<p> Understanding the variables that maintain reinforcer effectiveness has important implications for basic research to inform applied behavior analysis. The goal of the current study was to investigate the combined effects of rate of reinforcement and variability in duration and delay of reinforcement on within-session changes in operant responding in two experiments. In each experiment, Wistar rats (<i>Rattus norvegicus</i>) lever pressed for liquid sucrose on three fixed interval (FI) schedules of reinforcement. In Experiment 1, subjects lever pressed for liquid sucrose on either a constant or a varied duration of access to reinforcement. In Experiment 2, subjects were exposed to a constant or variable delay of reinforcement. Results showed two fundamental properties of behavior undergoing habituation. First, within-session decreases in responding were steeper (greater habituation) at higher rates of reinforcement than at lower rates. Second, within-session rates of responding declined more slowly (slower habituation) when access to the reinforcer was presented in a variable versus constant manner. Because habituation occurs for both ingestive and noningestive stimuli, the present study adds to the body of literature on habituation and can inform clinical practice on the variables that sustain operant behavior through varying the delivery of the reinforcer.</p>

<p> Researchers have examined reverie and the numinous autonomously; however concomitant studies on reverie and the numinous are nonexistent. Moreover, no research in depth psychotherapy explores reverie or the numinous as essential experiences associated with early childhood psychospiritual awareness. This heuristic investigation examines the experience of reverie as it can lead to the numinous in the context of Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT). Case history as arts based data conceptualizes this premise. Five nonactive child case histories give an initial glimpse into the researcher's clinical experience of reverie as it can lead to the numinous. </p><p> Reverie is defined as a daydream, and numinous is viewed as an ethereal attribute given to one's personal experience of phenomena. Both descriptions are universal depictions. The researcher includes personal perspective through autobiographical accounts of early childhood experiences and through reflections of reverie as it can lead to the numinous in adulthood. In heuristic inquiry, understanding the researcher's internal frame of reference is essential to understanding the research premise and the unique explorative research process. </p><p> Overall, this research serves as a way to include children and their unique depth psychotherapeutic processes. Understanding how children access unconscious material may help depth psychologists to understand what informs early childhood psychospiritual awareness. </p><p> Ultimately, children can and do access psychological material that can and do lead to transformation and healing at a deep level. Children's psychotherapeutic processes manifest differently and sometimes emanate from a place of reverie; what manifests from those soulful reveries sometimes take on a numinous quality. </p><p> This initial heuristic investigation on reverie as it can lead to the numinous is exploratory in nature and is not intended to be conclusive. More research is likely needed to continue to expand on this dissertation's premise. </p><p> Key words: case history, child centered play therapy, daydream, heuristic, numinous, psychospiritual, reverie, Sol <i>niger.</i></p>

<p> Psychotherapist personal factors, often referred to as countertransference reactions, are widely believed to impact the therapeutic process. While the existence of the countertransference is commonly accepted by contemporary psychotherapists, there is continued debate over its nature, quality and therapeutic utility. Further, there have been relatively few empirical studies on the countertransference reactions of practicing psychologists and other mental health professionals. This study aimed to address this lack by examining the frequency and nature of countertransference experiences as reported by psychoanalysts. Additionally, this study sought to explore the relationship between countertransference reactions and patient symptomology as suggested by recent findings (Betan, Heim, Conklin, &amp; Western, 2005; Brody &amp; Farber, 1996; Rossberg, Karterud, Pedersen, &amp; Friis, 2007, 2008, 2010). Seventy psychoanalysts with memberships to national psychoanalytic organizations completed a brief, web-based survey on countertransference. The results of this study indicated that psychoanalysts report constantly experiencing countertransference reactions and that these reactions are mostly positive in nature, independent of the clinician's background or demographic information. The results also showed that most psychoanalysts defined the CT phenomenon as "all of a therapist's reactions," during the psychotherapy, reflecting the "totalist" perspective of CT. A small but significant association was found between CT definition and reported CT frequency, suggesting the role of theory in shaping clinical experience. While respondents were just as likely to report CT reactions with patients diagnosed with Axis I and Axis II disorders, Cluster B personality disorders were most specified amongst the Axis II endorsements. The findings of this study provide a contemporary outlook on the countertransference phenomenon. This study's limitations relate to its homogenous sample population and abnormal distribution rate. </p>

