A training program in empathic communication skills for nursing students was designed and evaluated. Data from 13 nursing students in the trained group and nine control group students were compared. The subjects had completed videotaped roleplays with programmed roleplayers pre- and post-training. The roleplayers presented situations involving various instances of loss. Three types of dependent measures were obtained. The first was an instrument developed for the present study called the Interpersonal Behavior Rating Scale (IBRS), a checklist of 29 items conceptualized in six subscales. The scale was designed to measure perceived empathic communication, perceived nurse comfort, and projected patient satisfaction. Second, frequencies of three nonverbal behaviors were obtained: eye contact, forward trunk lean, and open position body orientation. The third measure was a post-training questionnaire administered to the trained nursing students which asked them to (1) rate their own improvement in various skill areas in the training program, (2) rank the various course components, and (3) rate the value of this sort of training for nursing students in general. Results obtained indicated that following training, the trained group improved in its level of empathic communication as measured by the IBRS and was superior to the control group. No group differences were found in the nonverbal behaviors following training. Expected improvements in relationships between the frequencies of the nonverbal behaviors and empathy, comfort, and satisfaction, as measured by the IBRS, were not obtained. The nursing students' questionnaire responses indicated that they perceived themselves as having improved in their communication skills and in their ability to talk about patients' experience of loss. They also rated the value of the program very highly. Explanations for rejected / hypotheses are discussed. The overall effectiveness of the training program in improving empathic communication skills is supported. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, Section: B, page: 0311. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

The present investigation was an effort toward understanding the large individual differences that people have consistently shown in their ability to increase their skin temperature. While most previous studies in this area have narrowed their focus to include only subject variables that might affect performance, the present study was designed to examine an experimenter variable also. It was hypothesized that subject gender and experimenter gender would interact so that subjects paired with same-sex experimenters would show better ability to increase skin temperature than would subjects paired with opposite-sex experimenters. / Six male experimenters and six female experimenters were utilized in the study. Each experimenter ran four male subjects and four female subjects through 12 trials (six baseline and six experimental) in which their task was to increase their finger temperature. The trials were equally distributed across three experimental sessions spaced approximately a week apart. During experimental trials, subjects listened to autogenic phrases and were given thermal biofeedback to enhance performance. Subjects' performance differed significantly according to which experimenter they were paired with, regardless of subject and/or experimenter gender. Further, with these differences taken into account, male subjects performed significantly better than did female subjects, regardless of experimenter gender. / Utilizing a background information questionnaire, data were collected regarding various demographic characteristics of the subject sample. It was observed that subjects' geographical background and age were significantly related to their performance on the temperature increase task. A correlational analysis revealed no significant association between subjects' scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and subjects' performance. Also subjects' scores on a locus of control scale were not significantly related to subjects' performance. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-05, Section: B, page: 2160. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

To investigate whether psychotherapists perceive religious clients as more pathological than nonreligious clients, and whether the client's presenting problem or level of pathology affect this bias, 80 practicing licensed psychologists were each presented with a case study in which a female client was described as involved in either religious or nonreligious activities. The client was also described as either depressed or oppositional. An MMPI profile which was presented to the therapists depicted the client as either moderately or severely pathological. A 2 (religious versus nonreligious client) x 2 (depressed versus oppositional client) x 2 (severe versus moderate pathology MMPI elevation) ANOVA was performed on therapists' ratings of the client's severity of pathology. Although no main effects were found, a significant three-way interaction was found. Therapists perceived the client as most pathological when the client was described as religious, oppositional, and with the severe pathology MMPI profile. Therapists perceived the client as least pathological when the client was described as nonreligious, depressed, and with the moderate pathology MMPI profile. No distinctions were made on the dimension of client pathology for the other six conditions. / As a manipulation check, the therapists were asked to rate the religiousness of the client. The client described as religious in the case descriptions was rated as significantly more religious than the client who was not described as religious; however, an inspection of the cell means indicated this difference did not hold for all experimental conditions. It is difficult to determine to what degree the manipulation was weak and to what degree the manipulation check was weak. Nonetheless, even with a weak manipulation, significant differences were found on the pathology ratings related to client religiousness. / The results of the present study provide evidence that, under certain circumstances, psychotherapists exhibit some degree of bias against clients who are religious. Speculations were made regarding how this bias might be manifested within the context of actual psychotherapy. The results of this study demonstrate that the issue of therapist bias is complex and requires complex designs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: B, page: 2636. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

