<p> The purpose of this dissertation was to study group differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors between young adults who have had high exposure to sexual imagery on the internet when compared to those who have significantly lower exposure. This researcher utilized a correlational research design to obtain information on the sexual attitudes and behaviors of 111 young adults through questionnaires that measured exposure to Internet Sexual Imagery (ISI) along with high risk sexual behaviors, sexual compulsivity and sexual permissiveness. There was a significant relationship between exposure to sexual imagery, sexual compulsivity <i>F</i>(1, 98) = .28.27, <i>MSE</i> = .8.84, <i> p</i> &lt; .01, partial &eta;2= .22 and the permissiveness <i>F </i>(1, 98) = 5.6, <i>MSE</i> = 6.7, <i>p</i> = .02, partial &eta;2= .54 while controlling for gender, race, religion and geographical location. There was not a significant relationship, however, between exposure to ISI and engagement in high risk sexual behaviors <i>F</i>(1, 92) = .2, <i>MSE</i> = 3.4, <i>p</i> = .67, partial &eta;2 = .002. Gender, race, religion and geographical location did not have a significant effect in this study.</p>

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of unsupportive social interactions, within Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) cognitive appraisal model, on individual's mood states following an acute cardiac event (i.e., myocardial infarction, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting). It was hypothesized that unsupportive social interactions would exacerbate the effects of a patient's appraisals of threat secondary to an acute cardiac event. Participants in the present investigation were 67 patients from the cardiology unit of the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. Each participant had incurred an acute cardiac event, as classified by the International Classification of Disease - 9th Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) requiring hospitalization. Participants received two packets of questionnaires as part of their involvement in the study. One packet was administered to them during their hospital stay, prior to discharge (Time 1), while the second packet was administered at 1-month post-discharge and was mailed to the participant (Time 2). The measures used in this study include: (a) Profile of Mood States (POMS) - short form (Shacham, 1983); (b) Social Support Questionnaire - 6 (Sarason, Sarason, Shearin, & Pierce, 1987); (c) UCLA Social Support Inventory (Dunkel-Schetter, Feinstein, & Call, 1986); (d) Threat appraisal measure (Folkman, Lazarus, Dunkel-Schetter, DeLongis, & Gruen, 1986); and (e) the Unsupportive Social Interactions Inventory (USII) (Ingram, Betz, Mindes, Schmitt, & Smith, in press). Results indicate that unsupportive social interactions were significantly and positively related to both total mood disturbance (r = .56,p < .01) and depression following an acute cardiac event (r = .65, p < .01). Thus, individuals who were experiencing more unsupportive social interactions with members of their social network around the time of their acute cardiac event were also experiencing more intense levels of depression and overall mood disturbance. In addition, threat appraisal and unsupportive social interactions at Time 1 (hospitalization) demonstrated significant main effects on depression and total mood disturbance. However, no moderating effect of unsupportive social interactions and threat appraisal at Time 1 on depression was demonstrated. A post-hoc mediator analysis, limitations, future directions for research, and implications for intervention were discussed.

The present study was a phenomenological inquiry exploring the lived experience of counselors who have a regular mindfidness meditation practice consisting of sitting meditation. The researcher interviewed five women counselors on how mindfulness meditation influences their presence within the therapeutic relationship. Utilizing a phenomenological research design emphasizing the association between individuals and their worlds, the researcher analyzed the data, selected meaningful statements, and clustered themes. The main themes discovered were: the path of mindfulness meditation, counsellor presence, compassion, bringing mindfulness and meditation to counselling, and self-awareness and insights through meditation. The findings were discussed within the context of the relevant research and theories in counselling psychology. Practical implications for counselling, future research recommendations, and study limitations were considered.

There is contradictory evidence as to whether the middle years are problematic for women. The research indicates that the middle years, particularly the empty nest period, are traumatic for some women, but for others a time of relief. More recent research suggests that for women who do find the middle years problematic, certain types of group experiences may be helpful. The purpose of this study was to investigate this time of life for a specific population of women, traditional married women who have devoted their time primarily to raising a family. This study examined identity and self-esteem in these women during their middle years, as well as one group experience, the Life Planning Seminar (LPS), for its effect on identity and self-esteem. Results indicated that for the traditional married women in this study, the middle years, particularly the empty nest period, were indeed problematic. All of the participants experienced some sort of identity crisis during these years, and for most the crisis was related to the empty nest. The empty nest was experienced by these women as a time of loss and confusion about who they were and the roles they were playing. For most of the women in this study, the loss of maternal role and resulting identity crisis were accompanied by a loss in self-esteem. Results also indicated that for the women in this study, identity and self-esteem were significantly stronger following participation in the LPS. There was also a significant change in sense of identity for participants from before to after the LPS, with identity before the LPS largely reflected, and after the LPS predominantly personal. The results of this study suggest that at least for some traditional married women, the middle years, particularly the departure of children during this time are problematic. Apparently for these women, the loss or reduction of the maternal role precipitated an identity crisis which was accompanied by a loss of self-esteem. Results also suggest that for such women, a group experience such as the LPS can be beneficial in resolving the crisis which occurs, and in restoring self-esteem, by helping women to redefine themselves and plan a new direction for the future.