<p> Interventions are needed to help the functional impairment of veterans, especially with regard to symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This pilot study examines how EEG biofeedback impacts PTSD symptoms in veterans of mixed age and race at The Bell Shelter in Los Angeles. As the method of data collection, this quantitative study employed a Likert scale questionnaire tracking 23 symptoms of PTSD for both the experimental and control groups at the same weekly intervals. This study examined whether there was a difference between the PTSD symptoms in the five veterans receiving treatment as compared to the five veterans who did not receive treatment during the study, but had the option of receiving treatment after the study was completed. Results of the data indicate a significant remediation of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptoms in the experimental group after undergoing 20 sessions of EEG biofeedback, in contrast to the control group.</p>

<p> <i><b>Objective:</b></i> The goal of this research was to empirically evaluate the predictive utility of Harrison Assessment Talent Management System (HATS) for use as a selection instrument within organizational settings. <i><b>Method:</b></i> This was done by investigating the strength of the relationship between the job fit percentages generated by HATS and the performance ratings (i.e., number of life insurance policies sold within the first 6 months of employment ) of 238 employees (201 men and 37 women) working for a large American insurance company. <i><b>Results: </b></i> The correlation between HATS prediction scores and performance ratings yielded significant findings, <i>r</i>(236) = .599, <i> p</i>> .0001, indicating HATS is a useful instrument for predicting employee performance. Ancillary analysis revealed only 7 of 156 predictor variables significantly correlated with performance ratings. Further statistical procedures aimed at exploring the contribution of all 7 variables to performance ratings were conducted using multiple regression techniques. A significant but modest relationship was found between the vector of predictor traits and job performance, <i> R</i> = .395, F(7, 230) = 6.083, p > .001. In addition, the HATS attributes of Systematic (&beta; = .275), Teaching (&beta; = 184), and Planning (&beta; = -.156) were found to be significant predictors of performance, <i> p</i> > .04. <i><b>Conclusions:</b></i> HATS was shown to be a significant predictor of job performance. The strength of the correlation coefficient along with its innovative methodology makes it somewhat unique among psychological tests used in organizational settings.</p><p> <i>Keywords: Harrison Assessments, Harrison Assessments Talent Management Systems, Psychometric Testing, Predicting Performance, Measuring Performance, Personality, Interests, Intelligence, Person-Environment Fit, Motivation, Mood, and Uncertainty Factors.</i></p>

<p> This study hypothesized that differences in sex behaviors of men and women with sex addiction would mirror sex behaviors differences characteristic of men and women in general. A sample of 45 persons with sex addiction was obtained from social media websites. A validated sexual addiction questionnaire and gender-specific sex behavior questionnaire (GBQ) were administered. Results confirmed that all subjects had sex addiction. Sex addiction scores for men were universally higher than for women across all domains of sex addiction; all differences were statistically significant. Of 22 GBQ questions, 16 trended in the predicted direction; six did not. The proportion of endorsements in line with the hypothesis was significantly different from chance, suggesting that differences in sex behaviors of men and women with sex addiction mirror those of men and women in general. Four findings differed from the hypothesis, however. First, men with sex addiction had fewer relationships at one time than women. Second, men were less likely than women to seek escort or phone services, pay for sexually explicit phone calls, or use personal ads to find partners. Third, men and women equally endorsed being more likely to have sex with someone they know rather than anonymous sex partners. Fourth, women more often reported having one-night stands than men. These gender-specific behaviors deviate from past research, suggesting that men and women with sex addiction may choose some sexual behaviors atypical of their gender. Cultural and technological changes that may be impacting these novel sex behaviors were explored.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2003. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 63-08, Section: B, page: 3897. Chair: Maria Gartstein.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2003. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 64-01, Section: B, page: 0457. Chair: Amy M. Wisniewski.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2004. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 64-09, Section: B, page: 4658. Chair: Masha Gartstein.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 2003. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-02, Section: B, page: 1018. Adviser: A. Wisniewski.