were significantly related.
Date: August 1998
Creator: Zobal, Cheryl
System: The UNT Digital Library
Factors Impacting Employee Acceptance of an Alternative Reward System (open access)

Factors Impacting Employee Acceptance of an Alternative Reward System

This study is intended to analyze employee acceptance of an alternative reward system that reinforces continuous learning, teamwork, major expansion of individual capabilities, business knowledge application, and business unit (team) performance. This system is in contrast with traditional pay systems that reward seniority and individual performance determined by the subjective ratings of a direct supervisor, with pay increases based mainly on current job grade (and the availability of higher job grades within the company) and comparison with market value of the job. Individuals from three areas of a major electronics manufacturing company in the southwestern part of the United States served as subjects.
Date: December 1994
Creator: Rose, Jodi (Jodi Louise)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Optimism, Health Locus of Control, and Quality of Life of Women with Recurrent Breast Cancer (open access)

Optimism, Health Locus of Control, and Quality of Life of Women with Recurrent Breast Cancer

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role that specific factors play in the quality of life (QL) for women with recurrent breast cancer.
Date: December 1998
Creator: Graci, Gina M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Examination of the Criterion-Related Validity of a Developmental Assessment Center (open access)

An Examination of the Criterion-Related Validity of a Developmental Assessment Center

The purpose of this study was to investigate the criterion-related validity of an assessment center's competency dimension ratings, exercise ratings, and standardized test scores. Numerous studies have clearly demonstrated assessment centers display substantial evidence of content and criterion-related validity. However, the inability of assessment centers to display construct-related validity has caused a great deal of concern among researchers. The suggestions of these researchers are addressed through a more detailed examination of the criterion-related validity of an assessment center. Despite a number of methodological issues, two competency dimensions and two components stand out as viable predictors of the criteria used in this study. Examination of individual and incremental validity coefficients reveals the Strategic Focus and Attracting and Developing Talent competency dimensions, the In-Basket exercise, and the Watson-Glaser scaled score consistently predict the criteria used in this study. The implications of these results for future research are discussed.
Date: August 1998
Creator: Yurkon, Andrew C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Test-Retest Reliability on the Revised Conner's Parent Rating Scale (open access)

Test-Retest Reliability on the Revised Conner's Parent Rating Scale

The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the Revised Conners' Parent Rating Scale. The Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-48) was administered to 59 elementary school children between the ages of 5 and 10 years. After a period of two weeks, the same children were re-tested with the CPRS-48. The results of this research lend support to the integrity of the test-retest reliability of the CPRS-48. The need for further psychometric studies on the Conners' Scales is noted.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Gomez, Debra T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Training Needs in the Public and Private Sectors (open access)

A Comparison of Training Needs in the Public and Private Sectors

The training needs of managers in the public and private sectors were investigated and compared. Future trends in training that are foreseen by these managers were also researched. Forty-four public sector managers and 34 private sector managers completed a questionnaire covering such topics as: current training needs, current training efficiency, and future trends in training. Topics covered included an overview of the problem, identification and explanation of current trends in topical literature, results of the research, and conclusions drawn from the findings. The results indicated a small difference in current training needs of the two sectors. Recommendations for future studies included a larger sample population and a follow-up study of the private sector managers.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Delfeld, Lauri A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coping with Job Loss and Career Stress: Effectiveness of Stress Management Training with Outplaced Employees (open access)

Coping with Job Loss and Career Stress: Effectiveness of Stress Management Training with Outplaced Employees

A stress management intervention was developed and integrated into the services provided by one of the nation's largest outplacement consultants. The purpose of the intervention was to aid outplacement clients in the management and resolution of stress associated with job loss and career transition. Based on the results of this study, the intervention had the effect of helping treatment participants maintain their levels of effective coping when compared to nonparticipants. This study supports the hypothesis that stress management training can be helpful for unemployed individuals and may impact their emotional well-being as they go through the job search process.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Maysent, Anne Miya
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cognitive Appraisal, Anxiety, and Coping Strategies in Mediating SAM Activation to a Psychological Stressor (open access)

Cognitive Appraisal, Anxiety, and Coping Strategies in Mediating SAM Activation to a Psychological Stressor

The purpose of this study was to examine Dienstbier's (1989) hypothesis that SAM elicitation is prompted by subject's cognitive expectations of an acute stressor ('challenge' or 'threat' appraisal). Reported anxiety was also measured.
Date: August 1998
Creator: Ennis, Michael Patrick
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationship between Level of African-American Acculturation and Affiliation with Fraternities and Sororities (open access)

