Thesis--Wisconsin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-100).

This program of research investigated the role of cognitive factors in adjustment to cochlear implantation. A cochlear implant is a medical device for severe to profoundly deaf individuals that simulates sound in the cochlea by electrically stimulating the hearing nerve. The audiological benefits of implantation have shown to be highly variable and difficult to predict. This has led to the utilisation of psychological factors to predict adjustment. The aim of this thesis was to develop an understanding of the psychological factors influencing adjustment to implantation within a cognitive framework. Three studies were conducted that investigated the central hypothesis that individuals with a maladaptive cognitive style are more likely to experience poorer psychological adjustment following implantation. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey that aimed to identify the main predictors of post-implant adjustment in a large representative sample of adult cochlear implant recipients. Participants completed measures of hearing-related cognitions, anxious and depressive symptomatology, emotional reaction to the implant, and hearing-related demographic characteristics. Psychological adjustment was assessed as stress and coping in relation to hearing impairment. The tendency to engage more frequently in negative hearing-related cognitions was found to be the strongest predictor of adjustment. This finding was consistent with the hypothesis that a maladaptive cognitive style plays a key role in determining psychological outcomes following implantation. Study 2 extended Study 1 by experimentally investigating the impact of a specific maladaptive cognitive process, rumination, on cochlear implant recipients' response to an auditory task. Based on the Study 1 finding that negative cognitions predicted poorer adjustment, participants engaged in either a positive or negative rumination task. During rumination, participants focussed on a series of either positive or negative self-statements. Following rumination, participants completed an auditory (story listening) task. Participants then rated their mood, extent of negative cognitions, and the perceived difficulty of the auditory task. Inconsistent with predictions, participants who engaged in negative rumination did not respond more negatively on any of the ratings than participants who engaged in positive rumination. A correlational analysis, however, showed that greater perceived task difficulty was associated with lower frequency of engagement in positive cognitions about hearing. Study 3 employed a thought suppression paradigm to investigate in cochlear implant recipients the effects of suppressing thoughts about hearing difficulty during an auditory task. It was predicted that participants instructed to suppress would experience an increased frequency of target thoughts and greater negative mood, both during and after suppression. During the first (baseline) experimental period, both suppression and non-suppression participants monitored their thoughts by pressing a button when they experienced a thought about hearing difficulty. In the second (suppression) period, suppression participants suppressed their thoughts about hearing difficulty. In the third (post-suppression) period, suppression participants were instructed to no longer suppress their thoughts. Participants who suppressed had an increased frequency of target thoughts subsequent to, but not during, suppression. There were no differences between suppression and non-suppression participants for mood, either during or after suppression. The finding of a delayed increase in target thoughts indicated that attempting to suppress thoughts about hearing difficulty may be a maladaptive cognitive strategy for managing unwanted negative cognitions about hearing in cochlear implant recipients. In concluding, the thesis proposes a cognitive model of adjustment to cochlear implantation that synthesises the findings of the studies conducted and takes into account the cognitive theories that informed the program of research. The major components of this model include the tendency to engage in negative hearing-related cognitions, the maladaptive cognitive processes employed to manage negative hearing-related cognitions, and cognitive load factors. While far from conclusive, the model presents an initial framework within which the current findings can be understood and further hypotheses generated. Methodologically, the model also provides an empirically informed framework for future investigations into the cognitive factors associated with adjustment in cochlear implant users.

Emotional Intelligence ( EI ) is held to explain how emotions may function to advance life goals, with the basic proposition being that individuals monitor and discriminate emotions within themselves and others to solve problems. A number of different theories of EI have been proposed and consequently there is still controversy about the best way in which to conceptualise and measure EI. It is, nonetheless, agreed that the relevance of EI is largely dependent on it being able to predict significant life outcomes. Academic achievement, life satisfaction, coping, problem - solving ability and anxiety are variables that have relevance in academic, occupational and interpersonal situations. The relationship between these variables and EI was assessed in two diverse populations ( University sample : N = 246 ; mean age = 19.9 ; Older community sample : N = 212 ; mean age = 51.6 ). The magnitude and direction of findings in both studies were found to be remarkably similar. As expected, older adults ( community sample ) were found to score significantly higher on EI than younger adults ( University sample ). Few gender differences in EI, however, were apparent, but those that were significantly favoured females. Previously identified relationships suggesting that self - report EI measures are moderately - to - highly correlated to personality, whereas ability EI is reasonably distinct from other constructs, were also upheld. Inconsistent with previous research, however, differential associations between EI and verbal and abstract reasoning ability were not observed. Fitting theoretical expectations, in both studies EI was low - to - moderately correlated with higher life satisfaction, problem and emotion focused coping and perceived problem solving ability and with lower avoidance coping and anxiety. However, the correlations for academic achievement were not significant. These correlations were found to be higher for self - report EI than they were ability EI, perhaps due to method variance with the life skills. Nevertheless, despite these low - to - moderate correlations, hierarchical regression analyses controlling for personality and cognitive abilities revealed that the incremental predictive validity of EI was 7 % at most. This finding was found for all life skills regardless of the EI measure involved. This raises some implications for the field of EI and highlights that personality and cognitive abilities should be taken into account when making assertions about EI ' s predictive power. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2006.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University. / Bibliography: leaves 55-59.

