Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1992.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1994. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1992.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to determine if (1) there was a difference between a sample of homeless and a sample of non-homeless men in self-concept, (2) there was a difference in perceptions of the father-child relationship between these two populations, (3) there were father-child relationship characteristics common to persons who indicated a high self-concept, and (4) there were father-child relationship characteristics common to persons who indicated a low self-concept. The data were based upon information supported by 62 subjects who completed the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Family Life Questionnaire. Findings indicated that there was a significant difference in self-concept and in perceptions of the father-child relationship between the sample of homeless men and the sample of non-homeless men. It was also found that there were father-child relationship characteristics common to persons who indicated a high self-concept and father-child relationship characteristics common to persons who indicated a low self-concept.

This study was designed to examine the relationships between exercising while injured, and variables found to be relevant in the exercise dependence literature. It was also designed to test the utility of the Self-discrepancy model (Higgins, 1989) of motivation, cognition and affect. Twenty-six (N = 26) injured athletes participated. The AIQ was designed for this study to measure involvement with exercise and the nature of the injury. Negative mood was measured by POMS, and self discrepancies were measured by the Selves Questionnaire. Therapists' ratings were included to measure injury rehabilitation behavior. Confirmatory factor analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were used to test hypotheses. The utility of the self-discrepancy model for this sample, was unsupported. Seriousness and persistence with exercise, the recurrence of the injury, and depression due to the injury, were significant predictors of exercising while injured. A power analysis was used to test the probability of significant findings.

The purpose of the study was to examine the factor structure of the Social Skills Scale of the Social Skills Rating System-Parent (SSRS-P) (Gresham & Elliott, 1990) on a group of Navajo American parents. The SSRS-P Social Skills Scale was administered to a parent or a close relative of 218 Navajo children aged five through 8 years to assess children's social skills at home setting. The four-factor structure of the scale administered Gresham and Elliott (1990) was tested on this data using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The estimation results demonstrated that the four-factor structure was not supported by the data. Modifications to the four-factor structure models resulted in five factors. The estimation results indicated that the five factors fit the data very well, suggesting that the factor structure of the scale may differ for this population.

This study examined negative reception to caregiving by a chronically ill spouse and the impact on the caregiving and the caregiver spouse. Quantitative and qualitative methodology were used. Audiotaped interviews using the Caregiver Impact Inventory (CII) (Miller, 1993) provided data on caregivers' perceptions of negative reception to caregiving by a chronically ill spouse. Perceptions of Caregiving (Oberst, 1991), Caregiver Burden Scale (Oberst, 1991), Caregiver Strain Index (Robinson, 1983), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem (Rosenberg, 1965), were implemented. Eight respondents indicated (CII) that negative reception to caregiving by a chronically ill spouse had a significant impact on the thoughts and feelings, and self-esteem of the caregiver. Caregiver spouses responded by reserving or withholding caregiving responses. The caregiver spouses indicated that moderate levels of threat, general stress and benefit (POC), moderate levels of burden (CBS), moderate levels of strain (CSI) and low-moderate self-esteem were experienced.

<p> Neuromodulatory systems originate in nuclei localized in the subcortical region of the brain and control fundamental behaviors by interacting with many areas of the central nervous system. Much is known about neuromodulators, but their structural and functional implications in fundamental behavior remain unclear. This dissertation set out to investigate the interaction of neuromodulators and their role in modulating behaviors by combining methodologies in computational modeling, game theory, embodiment, pharmacological manipulations, and neuroinformatics. The first study introduces a novel computational model that predicts how dopamine and serotonin shape competitive and cooperative behavior in a game theoretic environment. The second study adopted the model from the first study to gauge how humans react to adaptive agents, as well as measuring the influence of embodied agents on game play. The third study investigates functional activity of these neuromodulatory circuits by exploring the expression energy of neuromodulatory receptors using the Allen Brain Atlas. The fourth study features a web application known as the Allen Brain Atlas-Drive Visualization, which provides users with a quick and intuitive way to survey large amounts of expression energy data across multiple brain regions of interest. Finally, the last study continues exploring the interaction of dopamine and serotonin by focusing specifically on the reward circuit using the Allen Brain Atlas. The first two studies provide a more behavioral understanding of how dopamine and serotonin interacts, what that interaction might look like in the brain, and how those interactions transpire in complex situations. The remaining three studies uses a neuroinformatics approach to reveal the underlying empirical structure and function behind the interactions of dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and norepinephrine in brain regions responsible for the behaviors discussed in the first two studies. When combined, each study provides an additional level of understanding about neuromodulators. This is of great importance because neuroscience simply cannot be explained through one methodology. It is going to take a multifaceted effort, like the one presented in this dissertation, to obtain a deeper understanding of the complexity behind neuromodulators and their structural and functional relationship with each other.</p>

<p> The present study examined factors for priestly commitment and the relationship between priestly commitment and well-being of Catholic priests and seminarians. While evidence for the effectiveness of assessment in identifying the suitability of applicants to the priesthood and evaluating the general psychological health of priests and seminarians has been well documented, the effectiveness of assessment in predicting commitment to the priesthood remains under question. This study addressed such an issue by identifying the individual and sets of factors for priestly commitment using a sample of 120 priests and 52 seminarians. </p><p> Through Hierarchical Multiple Regression analyses, the present study examined the extent to which demographic factors (e.g., age and vocational status), social factors (e.g., parental environment, family religiosity, and religious experience), psychological factors (e.g., big five personality traits, defensiveness, gender characteristics, and loneliness), and religious factors (e.g., religious orientation, religious coping, spiritual support, sacred view of the priesthood, and relationship with bishop/superior) affect priestly commitment. And, through Multiple Regression, this study examined a correlation between priestly commitment and well-being. </p><p> The results indicated that, when demographic, social, and psychological variables were controlled, an increased level of agreeableness, defensiveness, masculinity, intrinsic religious orientation, sacred view of the priesthood, and relationship with bishop/superior were associated with an increased level of affective commitment, whereas the increased level of parental care, extraversion, and loneliness were associated with a decreased level of affective commitment. Parental overprotection, extraversion, and loneliness positively correlated with thought of leaving the priesthood, whereas masculinity, sacred view of the priesthood, and relationship with bishop/superior had negative correlations. Extrinsic religious orientation had a positive correlation with continuance commitment. In contrast to the previous studies, demographic variables were insignificant. The study also found indirect effects of religious variables on the significant correlations between parental care and affective commitment and between agreeableness and affective commitment. </p><p> Specific to well-being, this study found that affective commitment was positively correlated with affect balance, psychological well-being, and religious well-being, while continuance commitment and thought of leaving the priesthood had negative correlations with psychological well-being. Finally, thought of leaving the priesthood was correlated negatively with affect balance.</p>