Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-01, Section: B, page: 0341. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-07, Section: B, page: 2777. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

The present study was designed to examine the social responses of depressives and normals, while they were interacting with one of three personality styles. Trained confederates enacted a critical-competitive (a domineering, aggressive person), a supportive-cooperative (a warm, friendly person), or a helpless-dependent (a needy, helpless person) interpersonal style. The two groups (depressives and normals) interacted with the confederate role players over a series of face-to-face encounters, which were tape-recorded for later content analysis. Subjects also had several opportunities to exchange written communications. The subjects were led to believe that they were participating in an experiment which measured interpersonal aspects of the creative process. The results indicated that relative to normals, depressives sent more written communications of self devaluation-sadness and helplessness to confederates regardless of the type of personality style enacted. In addition, when interacting with all three roles, depressives emitted a lower percentage of neutral talk and more conversational responses which conveyed negative content. However, only when interacting with the critical-competitive personality did depressives send elevated written messages of extrapunitiveness; and these written expressions of anger were not accompanied by direct expressions of hostility when depressives conversed with the critical-competitive personality in face-to-face interactions. While conversing with the helpless-dependent personality, depressives showed a strikingly high percentage of negative self-statements which served to underscore their characteristic written messages of helplessness-sadness. Thus, the helpless-dependent personality prompted exaggerated displays of depressive symptomatology. These findings were discussed in terms of a social-interactional framework for depression. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-01, Section: B, page: 0363. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The MMPI-based typology, developed by Megargee and his associates, classifies criminal offenders and makes recommendations for the management and treatment of the ten types. Recently, several authorities suggested that type How, which is considered the most pathological group, is heterogeneous consisting of "neurotic" and "psychotic" subtypes. The purpose of this study was to investigate this notion empirically. / The MMPI profiles of 155 men (X age = 22.3) incarcerated at(' )a medium security federal correctional institution were subclassified by three clinicians into: "neurotic-like" (HowN: negatively sloped) and "psychotic-like" (HowP: positively sloped) subgroups. Comparing this clinical method of profile differentiation with five more objective procedures found in the literature, similar results were observed. This supported the reliability of the clinicians' ratings. / Next, the proposed subtypes were compared with t-tests on six dependent variables measuring institutional adjustment and three measures of recidivism to determine if they differed in behavior. The two subgroups were also compared with the other nine MMPI types (N = 1009) using Duncan's ranges. These analyses were calculated based on flexible sorting criteria which produced more general subgroups, and stringent criteria which produced extreme subgroups. The subgroups differed significantly on some measures. However, the results were not considered consistent or substantial enough to recommend a subdivision. / The third phase of this investigation considered conceptual issues. The subtypes were compared using t-tests and were also compared with the other nine MMPI types on eleven variables measuring background, demographic characteristics and psychological test results. Using the general and extreme subgroups, similar results were observed. Although significant differences were obtained on some measures, the similarities between the subgroups outweighed the differences. Differential treatment strategies for each type was not considered necessary, but some fine-tuning was suggested. / While clinicians could subclassify MMPI profiles into subtypes reliably, the major conclusion was type How is not in need of subdivision since the proposed subtypes did not differ in their behavior. The empirical procedures used to develop the typology appeared sound. Therefore, future investigators should complete an exercise such as this one before recommending a subdivision in an existing type or the addition of a new type of the system. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: B, page: 2559. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

It was hypothesized that the desire for equity in relationships and the desire for validation from significant others are common human concerns which affect marital relationship satisfaction. Sixty married couples from Colorado Springs, Colorado completed a series of questionnaires which assessed equity in 23 areas of the marital relationship, global equity in the marital relationship, relationship satisfaction, perceptions of relationship stability, understanding from spouse, validation from spouse, assistance from spouse in intellectual and emotional growth, frequency of stimulating conversations between the marital pair, frequency of affectionate touching from spouse and sexual satisfaction in the marital relationship. Personality similarity between spouses was assessed by comparing the degree of similarity between the spouse's personality profiles on the Jackson Personality Inventory. Subjects who felt validated by their spouses reported more relationship satisfaction, greater relationship stability, more assistance from their spouses in intellectual and emotional growth, and greater sexual satisfaction than did subjects who did not feel validated by their spouses. Overall, equitably treated subjects reported more relationship satisfaction, greater relationship stability, more assistance from spouse in emotional growth, greater sexual satisfaction, and a greater frequency of affectionate touching from their spouses than did inequitably treated subjects. However, these differences between equitably treated and inequitably treated subjects applied primarily to non-validated subjects. Personality similarity between spouses was negatively related to relationship satisfaction. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: B, page: 2539. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

This study investigated the differences between right and left-handed left hemiplegic persons in the areas of cognitive and perceptual functions. The subjects were 32 right-handed left hemiplegic persons and 32 left-handed left hemiplegic persons who were former or current patients of medical centers, hospitals, or rehabilitation centers located throughout the United States. Etiology included: (a) cerebral thrombosis; (b) cerebral embolism; and (c) intracranial hemorrhage. / The instrument utilized in assessing differences between the right and left-handed groups was the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). A demographic and WAIS data sheet was completed on all of the subjects. / Results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the mean Verbal Scale IQ's minus the mean Performance Scale IQ's of right and left-handed left hemiplegic persons. The difference between the two groups was less on average for the left-handed group when compared to the right-handed group. Results may benefit in the expansion of traditional diagnostic and rehabilitative services to include additional objectives for the remediation of physical, psychological, familial, social, and vocational deficits. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: B, page: 2546. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