“Intellectual style”, a term that encompasses all the existing style concepts, refers to one’s preferred ways of processing information and approaching tasks. The present research has three purposes. First, it investigates the associations among styles in the three traditions: cognition-centered, personality-centered, and activity-centered traditions. Second, it looks into the relationships between intellectual styles and ability as well as between intellectual styles and personality traits. Third, it explores the changeability of intellectual styles. Field-dependence/independence (FDI), psychological types, and learning approaches were respectively selected as the representatives of cognition-centered, personality-centered, and activity-centered styles. This research includes three studies. The first one is a pilot study that investigates the reliability and validity of the instruments used in this research. It also preliminarily investigates the relationships among intellectual styles, abilities, and personality traits. Two hundred and ninety-eight students in a Chinese university participated in this study. Five instruments were used. The modified Chinese version of Group Embedded Test examined FDI. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator measured psychological types. The revised Two Factor Version of Study Process Questionnaire tested learning approaches. The Sternberg Triarchic Ability Test examined abilities. The NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3 measured personality traits. Study Two is a longitudinal investigation. It explores (1) the associations among FDI, psychological types, and learning approaches; (2) the relationships between the three style constructs, ability, and personality traits; (3) the changeability of intellectual styles; and (4) the effects of students’ background factors on intellectual styles, ability, personality, and the changes on styles. Five hundred and ten students in a Chinese university (the same as the one involved in the pilot study) participated in the pre-test, and 430 of these students participated in the post-test. The interval time was one academic year. Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices replaced Sternberg’s Triarchic Ability Test that showed poor internal consistency reliability in the pilot study. The other instruments were the same as those used in the pilot study. Study Three explores why students sustain or change their intellectual styles. Twenty-six students who participated in Study Two were selected for this study. The researcher conducted focus group discussions. The findings show that FDI, psychological types, and learning approaches did not share statistically significant common variance, indicating that styles in the three approaches represent different style constructs. FDI was most closely associated with ability, whereas psychological types and learning approaches were strongly associated with personality traits. This suggests that styles in the three traditions are related to ability and personality traits to different extents: cognition-centered styles are most closely related to ability, whereas personality-centered styles are highly related to personality traits. Activity-centered styles are more strongly related to personality traits than to ability. Learning approaches and FDI are comparatively changeable, whereas psychological types are comparatively stable. The qualitative findings indicate that students tend to maintain their styles out of habit or to show their consistent selfidentity/principle. However, styles can be changed because of dynamic environments and situational demands. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

The problem in this descriptive study was to identify and investigate thinking styles used by introductory accounting course students (N=223) at the Hong Kong Baptist University, offering undergraduate honors degrees (three-year institution) and College of International Education - the Hong Kong Baptist University, offering associate degrees (two-year institution), by applying the Sternberg-Wagner Thinking Styles Questionnaire. 253 questionnaires were distributed to introductory accounting course students. 234 questionnaires were returned, of which 11 questionnaires were incomplete. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, box plots, one-way analysis of variance and Van der Waerden procedures. The probability level used is 0.05. The responses to the Sternberg-Wagner Thinking Styles inventory revealed numerous differences between sub-scale scores when students were compared by school attended, major field of study, gender, age, and different accounting majors status (i.e., two-year or three-year institution). Five hypotheses were tested using data obtained from the questionnaire. / The dominant Thinking Styles identified for accounting majors indicated an individual very similar to that described be researchers using the Kolb Learning Style Instrument and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in research of accounting professionals and accounting students. / It is postulated that thinking styles may be an important concept in improving accounting education, and possible future development of individual's intellectual skills necessary for success in the accounting profession. Research in the cognitive process science and opportunities for the improvement in teaching and assessment are briefly discussed. The theory of thinking styles shows promise for understanding cognitive processes and improvement in accounting education. / Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2005.

Emotional Intelligence ( EI ) is held to explain how emotions may function to advance life goals, with the basic proposition being that individuals monitor and discriminate emotions within themselves and others to solve problems. A number of different theories of EI have been proposed and consequently there is still controversy about the best way in which to conceptualise and measure EI. It is, nonetheless, agreed that the relevance of EI is largely dependent on it being able to predict significant life outcomes. Academic achievement, life satisfaction, coping, problem - solving ability and anxiety are variables that have relevance in academic, occupational and interpersonal situations. The relationship between these variables and EI was assessed in two diverse populations ( University sample : N = 246 ; mean age = 19.9 ; Older community sample : N = 212 ; mean age = 51.6 ). The magnitude and direction of findings in both studies were found to be remarkably similar. As expected, older adults ( community sample ) were found to score significantly higher on EI than younger adults ( University sample ). Few gender differences in EI, however, were apparent, but those that were significantly favoured females. Previously identified relationships suggesting that self - report EI measures are moderately - to - highly correlated to personality, whereas ability EI is reasonably distinct from other constructs, were also upheld. Inconsistent with previous research, however, differential associations between EI and verbal and abstract reasoning ability were not observed. Fitting theoretical expectations, in both studies EI was low - to - moderately correlated with higher life satisfaction, problem and emotion focused coping and perceived problem solving ability and with lower avoidance coping and anxiety. However, the correlations for academic achievement were not significant. These correlations were found to be higher for self - report EI than they were ability EI, perhaps due to method variance with the life skills. Nevertheless, despite these low - to - moderate correlations, hierarchical regression analyses controlling for personality and cognitive abilities revealed that the incremental predictive validity of EI was 7 % at most. This finding was found for all life skills regardless of the EI measure involved. This raises some implications for the field of EI and highlights that personality and cognitive abilities should be taken into account when making assertions about EI ' s predictive power. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2006.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-108).