Literature suggests a connection between brain dysfunction, particularly in the area of the limbic system, and violent behavior. This study investigates such an association by means of neuropsychological measurement, using the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB). Forty-three male forensic psychiatric patients at St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, D.C., pre-screened to eliminate individuals with gross intellectual deficits, were assigned to violent or non-violent groups on the basis of their arrest and conviction history. Individuals in the violent group had at least three arrests or one conviction (including having been found not guilty by reason of insanity) for a violent crime, and those in the non-violent group had no convictions for violent crimes and no more than two arrests for violent offenses. Crimes represented by the violent sample included assault, murder, sexual assault, and armed robbery. / The LNNB was adminstered to subjects by examiners who remained blind to their group membership. Demographic comparisons revealed no significant differences between the groups with respect to age, intelligence, education, race, socioeconomic status, handedness, psychiatric diagnosis, medication intake, or chronicity of psychiatric problems. / The violent subjects had significantly more LNNB scales exceeding the critical level than did the non-violent subjects. Although the usual criterion of impairment did not differentiate the groups, a higher and more stringent cutoff showed more violent individuals with serious impairment. Findings in terms of localization of dysfunction did not reflect the expected limbic system pattern. Exploratory analyses suggested that primary dysfunction of the impaired violent group centered around the parietal-occipital area of the left hemisphere, and was consistent with the profile of an adult who had been learning disabled as a child. Limitations on generalizeability existed due to the select nature of the population studied. Caution must be exercised when interpreting these data since they were obtained from a largely black sample, whereas the LNNB was validated among whites. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, Section: B, page: 0917. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

A survey measure of 100 items was developed to study the attitudes of a sample of mental health professionals about the sexual socialization of children by their parents. Sexual socialization was defined as the process by which children are exposed to information and attitudes about sexuality through nonverbal and verbal communication expressed or sanctioned by their parents. / Eight rationally derived categories of behavior were examined: Sex Education, Openness of Household, Societal Exposure to Adult Sexuality, Family Exposure to Adult Sexuality, Physical Contact with the Child, Response to the Child's Sexual Activity, Child as a Sexual Object, Sexual Prohibitions. Respondents were asked to apply to each item a label of Appropriate, Inappropriate, or Conditionally Appropriate depending upon the age of the child and/or the sex-pair of the child and parent involved. / Seventy-two psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers in an urban pediatric center and an affiliated child guidance center completed the survey and a demographic checklist. Statistical analyses were completed to describe the respondents' attitudes. Respondents were able to make statistically significant selections among the response choices for 99 of the 100 items. Across the eight behavior categories different distributions of response choice use were observed and described. Hierarchical grouping analyses were used to examine the variability across the items and respondents. Four item clusters and three respondent groupings were described. The adequacy of the survey methodology and directions for future research were discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, Section: B, page: 0928. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

A cognitive behavioral problem-solving training program for children of severely disturbed parents was conducted in order to answer the following questions: (1) Does cognitive behavioral problem-solving training improve the problem-solving ability of "at risk" children? (2) Does problem-solving training enhance the psychological or behavioral adjustment of these children? (3) Does problem-solving training affect the verbal-perceptual intelligence of at risk children? (4) Are gains in problem-solving ability related to improvements in adjustment? / Subjects consisted of forty-one children between the ages of five and twelve whose mothers demonstrated a high degree of mental distress. The children were randomly assigned to a treatment or no-treatment comparison group. The problem-solving training program consisted of twelve, sixty-minute sessions conducted each week during a three-month period. The following problem-solving abilities were emphasized: (1) impersonal problem solving via self-instructional training, (2) prerequisite skills for social problem solving, (3) interpersonal problem solving, and (4) intrapersonal problem solving. / The results of the study indicate that experimental groups significantly improved problem-solving ability as compared to no-treatment comparison groups. The psychological adjustment of the experimental groups also showed significant improvement as compared to no-treatment comparison groups. / The behavioral adjustment of the experimental group aged eight to twelve showed significant improvement in external reliance as measured by teacher ratings. The no-treatment comparison group demonstrated no significant improvement in behavioral adjustment and were rated significantly worse in disrespect-defiance on teacher ratings. The behavioral adjustment of young children showed no significant improvement. The verbal-perceptual intelligence of both experimental and comparison groups improved on posttests but not at a level which would exceed chance. / The findings of the study indicate that problem-solving gains and gains in psychological adjustment were not correlated at a significant level. Problem-solving gains and behavioral adjustment gains were correlated significantly with a reduction of anxiety and irrelevant responsiveness among experimental children aged eight to twelve. Problem-solving gains of younger experimental children were correlated with behavioral adjustment gains in the area, need closeness to teacher, as measured by teacher ratings. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-09, Section: B, page: 2908. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

