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The goal of this study was to investigate self-efficacy and goal choice among acting-out adolescents in comparison to nonacting-out adolescents. One hundred and sixteen adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 participated. The adolescents were categorized as either acting-out or nonacting-out on the basis of their score on the Child Behavior Checklist-Teacher's Report Form (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1986), as well as on corroborated reports made by school administrators. Fifty-eight acting-out and 58 nonacting-out adolescents completed a questionnaire packet containing measures of self-efficacy, locus of control, self-mage, and goal choice. In addition, each adolescent was interviewed and administered a brief intelligence measure. With all demographic variables covaried, the primary findings of the study were that acting-out as compared to nonacting-out adolescents experienced more incidents of failure, displayed lower general self-efficacy scores, greater external loci of control, and chose goals that were vague or less specific. The negative experiences associated with behavioral problems, such as academic failure, apparently lower adolescents' self-beliefs and abilities to specify their goals. Despite their experiential differences, however, acting-out and nonacting-out adolescents displayed similar levels of social self-efficacy, real self-image, and ideal self-image, as well as similar goal setting abilities in areas other than goal specificity. All adolescents chose a comparable number of goals, as well as comparable levels of goal difficulty, goal commitment, and procedural knowledge. The stage of adolescence with its many changes, demands, and uncertainties apparently leaves most youths with comparable self-images and goal setting abilities, regardless of whether or not they have negative experiences of social and academic failure.

Thesis (M. S.)--Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Maple, Terry L.; Committee Member: Bloomsmith, Mollie A.; Committee Member: Kelley, Michael E.; Committee Member: Marr, M. Jackson. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

This study investigated the subjectively constructed narratives of individual change for lead persons in a Therapeutic Enactment (Westwood, Keats & Wilensky, in press). Narrative investigation of Therapeutic Enactment to date has not been conducted and, as such, the study is important to the field of counselling psychology and the further development of Therapeutic Enactment. In terms of both theory and practice the study expands our understanding of the complexities of the change process in Therapeutic Enactment. It also provides the unique personal contexts related to change and it provides concrete examples of what actually changes in the lives of lead persons in Therapeutic Enactment. In this study, the co-researchers consisted of 4 female lead persons and 2 male lead persons, who had taken part in their own Therapeutic Enactment at a residential retreat on the outskirts of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The co-researchers were interviewed in-depth using person-centred narrative interviewing techniques, combined with semi-structured interview questions. Five narratives were written in the first person focusing on the subjective experience of individual change in Therapeutic Enactment. Each narrative was returned to the respective co-researcher for editing and validation at which point co-researchers removed portions of the narratives they did not want included in the study and then added or amended content that they did want to be included in the study. The principal researcher made the requested changes and then returned final copies of the narratives to each of the co-researchers. The final narratives are presented herein. The co-constructed narratives indicate that lead persons in Therapeutic Enactment experienced change on six general levels including body sensations, emotions, behaviours, thoughts, relationships and spiritual connection. This study provides an in-depth examination of the subjective narratives of individual change in Therapeutic Enactment.

The Bender-Gestalt test is one of the most widely used psychological tests in clinical practice. However, very few empirical studies have investigated its projective use with adults. The purpose of the present study was to replicate a study conducted by Sellbom et al. (2001), which examined distortions of the Bender-Gestalt hypothesized to measure antisocial, impulsive, and depressive characteristics. It was found that the findings in Sellbom et al. (2001) were partially replicated, indicating that certain distortions, especially in conjunction, were significantly related to antisocial characteristics. The author suggests that the Bender-Gestalt could potentially be used as a screening measure for antisocial characteristics, but not to measure impulsive and depressive characteristics. / Department of Psychological Science

Functional analysis techniques traditionally used in the assessment of problem behaviors in humans were used to identify the reinforcing consequences for undesirable, human-directed behaviors such as feces throwing and spitting in two captive adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). The first subject's problem behaviors were maintained by both positive and negative reinforcement contingencies, with rates being highest when the display of inappropriate behaviors resulted in access to social attention and juice. The implementation of a function-based treatment plan combining functional communication training with extinction resulted in a 90% reduction in the chimpanzee's inappropriate behaviors. No function was identified for the second subject's inappropriate behaviors. This project represents one of the first attempts to apply these function-based behavioral techniques to a non-human subject.

