Three issues were examined in this study: (1) the extent to which psychological challenge or stress elicits changes in the breathing patterns of normal subjects; (2) whether breathing pattern changes covary with cardiovascular arousal; and (3) whether individuals identified as being potentially at-risk for developing hypertension respond to mental challenge tasks with breathing pattern and cardiovascular changes that are reliably different from those of lower risk individuals. Subjects were 100 healthy young men divided into reactor quintiles on the basis of their heart rate (HR) changes to a 1-minute cold pressor test. Those in the upper quintile were designated as being at-risk for developing hypertension. Their cardiovascular and respiratory changes to two counterbalanced versions of a 5-minute mental arithmetic test (Easy & Hard) were compared with those of the third and fifth quintile subjects. Marked individual differences were evident in the direction and extent of breathing changes. Overall, the rate, amplitude, variability, and predominant mode of breathing increased substantially over resting levels in response to the math tasks. Only breathing rate and variability reliably covaried with task difficulty. Little correspondence was found between breathing changes and cardiovascular arousal. The data did indicate a trend for breathing to shift towards greater ribcage dominance as task difficulty increased. This was especially true for the at-risk group and least true for the low reactor quintile. The expected group differences in cardiovascular reactivity were not found however, implying that the HR reactivity to cold stimulation is not a good predictor of reactivity to acute mental challenge or stress. Overall, the results suggest that breathing patterns change in response to psychological stress but are not clearly associated with cardiovascular arousal. The attempt to identify subgroups of aberrant breathers on the basis of HR reactivity also yielded equivocal results. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The focus of this study was an examination of the anxiety level and coping processes of female counselling students when confronted with a client who has either been sexually abused, physically abused, or who is experiencing role conflict. It was hypothesized that students who were exposed to a sexually abused client would demonstrate a significant increase in anxiety and poorer coping processes than the comparison groups. Coping processes were construed as coping thoughts (the relationship between negative and positive self-statements), and operationalized as the proportion of negative self-statements to total self-statements. It was further expected that there would be a moderate, positive correlation between anxiety and relative negative self-statement scores after viewing the client videos. Sixty female volunteer counselling psychology students (M age 35.8) at the University of British Columbia were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups: exposure to a video presentation of a client who had either been sexually abused, physically abused, or was experiencing role conflict. Each student completed the State Form of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the thought-listing procedure before and after viewing the client. Data were analyzed by two repeated measures, 2-way (group x time) ANOVAs, with anxiety and relative negative self-statement scores as the dependent variables. A Pearson product-moment correlation was also conducted between these two variables at post-test. The ANOVAs revealed no significant differences between the three groups from pre- to post-video, and, unexpectedly, the relative negative self-statement scores decreased for all groups. A positive correlation but of low magnitude was found between anxiety and relative negative self-statement scores (r=.21, p<.05). Because of the unexpected results, and based on findings from the literature, post-hoc analysis was carried out A repeated measures ANOVA with positive self-statements as the dependent variable revealed a group x time interaction that approached significance, F(2,60)=2.20, p.<.12. Post-hoc Scheffe's tests (p<.05) indicated that the sexual abuse group increased these positive self-statements more than the comparison groups. Data were also examined from the perspective of Schwartz and Garamoni's (1986) States of Mind model. These findings coupled with data from the ancillary questionnaires suggested that students were functioning from a position of grandiosity with respect to their counselling ability with adult survivors of sexual abuse. There was also some indication that at least some students who had been sexually abused themselves were in a state of denial in relation to the effects of their own abuse. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

While the first entry of Chinese immigrants to Canada dates back to more than a century, in 1967 when the Canadian immigration policy changed, Chinese immigrants from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan became the top source of migration. Over the past few decades, the process of acculturation and mental health of Chinese immigrants has received attention in cross-cultural research. Researchers are particularly interested in investigating the stress experienced by immigrants during the process of acculturation and the ways of dealing with such stress. The thesis reports on a study that explores acculturative stress, length of residence, and cohesion of Chinese immigrants in Canada. The results from this study showed that enmeshment (a high level of family cohesion or family togetherness) and flexibility (a high level of adaptability to change family rules and roles) are related to a lower level of acculturative stress in Chinese immigrant mothers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Of particular interest was the effect of cohesion and adaptability on the social dimension of acculturative stress. Additionally, the results showed that length of residence did not predict acculturative stress in Chinese immigrant families. Limitations, contributions, and implications of the present study for future acculturation research are discussed.

While the first entry of Chinese immigrants to Canada dates back to more than a century, in 1967 when the Canadian immigration policy changed, Chinese immigrants from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan became the top source of migration. Over the past few decades, the process of acculturation and mental health of Chinese immigrants has received attention in cross-cultural research. Researchers are particularly interested in investigating the stress experienced by immigrants during the process of acculturation and the ways of dealing with such stress. The thesis reports on a study that explores acculturative stress, length of residence, and cohesion of Chinese immigrants in Canada. The results from this study showed that enmeshment (a high level of family cohesion or family togetherness) and flexibility (a high level of adaptability to change family rules and roles) are related to a lower level of acculturative stress in Chinese immigrant mothers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Of particular interest was the effect of cohesion and adaptability on the social dimension of acculturative stress. Additionally, the results showed that length of residence did not predict acculturative stress in Chinese immigrant families. Limitations, contributions, and implications of the present study for future acculturation research are discussed. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Ph.D in Community Psychology in the Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2007. / A qualitative, phenomenological approach incorporating triangulation, process evaluative and appreciative inquiry techniques was used to evaluate parental experiences of participating in a stress management programme for parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Parents experienced the program as bringing about empowerment, group cohesion, cognitive restructuring, behaviour modification, growth, development and change. Children viewed their parents as having become more relaxed, approachable, inclusive and loving. An independent psychologist evaluated the programme positively in terms of its quality, effectiveness, flexibility, adaptability and comprehensiveness. The research concludes with ways of improving the programme for future management of children with ADHD.