Much of the research reviewed suggests that there is some relationship between a woman's mother's employment history, a woman's sex role orientation, and a woman's commitment to a career. In this study, the sex role orientation, career commitment, and career decision making of college women were examined in relation to length of maternal employment history. It was found that the longer a mother worked during the daughter's lifetime, the greater was the daughter's own desire to work. The length of maternal employment history was not found to significantly influence the daughter's sex role orientation or career decision making process. It was also found that the more feminine a woman's sex role orientation, the less she desired to work. Also, the more feminine a woman saw herself, the less she tended to rely on the planning style, the most effective style of decision making, and the more she tended to rely on the intuitive style, which is more effective than the dependent style of decision making, but less effective than the planning style. The more feminine a woman saw her role, the less advanced she was in her decision making about an occupation. Sex role orientation was not found to significantly influence the dependent style of decision making or the decision making tasks of choice of college or major. These findings support the conclusions that the concepts of work and decision making about such work, are not typically part of a feminine sex role orientation. One factor which seems to influence whether a woman includes work in her life plans is the extent of her mother's employment.

Forty-five participants from Protestant denominations completed surveys designed to investigate the effects of religious beliefs on preferences among four types of Christian counseling. The proponents of the counseling theories were Clyde M. Narramore, Jay E. Adams, Lawrence J. Crabb, and Andre Bustanoby. Participants read a case history of a fictitious client, and four short treatment plans which represented each Christian counselor's approach. Then, they completed questionnaires designed to assess their preferences for the counseling approaches, as well as completing other measures, including a religious fundamentalism scale, the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS), and the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS). It was found that Crabb was viewed by participants as having an approach which most closely paralled their own religious beliefs. On almost all other measures, Crabb, yoked with either Bustanoby or Narramore, lead participants' preferences. Adams was viewed as relying most on the authority of Scripture, but he was frequently the least preferred. Other findings indicated that for Christians, especially conservative Christians (as determined by the ROS, RVS, and self-ratings), there is a reluctance toward seeking secular psychological help, and a preference for counseling theories which are perceived as being congruent with their own religious beliefs. Implications for research and counseling with Christians are discussed.

One hundred, sixty-nine undergraduates participated in a study that investigated the effects of interpersonal self-perceptions on judgements made about others. Subjects' interpersonal styles were assessed by self-ratings using the Interpersonal Adjective Scales (IAS). Subjects also rated the interpersonal styles of two video-taped stimulus others using the IAS. In addition, subjects' degree of identification and desire to affiliate with the stimuli were assessed. The general design was a two-group rating comparison (Friendly-Dominant and Friendly-Submissive, and more extreme and less extreme) across two stimulus conditions, Hostile-Dominant and Hostile-Submissive. There were several findings and interpretations were forwarded. Extreme subjects assigned higher, more extreme ratings to both the stimuli than did less extreme subjects. More extreme or interpersonally rigid individuals may interpret others' behavior as more extreme than do flexible individuals. Subjects assigned the most extreme ratings to the stimulus whose behavior was opposite of their own on the Interpersonal Circle. It may be that subjects responded with extreme ratings to the stimulus who greatly epitomized the impression they endeavor to avoid. Friendly-Submissive subjects indicated a preference for identifying and affiliating with the Hostile-Submissive stimulus, while Friendly-Dominant subjects indicated little preference between the two stimuli. Friendly-Submissive subjects apparently were more sensitive to the role demands for cooperative behavior inherent in a counseling-type stimulus situation than were Friendly-Dominant subjects. Less extreme subjects rated the Hostile-Dominant stimulus as more extreme than they rated the Hostile-Submissive stimulus, while more extreme subjects differed little in their ratings of the two stimuli. It is likely that less extreme, flexible individuals are more responsive to changes in situational contexts than are more rigid individuals. Overall, the results support the assertion that self-descriptions and descriptions of others are systematically-related, as well as providing support for the need to attend to traits, situations, and then interactions in the study of interpersonal behavior.

<p> Psychotherapy research continues to evolve in order to meet the needs of potential clients and patients, particularly in the area of Empirically-Supported Treatments (EST). . Moreover, recent research has indicated that affording clients with the opportunity to share their perspective of therapy and progress being made leads to more positive outcomes. The goal of this study is to determine (1) if the use of ESTs in a university training clinic yields positive outcomes in therapy, (2) if specific ESTs provide more positive results than other ESTs when used by students in training, and (3) investigate the effectiveness of using the Session Rating Scale (SRS) as a form of immediacy and tracking with clients to improve therapeutic outcome in the same setting as measured by pre and post test scores on the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R). The study utilized archival data retrieved from a university training clinic. Participants were deidentified data from past clients who had signed their consent for information to be used in future research studies. Data collected included demographic information, diagnoses, treatment modality (EST) utilized in therapy, pre-therapy scores on the SCL-90-R, post-therapy scores on the SCL-90-R, and scores on the SRS.</p>