The Relationship between Level of African-American Acculturation and Affiliation with Fraternities and Sororities

Ninety-nine African-American undergraduates, at a historically Black college, completed the African American Acculturation Scale to compare fraternity/sorority members with independents' participation in Black cultural traditions versus dominant White society. Greek members were hypothesized to be more traditional, because these organizations represent ethnic enclaves, have duplicate institutions, and communicate ethnic socialization; findings did not support this, but reasons for joining did. They were more superstitious in their beliefs than nonmembers, likely related to pledgeship and initiation rituals. Validity data on the new measure were provided. Why participants join fraternities, why they like/dislike them, and what purposes they serve was also examined.
Date: August 1998
Creator: Wilcots, Kylynnedra D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Differential Diagnosis of Sexually Abused Children: a Survey of Psychologists (open access)

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Differential Diagnosis of Sexually Abused Children: a Survey of Psychologists

Psychologists' diagnostic choices when the specificity of child sexual abuse in a clinical vignette is varied was examined. The degree to which Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was judged to be a viable diagnostic choice among a set of diagnoses was analyzed under conditions with sexual abuse stated, implied, not stated, and excluded. PTSD was rated as more likely for the stated and implied sexual abuse vignettes than for the not stated and excluded vignettes.
Date: August 1997
Creator: Gonzalez, Christine
System: The UNT Digital Library
Differences between Acknowledged and Unacknowledged Rape: Occurrence of PTSD (open access)

Differences between Acknowledged and Unacknowledged Rape: Occurrence of PTSD

This study examined the relation between level of rape acknowledgement and levels of PTSD symptoms reported in female college students. Subjects were administered the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES), the PTSD Interview, and a demographics questionnaire. Subjects were then grouped into the following categories based on their responses to the SES: reported rape victims, acknowledged rape victims, unacknowledged rape victims, and a control group of non-rape subjects. Small sample analyses did not reveal the expected linear relation between the two variables. Only the acknowledged group showed greater PTSD symptoms. The unacknowledged and control groups did not significantly differ on overall PTSD symptom severity, or on any cluster of PTSD symptoms. Naturalistic selection factors are discussed that could have affected the outcome of the study.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Ovaert, Lynda B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparing Quality of Life: American and Portuguese Cancer Patients with Hematological Malignancies (open access)

Comparing Quality of Life: American and Portuguese Cancer Patients with Hematological Malignancies

The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences and similarities of quality of life (QoL) in American and Portuguese cancer patients with hematological malignancies as well as the robustness of the measures cross-culturally. Portuguese participants were 98 patients and 49 accompanying persons and the American participants were 55 patients and 22 accompanying persons. Fifty (Portuguese sample) to 40% (American sample) of the patients came with an accompanying person who answered the questionnaire concerning the patient's QoL. The two cultural groups were characterized in terms of QoL (measured by the SF-36 and the FLIC), social support (Social Support Scale), socio-demographic and clinical variables. Portuguese patients reported a higher QoL. However, this result could be attributable to the fact that the two cultural samples differ in socio-economic status. The measures seem to be comparable for the Portuguese and American samples, at least in what concerns reliability and concurrent validity.
Date: December 1997
Creator: Forjaz, Maria João
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Relationship between Cause of Death, Perceptions of Funerals, and Bereavement Adjustment (open access)

The Relationship between Cause of Death, Perceptions of Funerals, and Bereavement Adjustment

Although funerals are seen as universal rituals to honor the death of a loved one, their value in facilitating the grief process is not known. The present study explored the relationships between cause of death, feelings and attitudes toward the funeral, and subsequent bereavement adjustment.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Ragow, Dina P. (Dina Paige)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Geriatric Depression Scale Among Cardiac Patients (open access)

Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Geriatric Depression Scale Among Cardiac Patients

The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was originally designed as a measure for screening depression among elderly medical patients. Although this instrument is well validated among a general medical population, it has never been evaluated with specific regard to cardiac patients, the largest single group of medical patients over 40 years of age. A general cardiac sample of 655 patients completed the GDS within 10 weeks of the cardiac event. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the main sample, then on several subgroups of participants with regard to diagnostic category, gender, and age. The GDS generally produces factor structures with several symptom domains with a high rate of total variance. The myocardial infarction group endorsed general symptoms of depression whereas the coronary artery bypass graft group reported greater levels of despair regarding their condition. Overall, males primarily reported agitation and hopelessness while females reported symptoms of depressed mood.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Hupp, Gregory S.
System: The UNT Digital Library