Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1978. / "A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ..."

In order to test one implicit assumption of a neuropsychological theory concerning Complex Partial Seizure Disorder and affective-behavioral change, an instrument has been developed. The Perception of Affect Task (PAT) was created to fill an unmet need for an instrument which could assess the perception of affective stimuli across six emotions and neutral by: (1) allowing for a comparative analysis of perceptual abilities relative to the various emotions; (2) allowing for a comparative analysis of verbal and nonverbal perceptual abilities, thereby allowing for a potential analysis of enhancements and/or deficits by hemispheric laterality; and (3) assessing perceived intensity ratings of affective stimuli. As the PAT is to evaluate, in an upcoming study, CPS patients' deviations from normal perception-of-affect abilities, the present study serves to standardize this instrument with a college student sample.

M.Phil. ( Industrial Psychology) / Orientation: The aim of this study was to frame psychological testing in a specific and clear manner that is grounded in beneficence. This could potentially be used to positively contribute toward the development, control, and use of psychological testing in South Africa. This was attained by looking at psychological testing through a beneficence lens, so that it is grounded beyond the preventative stance of regulation, in beneficence. The principle of beneficence was explained to the participants, who were then encouraged to approach psychological testing from a beneficence perspective. Research purpose: Despite considerable literature existing on the moral principle of beneficence in various contexts, there is restricted research on its association with psychological testing. Hence, this study explored how to ground psychological testing in the moral principle of beneficence, for application in the South African workplace. This was formulated to explore the essence of beneficence as positively contributing to the welfare of others, from which actions were identified to promote understanding in grounding psychological testing in this regard.

M.A. (Counselling Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This thesis aimed to develop a paradigm for the study of anomaly handling and to investigate the factors that influence success in detecting and classifying anomalies. A simulated anomaly-handling environment was created to mimic an intelligence analysis task in a security setting. A series of experiments was designed to test hypotheses concerning sources of difficulty in detecting potential anomalies and making decisions about appropriate classifications of potentially anomalous events. Results across all experiments showed that complex problems, representing anomalies, were more difficult to solve than simple problems, and that this poor performance was consistent with the use of suboptimal strategies based on recognition of perceptual characteristics rather than inferences drawn from available data. Performance on complex problems was reduced still further when participants were exposed to trials that established a mental set. However, performance was improved when participants were given feedback on the correctness of their responses to each trial, which eliminated the negative effects of exposure to mental set. Another factor that impacted on successful decision-making was the cost of making errors. When participants were faced with a penalty for making incorrect decisions, solution rates improved compared with when performance was not related to reward. This has consequences for anomaly handling industries where the consequence of failure of often high. Unexpectedly, a number of the results indicated that there are situations where mental set may confer a benefit to decision making in a task of anomaly categorisation. Given the dominance of recognition-based strategies, it appears that mental set can refine the detection of perceptually relevant patterns, which can signal sudden changes in pattern that can lead to a switch from recognition-based to inferential task solution strategies. Overall, the merits for the use of simulated environments in critical decision making areas are discussed, and the contributory factors towards successful anomaly handling are analysed.

Computer technology has made rapid advances over the past several years. New developments in hardware have included the use of disks, cassette tape storage, and computer graphics. Hardware designed for specific uses has rapidly become a major component of the computer graphics technology. Many new programs have advanced the field of computer graphics and have facilitated the development of a new process termed digitizing.The present study used an Intergraph Computer System to digitize Bender Gestalt Test (BGT) protocols. This digitizing approach, although performed by the computer, can be likened to (a) taking a grid at 1/100th inch resolution, (b) placing the grid over the drawn designs, (c) reporting the X,Y coordinates which intersect the lines of the BGT drawing, (d) interpreting those X,Y coordinates statistically, and (e) developing norms for various aspects of subject drawings.A comparison was made between the computer digitizing method and the traditional method of scoring BGT protocols. The comparison was based on six indices selected from the 1977 Hutt Adience-Abience Scale. Data were collected from 60 children diagnosed as severely emotionally handicapped (SEH) and 60 children diagnosed as "normal."Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability as well as criterion-related and concurrent validity were analyzed. Reliability results favored the computer approach, while criterion-related validity was essentially the same for both computer and traditional scoring methods. Criterion validity for the traditional technique was slightly, but not significantly, higher. Concurrent validity results indicated a limited degree of similarity between the two methods; however, the discriminant properties of both methods differed. With two exceptions, all discriminant indices for both scoring methods were not significant. Drawing placement and rotation were statistically significant under the traditional method of assessment; however, neither the computer nor the traditional scoring method clearly discriminated SEH from normal children. With BGT assessment based on only six indices, lack of successful discrimination was not surprising. Previous studies recommended that the BGT be used only in a test battery when assessing emotional handicaps. The current study supported those recommendations and suggested that computer scoring can be more reliable and equally as valid as the traditional scoring method for assessing emotional factors on the BGT protocol.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1918. / "Reprinted from the Psychological clinic, vol. XII, no. 3, May 15, 1918." Bibliography: p. 24.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 181 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-91).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-177). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR39022

Many researchers and theorists and argued that a person's psychological health and well-being require that needs are met. If needs are not met, the result is distress and attempts to compensate, both of which may lead to psychological problems. Thus, psychologists and others whose goal is to help people with psychological problems require a theory of important psychological needs.This study provides a critical review of major need theories and assessment instruments developed to operationalize those theories. Based upon this review, five needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness, purpose, and physical) were identified as being critical aspects of psychological well-being. Using a relatively new needs assessment scale, these five needs were assessed in 1,358 clinical and non-clinical adults from various sites around a Midwestern state.Results indicated a five-factor structure that was slightly different than the one originally hypothesized. This new five factor model (life direction, positive interpersonal relations, interpersonal support, competence, and ability to adapt) was found to be consistent across both the clinical and non-clinical samples. Results provided strong evidence that the measurement instrument has superior psychometric properties to previously developed instruments. Importantly, this new need assessment inventory could discriminate clinical from non-clinical samples. An additional important finding concerned self-esteem. Many researchers have argued about whether self-esteem is a need. Results here suggest that self-esteem is not a need, but is either irrelevant or may be a vague measure of several needs. Suggestions for future research and implications for clinical treatment are discussed. / Department of Psychological Science