Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2003. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-106). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ82923.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2002. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 63-02, Section: B, page: 1015. Chair: Andrew R. Eisen. Available also in print.

<p> This phenomenological case study of finding meaning explored the developmental nature of Pepperdine University&rsquo;s Doctor of Education in Organization Change (EDOC) program through graduates, who as students, found deep, visceral, and life changing meaning. The primary request of participants, identified as co-inquirers, was to: describe in as much detail as possible how meaning was found through their participation in the EDOC program. Detailed storied descriptions from 10 graduates were gathered through interviews. Anecdotes were gathered by email from other graduates concerning the meaning found, relational experiences, and vivid program experiences. In my analysis of data, I explicated the structure (the relationship among the most invariant constituents of the phenomenon) and meaning (implications) from their lived experience. Though particulars differed, the interview data revealed a structure surrounding each of the ten co-inquirers as being (a) self-aware learners who joined the program with assumptions concerning the challenging nature of the learning experience; (b) a socially constructed environment that facilitates the formation of relational sets and community engagement; (c) deep and rich dialogic relationships among participants within the learning community; (d) co-constructed learning through collaboration with faculty and fellow students; (e) abundant free-space in learning enabling the transcendence of boundaries to personal growth; (f) an immensely helping and caring environment; (g) significant opportunities to challenge and broaden worldviews through program experiences; and (h) consistent validation of progress toward personal, educational and life goals. In coming to understand the phenomenon for finding meaning, I used descriptive phenomenology and given my presence as a student in the program being studied, I offered my own observations. I framed propositions from the study&rsquo;s findings for progressive educators and organization development professions. Meaning found led to life changes such as improved personal and professional effectiveness, a deeper sense of self and self-worth, a clearer view of the world, and an ability to enact what had been taken from the experience; a significant educational outcome in addition to cognitive competencies, field knowledge and application. Those who have experienced the program came away with a deeper sense of purpose and far reaching capabilities to serve.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2001. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-04, Section: B, page: 2074. Chairperson: Andrew R. Eisen. Available also in print.

<p> This study examined the influence of personal networks on the career decision-making of African-American professional women through the lens of social cognitive career theory. A review of the career development literature shows growing interest in social networks, both online and face-to-face, and their relationship to individual career development. While research has been conducted on the career development of African-American women, the network research on African-American women is relatively scarce (Combs, 2003; Young, 2013). Combs (2003) noted that informal socialization activities impact career advancement and that few studies have examined the intersection of race and gender on informal networks. This study sought to address that gap. Furthermore, research on the influence of personal networks on the career decision-making of African-American women could both add to the network literature on African-American women and have implications for the career counseling of African-American women.</p><p> The primary research question addressed in this study was: What is the relationship, if any, between informal personal networks and the career decision-making of African-American professional women? A basic qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews serving as the primary method of data collection. Ten African-American women with at least ten years of professional experience and a minimum of two career decision points were purposefully selected for this study.</p><p> Data was analyzed using coding and thematic analysis to understand and interpret the meaning that each participant construed from their experiences with career decision-making and their personal networks. Themes emerged in four primary areas: (1) the career decision-making process, (2) the composition of the participants' personal networks, (3) the influence participants' personal networks had on their career decisions, and (4) key learnings. Based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations for future research and practice are presented.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 292 p.; also includes graphics (some col.) Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-292). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

A longevidade pode ser acompanhada por diversas comorbidades, entre elas o declínio cognitivo.Indivíduos que evidenciam declínio no desempenho cognitivo superior ao esperado para a idade, usualmente demonstrado em anormalidades nos testes neuropsicológicos, mas não atingindo o diagnóstico de demência, e que preservam as atividades de vida diária recebem o diagnóstico de portadores de Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL). A identificação de casos de declínio cognitivo abre espaço para intervenções que visem prevenir as demências, entre elas o treino de memória. Foi realizado um ensaio clínico randomizado, controlado e cego, com objetivo principal de verificar a eficácia do treino de memória em controles normais (CN) e em idosos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL) que realizaram uma bateria de testes cognitivos. Os idosos que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão (n=112) foram classificados nos seguintes perfis cognitivos: controles normais (n= 65) e CCL (n=47), segundo os critérios de Gauthier e Touchon (2005). Os participantes foram aleatoriamente reunidos em três grupos de intervenção: treino de memória (TM), grupo de intervenção educativa (IE) e grupo controle (GC). O TM realizou oito sessões, foram trabalhadas estratégias mnemônicas em tarefas ecológicas e oferecido conteúdo educativo sobre memória e envelhecimento. O IE realizou o mesmo número de sessões, com a mesma duração do TM, porém foram trabalhados apenas os conteúdos educativos. O GC realizou apenas o pré e o pós-teste. Os resultados apontaram para uma melhora no perfil cognitivo dos idosos com CCL. Após o treino de memória os participantes com CCL exibiram desempenho característico de idosos sem comprometimento cognitivo, mostrando a presença de plasticidade neural.Sendo assim, o treino de memória mostrou ser uma possibilidade de intervenção educativa de baixo custo e fácil viabilidade, capaz de agregar qualidade de vida à longevidade. / The longevity can be accompanied by several affections, between them the cognitive decline. Mild cognitive impairment defines individuals with objective evidence of memory impairment in relation to age; largely intact general cognitive functions; essentially preserved activities of daily living and absence of dementia. The identification of cognitive impairment raises the opportunity to act with the aim of preventing dementia. One potential measure is memory training. A randomized and controlled double-blind clinical trial was done with the objective to test the memory training effect in aged individuals previously diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The aged individuals were recruited by means of the local media. Afterward they were submitted to a battery of cognitive tests. The aged individuals attending the inclusion criteria (n=112) were classified into cognitive profiles as follows: normal controls (n= 65) and MCI (n=47). Gauthier and Touchon’s criteria (2005) were used for performing this classification. The study sample was randomly distributed into three different intervention groups: memory training group (MT) educational intervention group (EI) and control group (CG). The MT received eight interventional sessions working in mnemonic strategies using ecological tasks. In these sessions was also offered educative content on memory and aging. The EI did the same number of sessions with the same time extension as MT. However, only the educative content was worked. The CG did only a pre and a post testing evaluation. The results show an improvement in the cognitive profile of aged individuals with MCI. Moreover, after the memory training the individuals with MCI exhibited a performance typical of aged individuals without cognitive impairment. Conclusion: The memory training is a low cost and feasible intervention in cognitive impairment. It can improve quality of life in ageing.

