Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tulsa, 1992. / Bibliography: leaves 219-240.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2007. / "Graduate Program in Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-103).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2006 Jun 17.

How to be authentic to the self is possibly the main goal of all human efforts. Self-actualization is an urgent and important problem because it is the last stage in shaping a man's personality. In self-actualization, a person becomes more fully developed, more fully mature, indeed, a more complete person by fully actualizing his potentialities. In self actualization, the person lives what he potentially and really is.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Kristy L. Pederson-Archuleta / Martin Seay / This dissertation employed a psychological framework to investigate the saving behavior of older pre-retirees through three essays using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Understanding the connection between psychological characteristics and saving behavior is critical as this population attempts to bridge the retirement saving gap. Of these characteristics, financial self-efficacy beliefs (FSE) are theoretically vital to saving behavior. With the FSE beliefs of older adults weak and vulnerable to decline, more research is needed to understand how FSE beliefs affect saving behavior and how FSE beliefs can be supported. Essay one investigated the psychological characteristics associated with FSE beliefs according to the Meta-Theoretic Model of Motivation and Personality (3M). Using a sample of 2,070 pre-retirees aged 50 to 70, essay one revealed that FSE beliefs can be supported through the frequent experience of positive affect, reduced negative affect, a stronger perception of mastery, and a higher task orientation, holding all else constant. Essay two investigated the relationship between FSE beliefs and saving behavior (i.e., change in net worth from 2008 to 2012) through the Social Cognitive Theory of Self-Regulation. Using a sample of 844 pre-retirees aged 50 to 70, results revealed that FSE beliefs are significantly and positively related to saving behavior, after controlling for the financial ability and motivation to save. Essay three employed a structural equation model to investigate an integrated psychological approach to saving behavior based upon the 3M. Using a sample of 1,370 pre-retired and partially retired adults aged 50 to 70, essay three revealed that FSE beliefs facilitated the connection between elemental traits (i.e., openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), compound traits (i.e., positive affect, negative affect, mastery, and task orientation), and saving behavior. Overall, significant evidence was generated supporting a psychological approach to the saving behavior of older pre-retirees. Financial and mental health professionals can utilize this framework to provide holistic retirement saving advice that acknowledges the psychological roots of behavior. Moreover, results established empirical support for the role FSE beliefs play in executing saving behavior. Lastly, results supported the importance of domain specific measurement for self-efficacy beliefs in future research.

Subjective Defining of Life Goals of Pupils with Behavioural Disturbances Author: Jan Chaloupka Faculty of Education, Charles University in Prague - Department of Special Education Supervisor: Mgr. Jana Mottlová Based on studying literature on general pedagogy, special pedagogy and psychology as well as on the author's personal experience with working with pupils with behavioural disturbances, the author proposes a hypothesis, according to which the long-term goal seeking efforts of the majority of pupils concerning socialization and education are absent, distorted and ineffective. The objective of this paper is to confirm or refute the validity of the hypothesis as well as to theoretically formulate impulses for practice. The research was performed on a sample of 120 respondents and a contrastive control group of 30 grammar school students. It was effectuated by means of a questionnaire and complemented by interviews, which are not included in full form for space reasons. The research has shown that in a heterogeneous group of respondents, a majority of two thirds is either incapable of life goals definition or the definition is rather inadequate and unrealistic. The author, however, has identified the reasons for this neither in the faulty family or educational background nor in decreased...