The present study was designed to bridge the gap in the existing research literature on the early stages in the development of depressive interpersonal relationships. Forty-eight same-sex pairs of subjects were studied as they formed acquaintances with their partners during three 1-hour laboratory sessions within a 2-week period. In one-third of the pairs, one partner was depressed; in another third, one partner was not depressed but had other psychological problems (NDO); and in the final third of the pairs both subjects were considered normal. Depressed and NDO subjects were paired with normal partners. Within each group equal numbers of same-sex male and female pairs were used. In each pair one subject was considered a target subject (depressed, NDO, or randomly selected normal) and the other subject was a normal partner. Subject partners participated in three laboratory acquaintanceship sessions which involved engaging in free conversation, interspersed with the completion of questionnaires assessing various aspects of the interpersonal situation. Written measures included pre- and postsession measures of affect, communications to partner, perceptions of partner's personality, and liking of partner. Two 8-minute segments of free conversation per session were tape recorded and later content analyzed. Subjects were contacted several weeks after the end of the experiment to see if they maintained contact with their partner. Data from this study were analyzed using a repeated measures, multivariate analysis of variance model: 3 Groups x 2 Sexes x 3 Sessions. Though many of the terms of interest involving groups did not reach statistical significance, an interesting pattern of mutual perceptions was found in the depressive-normal pairs. Depressives tended to view their partners as abasive, inhibited, and deferent. The perceptions by the normal partner / revealed sex-specific patterns. Female depressives were viewed by their normal partners as agreeable, nurturant, and abasive, while male depressives were viewed as detached. On follow-up the male depressive group was different from the other groups in that they reported no further contact with their partners. These results were discussed as lending some support to findings in other studies of an idiosyncratic pattern of perceptions that characterize depressive-other relationships. Results were also discussed in terms of the situational factors on interpersonal behavior and some consistency across personality characteristics in the getting-acquainted process. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-09, Section: B, page: 2901. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

A pretest/post-test experimental design was employed to test whether or not participation in postseparation/postdivorce counseling groups resulted in improved self esteem and/or adjustment and whether a format in which extra-group socializing was encouraged or was discouraged is more effective in facilitating these changes. / The sample consisted of volunteers who were pretested during the intake procedure. Using gender as the stratification variable, 15 persons each were randomly assigned to a group in which extra-group socializing was encouraged, a group in which extra-group socializing was discouraged, and a minimal contact group. The groups met one evening per week for eight weeks. A total of 42 persons, including 14 from each group, completed post-testing. The Raschke Postdivorce Problems and Stress Scale was utilized to measure divorce adjustment and the Tennessee Self Concept Scale to measure self esteem. / Analysis of covariance and the Least Significant Difference procedure revealed that both treatment groups produced significantly better divorce adjustment scores than the minimal contact group. Analysis of covariance indicated no significant differences among the three experimental groups in self esteem improvement. T-tests of pretest/post-test scores revealed improvement of individual members. The greatest mean improvement in divorce adjustment and in self esteem and the greatest number of extra-group socializing activities occurred in the group in which extra-group socializing was encouraged. / Discussion of personal concerns was the most frequent and conversations about the group the least frequent activity. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-10, Section: B, page: 3187. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

A training program in empathic communication skills for nursing students was designed and evaluated. Data from 13 nursing students in the trained group and nine control group students were compared. The subjects had completed videotaped roleplays with programmed roleplayers pre- and post-training. The roleplayers presented situations involving various instances of loss. Three types of dependent measures were obtained. The first was an instrument developed for the present study called the Interpersonal Behavior Rating Scale (IBRS), a checklist of 29 items conceptualized in six subscales. The scale was designed to measure perceived empathic communication, perceived nurse comfort, and projected patient satisfaction. Second, frequencies of three nonverbal behaviors were obtained: eye contact, forward trunk lean, and open position body orientation. The third measure was a post-training questionnaire administered to the trained nursing students which asked them to (1) rate their own improvement in various skill areas in the training program, (2) rank the various course components, and (3) rate the value of this sort of training for nursing students in general. Results obtained indicated that following training, the trained group improved in its level of empathic communication as measured by the IBRS and was superior to the control group. No group differences were found in the nonverbal behaviors following training. Expected improvements in relationships between the frequencies of the nonverbal behaviors and empathy, comfort, and satisfaction, as measured by the IBRS, were not obtained. The nursing students' questionnaire responses indicated that they perceived themselves as having improved in their communication skills and in their ability to talk about patients' experience of loss. They also rated the value of the program very highly. Explanations for rejected / hypotheses are discussed. The overall effectiveness of the training program in improving empathic communication skills is supported. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, Section: B, page: 0311. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

The present investigation was an effort toward understanding the large individual differences that people have consistently shown in their ability to increase their skin temperature. While most previous studies in this area have narrowed their focus to include only subject variables that might affect performance, the present study was designed to examine an experimenter variable also. It was hypothesized that subject gender and experimenter gender would interact so that subjects paired with same-sex experimenters would show better ability to increase skin temperature than would subjects paired with opposite-sex experimenters. / Six male experimenters and six female experimenters were utilized in the study. Each experimenter ran four male subjects and four female subjects through 12 trials (six baseline and six experimental) in which their task was to increase their finger temperature. The trials were equally distributed across three experimental sessions spaced approximately a week apart. During experimental trials, subjects listened to autogenic phrases and were given thermal biofeedback to enhance performance. Subjects' performance differed significantly according to which experimenter they were paired with, regardless of subject and/or experimenter gender. Further, with these differences taken into account, male subjects performed significantly better than did female subjects, regardless of experimenter gender. / Utilizing a background information questionnaire, data were collected regarding various demographic characteristics of the subject sample. It was observed that subjects' geographical background and age were significantly related to their performance on the temperature increase task. A correlational analysis revealed no significant association between subjects' scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and subjects' performance. Also subjects' scores on a locus of control scale were not significantly related to subjects' performance. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-05, Section: B, page: 2160. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