A longevidade pode ser acompanhada por diversas comorbidades, entre elas o declínio cognitivo.Indivíduos que evidenciam declínio no desempenho cognitivo superior ao esperado para a idade, usualmente demonstrado em anormalidades nos testes neuropsicológicos, mas não atingindo o diagnóstico de demência, e que preservam as atividades de vida diária recebem o diagnóstico de portadores de Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL). A identificação de casos de declínio cognitivo abre espaço para intervenções que visem prevenir as demências, entre elas o treino de memória. Foi realizado um ensaio clínico randomizado, controlado e cego, com objetivo principal de verificar a eficácia do treino de memória em controles normais (CN) e em idosos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL) que realizaram uma bateria de testes cognitivos. Os idosos que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão (n=112) foram classificados nos seguintes perfis cognitivos: controles normais (n= 65) e CCL (n=47), segundo os critérios de Gauthier e Touchon (2005). Os participantes foram aleatoriamente reunidos em três grupos de intervenção: treino de memória (TM), grupo de intervenção educativa (IE) e grupo controle (GC). O TM realizou oito sessões, foram trabalhadas estratégias mnemônicas em tarefas ecológicas e oferecido conteúdo educativo sobre memória e envelhecimento. O IE realizou o mesmo número de sessões, com a mesma duração do TM, porém foram trabalhados apenas os conteúdos educativos. O GC realizou apenas o pré e o pós-teste. Os resultados apontaram para uma melhora no perfil cognitivo dos idosos com CCL. Após o treino de memória os participantes com CCL exibiram desempenho característico de idosos sem comprometimento cognitivo, mostrando a presença de plasticidade neural.Sendo assim, o treino de memória mostrou ser uma possibilidade de intervenção educativa de baixo custo e fácil viabilidade, capaz de agregar qualidade de vida à longevidade. / The longevity can be accompanied by several affections, between them the cognitive decline. Mild cognitive impairment defines individuals with objective evidence of memory impairment in relation to age; largely intact general cognitive functions; essentially preserved activities of daily living and absence of dementia. The identification of cognitive impairment raises the opportunity to act with the aim of preventing dementia. One potential measure is memory training. A randomized and controlled double-blind clinical trial was done with the objective to test the memory training effect in aged individuals previously diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The aged individuals were recruited by means of the local media. Afterward they were submitted to a battery of cognitive tests. The aged individuals attending the inclusion criteria (n=112) were classified into cognitive profiles as follows: normal controls (n= 65) and MCI (n=47). Gauthier and Touchon’s criteria (2005) were used for performing this classification. The study sample was randomly distributed into three different intervention groups: memory training group (MT) educational intervention group (EI) and control group (CG). The MT received eight interventional sessions working in mnemonic strategies using ecological tasks. In these sessions was also offered educative content on memory and aging. The EI did the same number of sessions with the same time extension as MT. However, only the educative content was worked. The CG did only a pre and a post testing evaluation. The results show an improvement in the cognitive profile of aged individuals with MCI. Moreover, after the memory training the individuals with MCI exhibited a performance typical of aged individuals without cognitive impairment. Conclusion: The memory training is a low cost and feasible intervention in cognitive impairment. It can improve quality of life in ageing.