This study investigated the subjectively constructed narratives of individual change for lead persons in a Therapeutic Enactment (Westwood, Keats & Wilensky, in press). Narrative investigation of Therapeutic Enactment to date has not been conducted and, as such, the study is important to the field of counselling psychology and the further development of Therapeutic Enactment. In terms of both theory and practice the study expands our understanding of the complexities of the change process in Therapeutic Enactment. It also provides the unique personal contexts related to change and it provides concrete examples of what actually changes in the lives of lead persons in Therapeutic Enactment. In this study, the co-researchers consisted of 4 female lead persons and 2 male lead persons, who had taken part in their own Therapeutic Enactment at a residential retreat on the outskirts of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The co-researchers were interviewed in-depth using person-centred narrative interviewing techniques, combined with semi-structured interview questions. Five narratives were written in the first person focusing on the subjective experience of individual change in Therapeutic Enactment. Each narrative was returned to the respective co-researcher for editing and validation at which point co-researchers removed portions of the narratives they did not want included in the study and then added or amended content that they did want to be included in the study. The principal researcher made the requested changes and then returned final copies of the narratives to each of the co-researchers. The final narratives are presented herein. The co-constructed narratives indicate that lead persons in Therapeutic Enactment experienced change on six general levels including body sensations, emotions, behaviours, thoughts, relationships and spiritual connection. This study provides an in-depth examination of the subjective narratives of individual change in Therapeutic Enactment. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The present study investigated the relationship between indicators on the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test and acting-out behavior shown by 58 male and 40 female adolescents in a behaviorally oriented, alternative educational program, Acting-out behavior was measured by assessing the number of timeouts students received during their first 25 days in the program. Two Bender composite indexes were calculated--l0 emotional indicators recommended by Koppitz and 12 indicators believed related to acting-out behavior or control problems. Results found that the index of Bender acting-out indicators correlated with number of timeouts. The Koppitz index did not correlate with timeouts, suggesting lack of internal consistency. Five individual indicators correlated with number of timeouts.

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between 15 emotional indicators on the Bender-Gestalt Test and acting-out behavior in young children. The subjects were 93 children ranging in age from 5 to 12 years. Each was administered the Bender. A measure of each subject's overt acting-out behavior was then obtained by having teachers rate each student on a Behavioral Rating Scale. Subjects' records were then divided into groups on the basis of both sex and age. Results indicated that neither the total number of Bender indicators nor any of the individual Bender indicators were significantly correlated with total scores on the rating scale. Use of the Bender as a projective device to measure acting-out behavior was seriously questioned.

Addiction is one of the most significant problems facing contemporary society. Consequently many scholars, institutions and clinicians have sought to understand this complex phenomenon, as is evident in the abundance of etiological models of addiction in existence today. A literature review pointed that there is little consensus regarding the nature and etiopathogenesis of addiction, and integrative models have not yet been able to provide the sought-after integration. In addressing this problem, this study offers a theoretical analysis of the paradigmatic and meta-paradigmatic suitability of Integral Theory in the design of an integrated metatheory of addiction. The data consisted of the most prominent etiological theories and models of addiction. The study focused on several essential features constituting the architectonic of any metatheory that attempts to provide conceptual scaffolding for the construction of a comprehensive metatheory of addiction. The criteria for the construction of a metatheory were conceptual integration, ontological span, ontological depth, empirical validity and internal consistency. Integral Theory was critically assessed in terms of each of the abovementioned criteria. The study suggests that Integral Theory is eminently suitable as a philosophical foundation for the development of an integrated metatheory of addiction. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)