Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-95).

No description available.

Standard psychological assessment instruments have not produced consistent results by which decisions can be made regarding the appropriate placement and legal disposition of an individual who has committed a sexual offense. The purpose of the present study was to systematically investigate deception and dissimulation as measured by three assessment instruments commonly utilized with sex offenders. A denial classification system was utilized in order to classify offenders into categories based on their level of admission to the legal system. The four group classification system did not produce significant differences on all measures of deception and dissimulation. Contrary to previous research, admitters were found to respond more defensively than deniers on one of the assessment instruments. In addition, partial deniers were identified as responding significantly differently from both admitters and deniers on a separate instrument. The differences found suggest that sex offenders' level of deception is multifaceted. Difficulties in identifying classificatory strategies and implications for theoretical conceptions of denial within this population are discussed.

No description available.

Paulhus's (1984) Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) contains scales designed to assess the two major components of socially desirable responding. The Self-Deception Scale (SDS) assesses the tendency to give favorably biased but honestly-held self-descriptions; the Impression Management Scale (IMS) assesses the tendency to give deliberately favorable self-descriptions. Research by Millham (1974) and Roth, Snyder and Pace (1986) has distinguished two tactics of desirable responding: (a) attribution: the claiming of positive attributes, and (b) denial: the rejection of negative attributes. This thesis presents three studies designed to evaluate the relative importance of these two distinctions in the BIDR. The first study, a factor analysis of 130 cases, demonstrated that both the content (self-deception vs. impression-management) and tactic (attribution vs. denial) were important in determining responses to the BIDR. The IMS items, including both attribution and denial, formed one factor. The attribution SDS items fell on a second factor. Surprisingly, the denial SDS items fell closer to the IMS factor. Rosenberg's Self-Esteem scale was most highly correlated with the attribution SDS items. Study 2 was a similar factor analysis of the data from a much larger dataset (N = 670). The factor pattern was identical to that in Study 1. Moreover, the SDS attribution items again predicted adjustment, including high self-esteem, low social anxiety and low empathic distress. Study 3 (N = 137) was designed to determine whether the critical difference between the attribution and denial items depends on: (a) whether the item refers to positive or negative attributes, or (b) whether the statement as a whole is favorable or unfavorable. To test these competing hypotheses, 20 negations were written, one for each of the 20 original assertions on the SDS. Results showed that items referring to positive characteristics (I am a saint; I am not a saint) formed a distinct factor from items referring to negative characteristics (I am a sinner; I am not a sinner). Simple negations (I am not a sinner) fell on the same factor as their corresponding assertions (I am a sinner) but at the opposite pole. Finally, the correlations with various personality measures were consistent with Studies 1 and 2. These results clarify the distinction between attribution and denial components. The distinction is not simply one of keying direction, that is, whether the statement as a whole is desirable or undesirable. Rather, the critical factor is whether the item content refers to a positive or negative characteristic. This distinction is critical in measuring self-deception, but not impression management. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-126). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

M.A. (Clinical Social Work) / Chemical dependence has a negative impact on a family’s ability to maintain a healthy level of functioning and stability. The ecological system’s framework emphasises the significance of a system’s ability to manage and cope with the negative impacts of chemical dependence. Family systems in the face of chemical dependency, engage in various coping strategies in order to manage the impact of stress caused. One way in which the system is able to manage this stress is through the phenomenon of denial. Denial from an ecological system’s perspective is considered a defense mechanism, which is utilised in order to defend from the painful and disturbing realities. The use of denial on a continuous level however, is considered maladaptive and as a result, the family system is no longer able to maintain an optimal level of functioning. Denial within chemical dependence treatment is a common obstacle that professionals are faced with. The motivation for this research was based on the inconsistency of the understanding of denial within chemical dependence treatment. Therefore, the research aimed to create a descriptive framework of the phenomenon of denial with chemical dependence to better understand the phenomenon, so as to better manage the obstacles such phenomenon presents within treatment settings. The assumption was that denial is the result of a transactional dynamic across system levels, specifically within the micro system between the individual and family members. The researcher engaged in an in-depth literature review encompassing the topics of denial, the ecological system’s perspective, and chemical dependence, in order to acquire all the relevant knowledge for the study. The method of research was qualitative in nature in order to explore the phenomenon of denial as understood from the stories of individuals recovering from chemical dependence and a respective family member. The researcher conducted interviews with six pairs of participants, one recovering participant and one respective family member. The analysis of the research findings was guided by a thorough step-by step analytical process. The interviews were transcribed, common themes were identified, coded and then further categorised. The researcher then identified the categories of denial behaviours, underlying needs and the break in denial. As a result of the findings, the researcher developed a model called the Progression of denial. This model depicted the four levels of denial in which the various denial behaviours and underlying needs are presented within each system level. First order denial developed on an individual level. This level of denial and the behaviours presented were applicable to the individual engaging in chemical dependency. The second order denial was assigned within the micro system, the immediate family of the chemically-dependent individual. This order of denial was characterised by transactional dynamics between the individual and family members, both exhibiting denial behaviours in order to satisfy their individual needs as well as the system’s attempt to maintain functioning and not confront the realities of the extent of the impact of the chemical dependence. The third order denial was assigned to the meso-system and was understood as the immediate community of the family system. The family system, in response to the chemical dependency, engaged in denial behaviours in fear of the chemical dependence being exposed and no longer kept a secret. Fourth order denial was then the break in denial, in which the individuals no longer denied that they had a problem and as a result the need for denial behaviours was no longer needed. The chemical dependence was confronted and participants reported a period of six months in which their lives were chaotic before they went for treatment. The value of this research is to assist professionals in managing the evident denial that is so commonly associated with chemical dependency; for professionals to gain the criteria required to assess the level of denial at which an individual is struggling with chemical dependence; and whether intervention is needed in more than one system level. In addition the research aims to assist professionals in being able to identify the various denial behaviours that are most prevalent within each system level. Intervention can then possibly be directed at the most appropriate system level in which the professionals are able to assist with identifying the systems maladaptive methods of coping and subsequently direct the systems development towards more constructive adaptive methods. . The research was conducted within a small sample population and was therefore a specific representation of the six pairs of participants who took part in the research. Ongoing research needs to be conducted to further establish the findings.

Behavioral and physiological reactivity, and its relationship to cardiovascular disease has been studied in men for a number of years, and the expression of anger has been identified as a possible contributing factor. Few studies, however, have focused specifically on the reactivity of women, and those which have suggest that women are less reactive to laboratory tasks than men. For the present study, 45 undergraduate women, ages 19-21 were selected from a larger sample of 135 women to represent three discrete groups: (1) low anger/low denial, (2) high anger/low denial, and (3) low anger/high denial, based on their scores on the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, P and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. It was hypothesized that the three groups would show reliable differences in heart rate and blood pressure during presentation of a stressful laboratory stimulus, the Stroop Color and Word Test. Each subject received three counterbalanced conditions: (1) no feedback, (2) error feedback without observer present, (3) error feedback with observer present. As hypothesized, women who reported a high level of denial and a low level of anger exhibited reliably greater systolic blood pressure to the no-feedback condition than subjects who reported low levels of denial and anger. The hypothesis that all groups would display greater A reactivity in a condition which provided error feedback with observation was not supported. / Master of Science

Thesis (MA(Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.