A longevidade pode ser acompanhada por diversas comorbidades, entre elas o declínio cognitivo.Indivíduos que evidenciam declínio no desempenho cognitivo superior ao esperado para a idade, usualmente demonstrado em anormalidades nos testes neuropsicológicos, mas não atingindo o diagnóstico de demência, e que preservam as atividades de vida diária recebem o diagnóstico de portadores de Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL). A identificação de casos de declínio cognitivo abre espaço para intervenções que visem prevenir as demências, entre elas o treino de memória. Foi realizado um ensaio clínico randomizado, controlado e cego, com objetivo principal de verificar a eficácia do treino de memória em controles normais (CN) e em idosos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL) que realizaram uma bateria de testes cognitivos. Os idosos que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão (n=112) foram classificados nos seguintes perfis cognitivos: controles normais (n= 65) e CCL (n=47), segundo os critérios de Gauthier e Touchon (2005). Os participantes foram aleatoriamente reunidos em três grupos de intervenção: treino de memória (TM), grupo de intervenção educativa (IE) e grupo controle (GC). O TM realizou oito sessões, foram trabalhadas estratégias mnemônicas em tarefas ecológicas e oferecido conteúdo educativo sobre memória e envelhecimento. O IE realizou o mesmo número de sessões, com a mesma duração do TM, porém foram trabalhados apenas os conteúdos educativos. O GC realizou apenas o pré e o pós-teste. Os resultados apontaram para uma melhora no perfil cognitivo dos idosos com CCL. Após o treino de memória os participantes com CCL exibiram desempenho característico de idosos sem comprometimento cognitivo, mostrando a presença de plasticidade neural.Sendo assim, o treino de memória mostrou ser uma possibilidade de intervenção educativa de baixo custo e fácil viabilidade, capaz de agregar qualidade de vida à longevidade. / The longevity can be accompanied by several affections, between them the cognitive decline. Mild cognitive impairment defines individuals with objective evidence of memory impairment in relation to age; largely intact general cognitive functions; essentially preserved activities of daily living and absence of dementia. The identification of cognitive impairment raises the opportunity to act with the aim of preventing dementia. One potential measure is memory training. A randomized and controlled double-blind clinical trial was done with the objective to test the memory training effect in aged individuals previously diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The aged individuals were recruited by means of the local media. Afterward they were submitted to a battery of cognitive tests. The aged individuals attending the inclusion criteria (n=112) were classified into cognitive profiles as follows: normal controls (n= 65) and MCI (n=47). Gauthier and Touchon’s criteria (2005) were used for performing this classification. The study sample was randomly distributed into three different intervention groups: memory training group (MT) educational intervention group (EI) and control group (CG). The MT received eight interventional sessions working in mnemonic strategies using ecological tasks. In these sessions was also offered educative content on memory and aging. The EI did the same number of sessions with the same time extension as MT. However, only the educative content was worked. The CG did only a pre and a post testing evaluation. The results show an improvement in the cognitive profile of aged individuals with MCI. Moreover, after the memory training the individuals with MCI exhibited a performance typical of aged individuals without cognitive impairment. Conclusion: The memory training is a low cost and feasible intervention in cognitive impairment. It can improve quality of life in ageing.

Emerging adulthood has been described as a distinctive stage of life between adolescence and young adulthood, in which the hallmark of development is signified by the achievement of intimacy in romantic relationships. From a family systems perspective, the degree to which parents have resolved their own emotional attachment contributes to the capacity of emerging adults to develop intimacy in romantic relationships without inhibition from fear of closeness. This study empirically examines the relationship between parental emotional attachment and the fear of intimacy of emerging adults by exploring the mediating role of differentiation of self. One of the most important and original contributions of this study is the development and validation of the Parental Emotional Attachment Scale (PEAS) which measures the intensity of parental emotional attachment. This study applies a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design with four samples of emerging adults in Hong Kong. First, interviews (N=24; Mage=23.6; 54% female) are conducted to explore the variations in subjective experiences with family of origin and fear of romantic intimacy. Building on the qualitative data from the interviews, the PEAS is developed through two pilot studies with two separate samples (combined N=551; Mage=20.6; 61% female). The PEAS is validated and then applied in the main study (N=755; Mage=21.8; 55.4% female). An exploratory factor analysis yields four factors with 34 items, including Parental Emotional Fusion, Parental Emotional Separateness, Parental Emotional Over-functioning and Parental Emotional Projection, which explain for 46.81% of the total variance. The four-factor structure is confirmed by using a confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicate substantial correlations between the PEAS and the Chinese version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, which supports the convergent validity of the PEAS. The results also show that the PEAS has sufficient reliability (Cronbach's alpha= .89) and validity to support its application in the Hong Kong Chinese population. Concurrently, it is found that parental emotional attachment is negatively correlated with the level of differentiation of self, and positively correlated with the fear of intimacy. In addition, differentiation of self significantly mediates the relation between parental emotional attachment and fear of intimacy. Finally, a hierarchical regression analysis reveals that parental emotional over-functioning, emotional cutoff and emotional fusion with family are predictive of the fear of intimacy. The overall findings highlight differentiation of self as an underlying mechanism through which parental emotional attachment affects the level of fear of intimacy of emerging adults. Besides, emerging adults who experience greater parental emotional over-functioning, emotional cutoff and emotional fusion with family show higher levels of fear of intimacy. These findings jointly imply the importance for emerging adults to differentiate from their family of origin by balancing closeness and separateness, bridging emotional distance, reducing emotional cutoff and recognizing their own adaptive patterns in relationships, which serve as a practical framework for the future development of relationship education and counseling of emerging adults in Hong Kong.