This study proposed and tested a three stage paradigm of burnout: (a) etiology stage, in which stress builds up on the human service worker (HSW), (b) negative internal experience stage (NIE), marked by exhaustion and depersonalization of clients, and (c) consequence stage, which is defined by negative overt consequences for the client and organization. A total of 469 HSWs who worked at a variety of inpatient units in Illinois were utilized. All HSWs had completed a Staff Biographical Data Sheet, the Pittsburgh Scale of Extraversion-Introversion and Emotionality, and Opinions About Mental Illness. Questions from the last two scales were used to create measure of the NIE stage. All HSWs were observed interacting with clients and their behaviors were recorded on the Staff Resident Interaction Chronograph (SRIC), an observational assessment system. Linear regression analysis between the three stages showed few significant and no meaningful relationships. Perhaps the most surprising result is the lack of a theoretically expected relationship between the NIE stage and client care. / Social factors (i.e., group and leadership factors) were hypothesized as important etiological variables in the burnout process. Design limitations prevented adequate testing of these assumptions, but exploratory data suggest that social factors, especially leadership, are important in the etiology of burnout. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: B, page: 2636. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

A two phase study was carried out to evaluate the impact of the deinstitutionalization movement on the admission and discharge practices of a large state psychiatric hospital in Florida. Phase I involved a follow-up study of 370 patients who were subject to discharge in 1973, the year after new deinstitutionalization legislation went into effect. Over one-third died at the hospital during 1973-1984. Eighty-seven percent of those who did not die were discharged, most returning to live with relatives. Forty-two percent of those initially discharged were subsequently readmitted. Barriers to community placement were examined for the remaining 45 patients. Barriers to discharge included both clinical and nonclinical factors. Behavioral problems accounted for most of the clinical barriers while nonclinical factors included legal or financial constraints and the lack of appropriate support systems or residential facilities in the community. / Phase II of the study examined the characteristics of 227 patients admitted to the hospital during 1983-84, ten years after deinstitutionalization policies were implemented at the state level. The average patient in this admissions population was male, younger than 40, had three prior admissions and a history of alcohol or drug abuse. Sixty-seven percent had not been employed within the three years preceding admission, and 85% were indigent. Over one-fourth had a history of contact with the criminal justice system. Most stayed at the hospital less than six months. The utilization of the state hospital varied among counties as some communities referred patients to the hospital rather than keep them in a community-based facility as cost saving measure and as a means of social control for deviant behavior not tolerated within the community. In addition to providing treatment which was primarily stabilization via psychotropic medication, it was determined that the state hospital also continues to provide custodial care and asylum, particularly for more elderly patients. Utilization of all three of these functions is expected to continue into the future, as perpetuated by the hospital itself and the community it serves. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: B, page: 0365. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

Reinforcers were selected according to one of two procedures with six developmentally disabled students who displayed a variety of stereotypic behaviors. One selection procedure involved presenting a wide variety of stimuli to students and quantitatively measuring the impact of stimulus presentation upon behavior. The other procedure involved selecting reinforcers according to the best judgement of professionals familiar with individual students. It was hypothesized that reinforcers which were empirically-derived would result in more significant behavior changes than nonsystematically selected reinforcers. These hypotheses were subsequently tested in two experiments by using each group of reinforcers in a reinforcement-based paradigm, measuring subsequent behavior changes, and analyzing the degree to which differing amounts of behavior change occurred. An additional probe condition was included where novel stimuli were presented to students. Within-subject experimental designs were used to compare differences in observed amounts of targeted appropriate and inappropriate behaviors when different groups of reinforcers were used during class time. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that the use of empirically-derived reinforcers resulted in higher observed rates of appropriate behavior and correspondingly lower rates of inappropriate behavior than those selected according to professionals' best judgement or those which were novel to students. These findings are discussed in terms of the advantages of using objects as opposed to food as reinforcers. Experiment 2 was an attempt to replicate the findings in Experiment 1 using only objects which were selected according to one of the two procedures described in Experiment 1. Results indicated that more stable and lower overall rates of self-stimulation were observed when empirically-derived reinforcers were used. / These findings are discussed in terms of the relationship between the use of different types of object reinforcers and their effect upon the self-stimulatory behaviors. The advantages of empirically-based reinforcer assessment procedures are discussed and guidelines for their development are suggested. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: B, page: 0373. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

