published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study utilized a questionnaire (n = 161) containing 50 closed-ended and two open-ended questions drawn from an Individual Psychology theoretical base and designed as an exploratory investigation of loneliness in widowhood. Participants were women over the age of 55 who had been widowed more than three years. Loneliness profiles were different when measured using the UCLA short form loneliness scale than when measured using a one-item loneliness self-report question as dependent variables. Results were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations, multiple regression, and repeated measures analysis of variance with a .05 significance level considered important. Collectively, the results of this study show the descriptive profile of loneliness in widowhood to have the following pattern. Widows who were lonely were significantly more likely to be youngest born children. Loneliness was significantly related to: depression, fear, anger expression, poor health, low social involvement, low general contact, and high neighbor disclosure. Loneliness was inversely related to happiness, neighbor contact, and child contact and disclosure. The widows were significantly more happy as: "married" women, "children," and "widows." Disclosure was directional, with widows being significantly less willing to disclose: older, younger, and same age. Disclosure was group specific, being significantly more likely to occur to: children, siblings, parents, and neighbors. Using the loneliness self-report measure, loneliness was significantly related to receiving income from work and to having a living parent. Using the UCLA measure, loneliness was unrelated to any of the following independent measures: number of children in family of origin or procreation; educational level or type; income level; income source; length of marriage or widowhood; age; length of time in the same general or specific area; and number of people living with the widow. However, liking choice of living conditions was significantly related to loneliness. When selected independent variables were entered into a multiple regression equation using the UCLA measure as a dependent variable, loss of control and reduced social involvement were significant predictors of loneliness in widowhood. Hypotheses made on the basis of Individual Psychology theory were generally supported, suggesting the appropriateness of this model in future research.

This study was designed to assess the process of meaning loss for family members who cared for their terminally ill loved ones during the grief process as well as determine factors that might be related to loss of meaning. The Purpose in Life Test (PIL) was used as the dependent measure. The independent variables consisted of age, education level, relationship to patient, gender, ethnicity, whether counseling was received, types of counseling received, and time between diagnosis, death and the present. The data were gathered on 87 caregivers who were participating in the St. Mary's Hospice program in Tucson, Arizona. All caregivers were over age 18 and between three and thirteen months past the death of their loved one. The data analyzed in four stages beginning with the development of descriptive statistics. During the second stage a correlation matrix was constructed and explored. A multiple regression was performed during the third stage to assess which of the independent variables could explain any variance obtained with the dependent measure. In the last stage a factor analysis was done and compared with a factor structure from previous research with the PIL Test. Nine hypotheses were tested producing the following results: Meaning in life tended to be higher for those less close in relationship to the patient such as nieces, nephews, and in-laws. There was no significant difference between a caregiver being a spouse, child, sibling or parent of the deceased loved one and meaning in life. There was no significant difference in age, education level, gender, ethnicity, whether counseling was received, types of counseling received and time between diagnosis, death and the present and meaning in life. The factor analysis revealed a five factor solution. It was concluded that the PIL Test taps two factors that can be labeled Purpose in Life and Contentedness With Life. The overall conclusion of the study was that caregivers in the sample possess a unique and similar sense of meaning in life that may be due to a sharing a common experience. There may also be some unifying factor about those choosing to enter a Hospice program that may attract a homogeneous group of people.

The present study addressed areas of empirical uncertainty regarding the perception of emotion by individuals with complex partial seizure (CPS) disorder focusing on a particular and controversial theoretic 'enhancement' model (Bear & Fedio, 1977). In the main, CPS groups did not differ from each other or from non-seizure neurologic (multiple sclerosis) or healthy control groups. The findings provided little support for the theoretic model, in terms of the following hypothesized CPS phenomena: (1) internal (self-awareness) and external (external stimuli) perceptual hyperemotionality, (2) emotional and behavioral hyperemotionality, and (3) a unique personality profile. Overall, rather than finding support for an enhancement model--relative to the emotion perceptual processing of patients with complex partial seizures, the current study provides data more consistent with a deficit model.

The investigation focused on differences in judgments of individuals experienced with breathlessness (due to chronic pulmonary disease, n = 30) and those without chronic experience (normal lung function, n = 30). The research had three major aims. The first tested whether symptomatic individuals made decisions based in logic and probability or some other means, such as natural assessment strategies. Participants were asked to judge the probability that certain symptom and activity descriptions would be associated with an episode of breathlessness. The results indicated symptomatic judgments based on individualized descriptors are subject to errors in logic and probability. Additionally, the results support the premise that experience with a symptom alters an individual's judgments concerning it. The second aim focused on cognitive representations and their associated influence on the perceptual analysis of breathlessness intensity by testing if the use of a typical cognitive symptom pattern (prototype) or specific remembered symptom instance (exemplar) of breathlessness influenced the determination of symptom intensity or response sensitivity (RS). Magnitude estimation techniques were used to evaluate judgments based on different (prototypes and exemplars) cognitive representations of intensity, using airflow resistance as a stimulus for breathlessness. The results demonstrated a decrease in sensitivity with a prototype and increased RS with an exemplar. This supports that judgments of breathlessness RS vary according to the cognitive representation used. The final aim tested whether cognitive prototypes of symptoms are present with breathlessness and whether these produce different patterns of response. Assuming the existence of a symptom prototype for breathlessness, the study tested whether the responses to two different but symmetrical statements about breathing status differed based on amount of experience with the symptom. The results demonstrated asymmetrical differences between groups and stimuli used supporting the existence and influence of a symptom prototype. Taken together the results suggest individuals make rational (experience-based judgments) versus logical (probability based) decisions concerning their symptoms. Cognitive representations of the symptomatic experience were found to influence judgments of intensity. Cognitive information about symptoms exists in the form of a symptom prototype.

The purpose of the research was to develop and test a scale to index the concerns of first-time expectant parents. The two-phase research design included (1) an inductive concept generation phase, consistent with the status of knowledge in the field, and (2) a quantitative deductive instrument test of the concepts from phase 1. In the inductive phase, grounded theory analysis using interviews from a theoretical sample of ten expectant parents, provided data to generate a conceptual model. The three induced constructs were Support Cycling, Transition to First-Time Parenthood and Success at Parenting. In the quantitative deductive phase, 45 female and 36 male first-time expectant parents, volunteered from childbirth classes to test the Imle Transition to Parenthood Concerns (ITPC) scale, which indexed the second of the three major constructs generated in the inductive phase. Preliminary internal consistency and content validity assessments of the scale yielded an 87 item paper and pencil scale that would measure intensity of concern about each item. Separate testing for male and female subjects was supported by Hotelling's T² in MANOVA tests of the effects of sex and measured but uncontrolled testing situation variables. Reliability estimates of the ITPC scale, with seven subscales, indicated acceptable coefficient alphas for females and males of .95 and .93, respectively. The seven subscale coefficient alphas ranged from .79 to .92 for females and from .84 to .91 for males. Concurrent criterion-related validity estimates, using one criterion item per subscale, exceeded the criterion of at least .55, ranging from .58 to .83 for females and from .59 to .86 for males. The ITPC scale met preliminary tests of reliability and concurrent criterion-related validity. Since the subject test sample was representative of the middle class, educated type of person, who usually attends childbirth education classes, scale testing results cannot be generalized to other types of samples without testing. Psychometric testing indicated clinicians can use small sub-sets of items to index expectant parent concerns in a quick, easy-to-score, valid and reliable manner. Results could offer sound information to facilitate patient counseling.

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