Thesis (M.S.) in Human Development--University of Maine, 2005. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 30-38).

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While men do indeed construct self-validating and often peculiar interpretations of the realities of their world the simple fact that these views become consensually shared doctrines of experience does not protect them from the revisionism of historical scrutiny. These perceptions of the world become retrospectively altered as developing bodies of knowledge reject them as being clearly deceptive or anachronistic. The concept of psychopathology, distinguished historically under many rubrics, has not been immune to these same processes of modification, nor has it ever been free of the diverse irrationalities which men of all ages have constructed to explain the etiology and treatment of deviant behavior. Historically, consideration of atypical behavior all reflect attempts to explain dysfunction utilizing existing systems of belief and knowledge. For example, primitive and ancient societies advanced quasi-theoretical frameworks that stressed either external causation (e.g., spirit intervention, sorcery, demonic possession, lunacy, bewitchment) or personal causation (e.g., loss of soul, breach of taboo, object intrusion, brain disease). Of course, retrospective evaluation of these explanatory devices have found them to be woefully impoverished. With the advent of science these archaic beliefs were found to be incompatible with a rational view of the world where all events had logical and determinable causes. Moreover, with the development of the medical model of disease, aberrant behavior, of a functional nature, could be explained and treated in the same systematic manner as that which had an organic basis. While the "new view" still distinguished between external and internal causation of psychopathology, it radically redefined explanatory concepts and apparently located dynamics of the disease process within the individual. The classic psychiatric/psychological approach has (and continues to) stressed the description and classification of pathological signs and symptoms and when etiology was considered, illness was accounted for more often than not by such intra-psychic factors as anxiety, stress, breakdown of defense mechanisms and ego strength. Current theories of psychopathology have not been quite as oblivious to the effects of the individual's environment in the production and maintenance of both functional and organic illness. Nor can they be, for the last two decades have witnessed a growing awareness of the purely sociological aspects of pathological processes--processes which had hitherto been assigned only to individual defects. Research in the social epidemology of mental illness has established the importance of numerous sociological variables including ecological and socioeconomic status factors,personal and social characteristics, and culture-specificfactors. It is now commonly recognized that the environment of the individual plays a crucial role in determining the characteristics and course of pathological processes.

Abstract not available

The trait complex approach (Ackerman&Heggestad, 1997) makes it possible to study the individual holistically by taking account of various individual differences at the same time, such as abilities, personality, motivation, and vocational preferences. Recently, Kanfer, Wolf, Kantrowitz, and Ackerman (2010) provided support for taking a whole-person approach in predicting academic performance. They also showed the incremental role of non-ability predictors over the role of ability predictors. Objectives of the present study were to further explore the non-ability variables of the science/math trait complex. Identifying the personality correlates of the science/math trait complex was the first objective. Investigation results yielded four personality factors as correlates of the complex, which play important roles for engineers and scientists at different stages of the vocational track: toughmindedness was the personality marker of the science/math trait complex and was associated with intending to pursue a STEM career; achievement and control were associated with academic success in STEM majors; and cognitively-oriented behavior was associated with more cognitively challenging pursuits, such as attending STEM competitions and planning to go on to graduate school. The second purpose was to revisit the vocational interests associated with the science/math trait complex and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) groups. A new measure was introduced, referred to as STEM Interest Complexity, which measures interests towards engaging in increasingly complex tasks in the Numerical, Symbolic, Spatial, and STEM-related Ideas domains. It was developed to assess the level of vocational interests, in addition to the traditionally assessed direction of vocational interests (Holland, 1985). Validation of the new STEM Interest Complexity measure showed adequate construct and concurrent criterion-related validities. Construct validity was established by demonstrating associations between the new measure and measures of the direction of interests, cognitive abilities, intelligence as personality, and learning goal orientations. Support for the new measure's criterion-related validity was found by demonstrating that the measure discriminates between majors, and predicts vocational criteria (i.e., college achievement in STEM, attachment to STEM fields, major satisfaction, and one's intentions to chose a complex STEM career). With dominance analyses, it was shown that STEM Interest Complexity was the most important vocational assessment in the prediction of criteria. Results support the assertion that vocational interest inventories can be improved by incorporating the level of complexity dimension. Finally, a science/math trait complex composite score, including the personality factors and STEM Interest Complexity, in addition to the previously determined ability, interest, and self-concept associates, showed moderate associations with STEM-related vocational criteria. The non-ability individual differences, which were the focus of the present study, added to the conceptualization and predictive utility of the science/math trait complex.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

The general purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cognitive styles and personality types in order to gain insight into the placement of leaders within the context of current and future organisational demands. The study was conducted among 123 managers within the information technology environment of a South African financial institution. Data was collected by means of the Cognitive Process Profile (CPP) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Supporting evidence, although not sufficient, indicates a probable relationship between cognitive styles and personality types. The assumption can therefore be made that the relationship between cognitive styles and personality types will be more pronounced among a more geographically distributed sample group which includes sufficient diverse respondents regarding the different cognitive styles and personality types. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial Psychology)

The general purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cognitive styles and personality types in order to gain insight into the placement of leaders within the context of current and future organisational demands. The study was conducted among 123 managers within the information technology environment of a South African financial institution. Data was collected by means of the Cognitive Process Profile (CPP) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Supporting evidence, although not sufficient, indicates a probable relationship between cognitive styles and personality types. The assumption can therefore be made that the relationship between cognitive styles and personality types will be more pronounced among a more geographically distributed sample group which includes sufficient diverse respondents regarding the different cognitive styles and personality types. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial Psychology)

Emotional intelligence has attracted a considerable amount of attention over the past few years specifically with regard to the nature of the underlying construct and the reliability and validity of the psychometric tools used to measure the construct. The present study explored the reliability and validity of a trait measure of EI in relation to an ability measure in order to determine whether the tools can be considered as measuring conceptually valid constructs within an occupational environment. The study also examined the overlap with a trait measure of cognitive thinking styles to determine the potential for separating the trait and ability EI into two unique and distinguishable constructs. Participants included 308 employees from four different workforces within a diverse South African consulting firm. The results of the study identified a number of psychometric concerns regarding the structural fidelity of the instruments as well as concerns about the cultural bias evident in both measurement instruments. Evidence for the discriminant and incremental validity of the two instruments was, however, provided and recommendations are made for the reconceptualisation of trait EI as an emotional competence and ability EI as an emotional intelligence. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)