This research evaluated several antecedent stimulus conditions for facilitating client conversation during a noon-time family style dining program at a state retardation facility. Experiment one compared a condition using a staff member as the table leader to a condition with the clients serving as table leader, within a multi-element design. Results indicated that more client conversation resulted on both tables under the client-as-table-leader condition. Experiment two evaluated whether the passing and serving of food by the clients themselves produced more subsequent conversation than during meals when they received pre-served plates. Again, a multi-element design was utilized. Here, ambiguous results were obtained: one table evidenced no differences, while the second table engaged in a higher rate of conversation after passing and serving their own food. Experiment three investigated the effectiveness of a designated topic for producing conversational rates beyond that obtained under the optimum conditions discovered in experiments one and two. Within a multiple-baseline design, the results obtained suggest that providing a designated topic increases conversation over that found under the baseline conditions (Client table leader plus pass-and-serve food service). However, the conversational levels obtained in experiment three did not equal the level of conversation found among similarly sized groups of staff members at lunchtime. The potential cost-effectiveness of these antecedent manipulations argues in favor of their use for increasing client interactions as opposed to more costly contingency management systems. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-10, Section: B, page: 4194. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

An attempt was made to develop a scale that measures a meaningful set of dimensions of consumer satisfaction with outpatient mental health services. After items were written to ensure content validity of seven presumed dimensions, the scale was administered three times consecutively with empirical item selection occurring after the second administration. The scale was administered first to a small sample of clients at a general psychological services clinic. In the second and third administrations the scale was completed by outpatients at two different Veterans Administration hospitals. Analyses of data from the third administration (based on a sample of N = 174 which was predominantly white, male and middle-aged) showed that both the total scale and six of the seven subscales possess adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency but that the subscales have poor discriminant validity. A principal factor analysis showed the presence of one major factor but further analysis showed the presence of one major factor but further analyses suggested a tendency for the subscales to emerge as minor factors. It was concluded that the scale measures only one empirically discriminable dimension although the subscales are useful for practical assessment purposes. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-10, Section: B, page: 4198. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The effectiveness of EMG and Thermal biofeedback training for nine women suffering from chronic primary dysmenorrhea was evaluated in a single-subject long-term treatment approach. The women were screened according to selection criteria and were randomly assigned to a treatment progression. Six subjects, four of whom had previously received Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) treatment for their dysmenorrhea, received EMG followed by thermal biofeedback, while three subjects received thermal followed by EMG training. Baseline data were collected prior to each treatment condition. Each type of biofeedback training occurred for two menstrual cycles, with the women individually attending 6 thirty-minute sessions within each cycle. An autogenic relaxation exercise was recited during the first 10 minutes of a session, and the appropriate biofeedback training occurred for the final 20 minutes. / A Daily Symptom Scale (DSS) questionnaire, which reported severity and duration of symptoms, medication usage, hours of bed rest, and interference with activities, was completed for the first 2 days of each menstruation. Results indicated a highly significant trend (p < .001) in reduction of DSS values across the course of treatment. Final assessment of symptom changes for eight of the women resulted in one woman rating her symptoms as "greatly improved to completely gone," five rating "greatly improved," and two reporting a "moderate change." / Examination of physiological data, which included trapezius EMG and finger temperature values, revealed a reduction in muscle tension by all subjects by the end of treatment; comparable temperature increases did not occur. Within training sessions, six subjects displayed the ability to control muscle tension, while only two evidenced skin temperature control. / Results were discussed in terms of symptom alleviation as presumably more related to muscular relaxation and control than to peripheral temperature warming. However, further investigation is needed to determine the relationship between biofeedback modalities, physiological changes, and symptom alleviation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-07, Section: B, page: 2324. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

Recent research supports the multidimensionality of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), but the structure of ODD symptoms has been inconsistent across studies. Despite differences, each model has an affective dimension, usually shown to be related to internalizing problems, and at least one behavioral dimension, usually shown to be related to externalizing problems. While previous work has examined the etiology of overall ODD, little is known about the etiology of ODD dimensions, or the etiologic relationships between ODD dimensions and later psychopathology. Using archival, longitudinal data from 1255 twin pairs, the current study provides a stringent comparison between competing models of ODD symptom dimensions at age 11, and explores the relationship between the best fitting model and psychopathology assessed via diagnostic interviews at ages 17, 20, and 24. Next, a genetically informative design was used to determine if dimensions of ODD have common and/or unique genetic and environmental influences. Finally, significant relationships found between ODD dimensions and later psychopathology were followed-up with etiological models. Results showed a two-factor model (irritable, headstrong/hurtful) proposed by Rowe, Costello, Angold, Copeland, and Maughan (2010) and a three-factor model (irritable, headstrong, hurtful) proposed by Stringaris and Goodman (2009a) provided the best fit to the data. However, the hurtful dimension of the three-factor model was not uniquely related to any later psychopathology, and thus did not outperform the more parsimonious two-factor model. Consistent with hypotheses, the headstrong/hurtful dimension of the two-factor model was correlated with externalizing problems including substance use disorder symptoms and adult antisocial behavior. The current study did not find the expected relationships between the irritable dimension and later internalizing disorders. Twin modeling showed the irritable and headstrong/hurtful dimensions had shared and unique genetic influences. The headstrong/hurtful dimension also had unique shared environmental influences. Further, the headstrong/hurtful dimension was related to adult disorders through shared genetic influences. Overall, it can be concluded that symptoms of ODD, especially the headstrong/hurtful dimension, pose a significant risk for adult mental health outcomes, and common genetic influences underlie the covariance between headstrong/hurtful symptoms and later psychopathology. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2015. / October 21, 2015. / dimensions, environmental influences, genetic influences, oppositionality / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeanette Taylor, Professor Directing Dissertation; Tomi Gomory, University Representative; Sara Hart, Committee Member; Christopher Lonigan, Committee Member; Chris Schatschneider, Committee Member.