To investigate whether psychotherapists perceive religious clients as more pathological than nonreligious clients, and whether the client's presenting problem or level of pathology affect this bias, 80 practicing licensed psychologists were each presented with a case study in which a female client was described as involved in either religious or nonreligious activities. The client was also described as either depressed or oppositional. An MMPI profile which was presented to the therapists depicted the client as either moderately or severely pathological. A 2 (religious versus nonreligious client) x 2 (depressed versus oppositional client) x 2 (severe versus moderate pathology MMPI elevation) ANOVA was performed on therapists' ratings of the client's severity of pathology. Although no main effects were found, a significant three-way interaction was found. Therapists perceived the client as most pathological when the client was described as religious, oppositional, and with the severe pathology MMPI profile. Therapists perceived the client as least pathological when the client was described as nonreligious, depressed, and with the moderate pathology MMPI profile. No distinctions were made on the dimension of client pathology for the other six conditions. / As a manipulation check, the therapists were asked to rate the religiousness of the client. The client described as religious in the case descriptions was rated as significantly more religious than the client who was not described as religious; however, an inspection of the cell means indicated this difference did not hold for all experimental conditions. It is difficult to determine to what degree the manipulation was weak and to what degree the manipulation check was weak. Nonetheless, even with a weak manipulation, significant differences were found on the pathology ratings related to client religiousness. / The results of the present study provide evidence that, under certain circumstances, psychotherapists exhibit some degree of bias against clients who are religious. Speculations were made regarding how this bias might be manifested within the context of actual psychotherapy. The results of this study demonstrate that the issue of therapist bias is complex and requires complex designs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: B, page: 2636. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

This study proposed and tested a three stage paradigm of burnout: (a) etiology stage, in which stress builds up on the human service worker (HSW), (b) negative internal experience stage (NIE), marked by exhaustion and depersonalization of clients, and (c) consequence stage, which is defined by negative overt consequences for the client and organization. A total of 469 HSWs who worked at a variety of inpatient units in Illinois were utilized. All HSWs had completed a Staff Biographical Data Sheet, the Pittsburgh Scale of Extraversion-Introversion and Emotionality, and Opinions About Mental Illness. Questions from the last two scales were used to create measure of the NIE stage. All HSWs were observed interacting with clients and their behaviors were recorded on the Staff Resident Interaction Chronograph (SRIC), an observational assessment system. Linear regression analysis between the three stages showed few significant and no meaningful relationships. Perhaps the most surprising result is the lack of a theoretically expected relationship between the NIE stage and client care. / Social factors (i.e., group and leadership factors) were hypothesized as important etiological variables in the burnout process. Design limitations prevented adequate testing of these assumptions, but exploratory data suggest that social factors, especially leadership, are important in the etiology of burnout. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: B, page: 2636. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

A two phase study was carried out to evaluate the impact of the deinstitutionalization movement on the admission and discharge practices of a large state psychiatric hospital in Florida. Phase I involved a follow-up study of 370 patients who were subject to discharge in 1973, the year after new deinstitutionalization legislation went into effect. Over one-third died at the hospital during 1973-1984. Eighty-seven percent of those who did not die were discharged, most returning to live with relatives. Forty-two percent of those initially discharged were subsequently readmitted. Barriers to community placement were examined for the remaining 45 patients. Barriers to discharge included both clinical and nonclinical factors. Behavioral problems accounted for most of the clinical barriers while nonclinical factors included legal or financial constraints and the lack of appropriate support systems or residential facilities in the community. / Phase II of the study examined the characteristics of 227 patients admitted to the hospital during 1983-84, ten years after deinstitutionalization policies were implemented at the state level. The average patient in this admissions population was male, younger than 40, had three prior admissions and a history of alcohol or drug abuse. Sixty-seven percent had not been employed within the three years preceding admission, and 85% were indigent. Over one-fourth had a history of contact with the criminal justice system. Most stayed at the hospital less than six months. The utilization of the state hospital varied among counties as some communities referred patients to the hospital rather than keep them in a community-based facility as cost saving measure and as a means of social control for deviant behavior not tolerated within the community. In addition to providing treatment which was primarily stabilization via psychotropic medication, it was determined that the state hospital also continues to provide custodial care and asylum, particularly for more elderly patients. Utilization of all three of these functions is expected to continue into the future, as perpetuated by the hospital itself and the community it serves. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: B, page: 0365. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.