<p> As video games have become increasing popular, it becomes increasingly important for psychology researchers and practitioners to understand the impact that video game play has on the individuals who engage in it. Several reasons for play are identified, with the social aspects of play being the most common. The difficulties of developing a common definition for problematic play, as well as attempts to quantify those behaviors with assessments are reviewed, with the conclusion that no existing assessment accurately identifies problematic play without overestimation. The unsettled implications of problematic play, including the recent <i>Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association </i> Supreme Court case are explored. Finally, treatment methods for problematic play and implications for future research are discussed. </p><p> The current study expands on Charlton and Danforth&rsquo;s (2007) study establishing &ldquo;addiction&rdquo; and &ldquo;engagement&rdquo; as distinct constructs. 2,092 participants were sorted into four different categories (low-engagement/low-problematic, low-engagement/high-problematic, high-engagement/low-problematic, and high-engagement/high-problematic), and their responses to the Mental Health Inventory (Veit &amp; Ware, 1983) were compared. Participants in the high-problematic groups were found to have more negative mental health scores than participants in the low-problematic groups; specifically, their responses demonstrated lower scores on the Positive Affect and Life Satisfaction factors, while also showing higher scores on the Anxiety and Depression factors. Participants in the high-engagement groups demonstrated higher scores on the Loss of Control and Emotional Ties factors, even in the high-engagement/high-addiction group. Similarly, individuals in the low-engagement/low-problematic group demonstrated the lowest scores on the Loss of Control factor. The study continues with several implications for future research, practice, and advocacy.</p>

<p> Hardiness is personality trait that buffers against stress-related illnesses. Researchers have further described hardiness as the willingness to pursue challenges, transform them, and make them work for an individual. Hardiness has been shown to buffer against depression, anxiety, and self-esteem (Maddi, 2002; Maddi et al., 2011; Maddi &amp; Khoshaba, 2001). Given that the hardiness theory has been criticized in previous studies, (Benishek &amp; Lopez, 1997), the theoretical framework of this study will be through resilience theory (Holling, Gunderson, &amp; Ludwig, 2002). Resilience theory aims to understand the foundation and role of change that it is transforming in adaptive systems, allowing individuals to learn from past experiences and accept the inevitably of uncertainties in their future (Holling et al., 2002; Redman &amp; Kinzig, 2003). Few studies investigate hardiness among Black populations. The few that have, showed that hardiness positively correlated with the internalized multiculturalist aspect of racial identity (Whittaker and Neville, 2010) and the commitment component of hardiness was higher among a sample of Black college students compared to White college students (Harris, 2004). Given that hardiness is a buffer to stress-related illness, theoretically, it should be a buffer against race-related stress. Race-related stress refers to the daily experiences of racism that affect members in the Black community and negatively impacts mental and physical health (Harrell, 2000; Utsey &amp; Ponterotto, 1996). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between hardiness, race-related stress, and racial identity on psychological health outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, self-esteem) among Black colleges students. These outcome variables were included particularly to see how they are impacted by race-related stress, and if hardiness buffers, or moderates, these relationships. In addition, previous studies were replicated looking at the moderating role of racial identity on the race-related stress and psychological health outcomes relationship.</p><p> In another test, findings also showed that hardiness served as a moderator for both the internalized afrocentricity subscale of racial identity and the perseverative cognition subscale of race-related stress on depression. Specifically, participants who were low on hardiness and high on afrocentricity reported higher levels of depression than those were high on both hardiness and afrocentricity. Similarly, participants who were higher on hardiness and high on perseverative cognition reported lower levels of depression than those who were low in both hardiness and perseverative cognition. Through replication attempts, the anticipatory body alarm response subscale of race-related stress on trait anxiety was moderated by the immersion-emersion anti-White subscale of racial identity. Participants who were high in anti-White attitudes and high on anticipatory body alarm response reported higher levels of trait anxiety than those who were low on anti-White attitudes and low on anticipatory body alarm response. This finding replicated previous studies by Franklin-Jackson and Carter (2007) that found that the internalized stages of racial identity (i.e., afrocentricity and multiculturalist) were significant and positive buffers on the race-related stress and psychological health outcomes. However, neither the total hardiness nor the hardiness subscales scores significantly correlated with any of the race-related stress subscales.</p><p> Implications suggest that the hardiness measure may not be as generalizable to members in the Black community if considering the added layer of race-related stress because hardiness did not significantly correlate with any of the race-related stress subscales. Hardiness may help to buffer depression the type of race-related stress and racial identity profile. In looking at racial identity stages, anxiety may be buffered when one is out of the anti-White stage of racial identity. It is recommended that University counselors, professors, and/or administrators take this into account when working with this specific population on psychological health outcomes. Further, their level of hardiness should continue to be emphasized and acknowledged as strength-based protective factors in University settings.</p>