Undergraduate female subjects interacted in a dyadic setting with male and female confederates displaying combinations of behaviors hypothesized to mediate others' responses to depressed individuals. Confederates revealed personal problems while enacting either depressed, anxious or normal roles. Self-blaming, non-blaming, and other-blaming statements regarding the confederates' problems were added to the portrayals of psychologically disturbed and normal behavior. Advice was requested by the confederates in one-half of the conditions. Results indicated that depressed confederates had more aversive interpersonal impact and were rejected more on measures of subject preference for further interaction but received more advice and support than the equally disturbed anxious confederates. There was no evidence of a negative mood induction in subjects. The sex of the confederate or the addition of blaming and advice-seeking behavior did not appear to have important interpersonal consequences. These findings are discussed in terms of current interpersonal theories of depression. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-11, Section: B, page: 4030. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

Literally hundreds of behavioral self-help manuals have been marketed to the public aimed at resolving a wide array of problems. The potential savings of therapist time and client dollars is formidable. Noncompliance is, however, a continuing problem. Noncompliance rates from 30 - 50% are typically reported. Application of Marlatt's relapse prevention strategies (described to our patients as the Goal Violation Effect--GVE) presents one possible way of conceptualizing and potentially decreasing noncompliance. / Thirty-nine dental patients were given a self-administered desensitization treatment designed to be completed in 15 half-hour sessions. Half of the patients received treatment manuals which contained an explanation of the GVE model and instructions on how to counter behaviors and thoughts often associated with noncompliance. A verbal presentation of the GVE material was also given. The remainder of the patients received manuals which contained only the fear reduction treatment text and an admonition to completely read the manual. After 15 days the dental patients were recontacted and assessments of compliance (by self-report and unobtrusive measures) and self-efficacy were undertaken. / There were no group differences in overall compliance. Those patients receiving the GVE manipulation completed the text in less time and required fewer days to collect post-treatment data. There was strong agreement between self-report of compliance and an unobtrusive compliance measure. Females were more compliant with the therapy text requiring written responses and had significantly higher self-efficacy ratings at pre-treatment. There were no post-treatment group differences in self-efficacy. The discussion focuses on the cost-effectiveness of the GVE compliance enhancement technique and the fear reduction treatment. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-07, Section: B, page: 3108. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

Nontraditional occupational choices were examined within the context of aspirations, or ideal choices, and expectations, or realistic choices. As background for the study, the literature on occupational stereotyping was reviewed. A major purpose of the study was to determine if altering subjects' perceptions of base rates, or the proportions of males and females in a given occupation, would affect subjects' reactions to that occupation. The relationship between nontraditional occupational choices and several subject and parental characteristics was also explored. Subjects consisted of 107 female and 82 male seventh grade students, who were each given a description of one occupation. Control subjects were told that the base rate of that occupation would remain stable. Experimental subjects were told that the percentage of the non-dominant sex would increase to 50% in the future. Subjects rated the occupation as both an ideal and a realistic choice for them. Measures of subjects' open-ended occupational choices, sex role attribution, and parents' occupation and education were also obtained. Contrary to expectations, the experimental manipulation did not affect subjects' ratings of the occupations. On the open-ended responses, significant sex differences were found, with males making job selections which were more traditional than the choices made by females. The majority of females named a nontraditional job for both their ideal and realistic choices. Weak relationships were obtained between background variables and subjects' job choices, with father's education emerging as the best predictor of a male-dominated occupation. Androgynous individuals were no more likely than other types to choose a nontraditional occupation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-07, Section: B, page: 3118. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

The present study was an attempt to replicate and extend Loewenstein and Hokanson's (in press) work on social information processing of depressed individuals. Specifically, it was designed to examine whether depressed subjects would demonstrate decreased recall for positive and negative social information about themselves relative to nondepressed controls. Of particular interest was whether depressives' recall of positive and negative self-information would be differently affected by presenting this conflicting information together as opposed to separately (positive self-information presented with neutral self-information, or negative self-information presented with neutral self-information). / The results of the present investigation yielded results that were inconsistent with predictions generated by Coyne's (1976) and Loewenstein and Hokanson's (in press) formulations. There were no differences between depressed, nondepressed high-anxious and nondepressed low-anxious subjects in recall of positive or negative social information about the self whether this information was presented separately or together. The results of other analyses were also at odds with past research/theory. / The discrepancy between results obtained in the present study and in Loewenstein and Hokanson's two previous investigations were examined by making quantitative comparisons across the three studies using post-hoc analyses. It is argued that paradigmatic differences may have accounted for the failure to replicate Loewenstein and Hokanson's previous work. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-10, Section: B, page: 4305. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.