Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-73). Also available on the Internet.

Introduction: The connection between self and psychosis has been qualitatively noted for centuries, but left relatively neglected in the field of quantitative psychology research. Some targeted studies have shown that self-concept is different in patients with psychosis than healthy volunteers. Studies of individuals have established a specific relationship between distortions of self and the content of delusions. Recent studies have begun to collect evidence of changes of self in the early stages of psychosis. Research suggests that delusions and self-concept have various shared cognitive mechanisms and neuroanatomy, particularly with respect to persecutory delusions. Changes in self-concept are apparent in persons at ultra high risk for developing psychosis, suggesting that it precedes specific symptomatology and could be at the root of delusion formation. Therefore, we identify where the two domains intersect while overcoming the limitations of past studies such as considering only persecutory delusions, minimally defining self, and including patients with a wide range of diagnoses. Methods: We consider delusions and self-concept in a patient group, consisting of 22 persons with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and a group of 22 healthy volunteers. Delusional ideation is measured through the Peters et al Delusion Inventory (PDI) which derives a total, three subscores- Distress, Preoccupation, Conviction- and seven factor scores based on delusion content. Self-concept is quantified using hierarchical classification (HICLAS) analysis which generates numeric and visual outputs. It is important to specify that self is a deceivingly broad topic of which we will focus on the trait level- that is, which adjectives individuals use to describe their selves and others who are close to them. In addition to PDI and HICLAS evaluations, patients undergo clinical diagnoses and symptom ratings. Results: While there was no diagnostic group difference in the PDI total or subscores, patients had more delusional ideation with respect to three types of content, as determined by the factor scores. HICLAS did not show group differences. However, patients and controls had different relationships between PDI and HICLAS measures, with patients showing a greater overall connection between the two domains. The specific results are discussed, including two qualitative case studies. Conclusion: We conclude that the relationship between self-concept and schizophrenia is specific to delusions rather than general symptomatology. Relationships are drawn between the cognitive theories underlying each domain. The findings are important to theoretical understandings of self and delusions. Furthermore, it is hoped that advanced understanding of these topics can likely lead to new, targeted psychotherapeutic treatment approaches. / published_or_final_version / Psychiatry / Master / Master of Philosophy

Patients’ perception of being a burden to others, termed self-perceived burden (SPB), is a phenomenon commonly reported by terminally-ill patients. SPB elicits psychological outcomes such as loss of dignity, hopelessness, anxiety, and depression (Wilson et al., 2005). To extend our knowledge on this understudied construct, this project employed a multi-method approach with three studies to examine the experience of SPB among Chinese cancer patients. Study 1 is the first longitudinal investigation on the relationship between SPB and non-terminal cancer patients’ trajectories of psychological adjustment. Results from hierarchical linear modeling showed that patients with higher levels of SPB reported higher levels of depression and anxiety, as well as lower levels of mental health over time. Results also revealed that SPB predicted cancer patients’ pattern of change in anxiety over time. As the high SPB group had a higher anxiety level at baseline, their anxiety level remained higher than that of the low SPB group despite a sharper decrease. Study 2 is the first quantitative study to scrutinize the psychological process of how cancer patients attempted to cope with SPB. A new Self-perceived Burden Coping Scale was developed. Our findings indicated that the scale displayed good content, construct, and discriminant validities, and most subscales show acceptable reliability. Results from principal components analysis showed that cancer patients adopted six coping modes in an attempt to deal with SPB: (a) positive outlook, (b) managing the needs of others, (c) resigned acceptance, (d) making preparations, (e) entitlement, and (f) concealing need. Specially, the coping modes of resigned acceptance and concealing need were related to poorer adjustment, whereas managing the needs of others and entitlement were related to better adjustment. Stress-buffering effects of managing the needs of others and making preparations were also found. Finally, Study 3 adopted a qualitative paradigm to explore perception as care-receivers, aspects of SPB, and coping with SPB among Chinese non-terminal cancer patients. Narratives from patients revealed four perspectives regarding to their perception as care-receivers: self-reliance, acceptance, overwhelming, and SPB. Results revealed that the SPB experience among Chinese non-terminal cancer patients was similar to those observed in Western terminal cancer patients, with a new aspect of financial burden. In addition to the six coping modes of SPB found in Study 2, a potential new coping mode of being compliant with others was found, which may be unique among Chinese cancer patients in the context of SPB. Findings from these studies may advance our knowledge on SPB, provide insights for future research, as well as shed lights on the development of counseling services, psychological interventions, and public policies for cancer patients. / published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

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No description available.

The goal of this study was to investigate the real self-image, ideal self-image, and self-image disparity of maltreated adolescents, both acting-out and nonacting-out, as compared to nonmaltreated adolescents. Participants included 58 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 with groups approximately matched for age, IQ, and mental age. The maltreated group consisted of children who had been neglected, physically abused, and/or psychologically abused. Children in both maltreated and nonmaltreated groups were classified as acting-out or nonacting-out based on reports of truancy, substance abuse, disrespect for authority, violent outbursts, and trouble within the legal system. The primary findings of the study were that maltreated as compared to nonmaltreated individuals displayed lower real self-images and larger self-image disparities. However, the lowest real self-image scores were displayed by the acting-out adolescents regardless of their maltreatment status. In a comparison between the acting-out maltreated adolescents and the acting-out nonmaltreated adolescents, the real self-images were comparable, suggesting that the experience of maltreatment does not exacerbate the negative effect of behavioural difficulty. In addition, the acting-out maltreated children displayed higher ideal self-images than the acting-out nonmaltreated children. Both experiences of maltreatment and acting-out behaviours appear to be related to negative effects of self-image in adolescents. This highlights the importance of investigating the influence of experiential factors on self-system processing.

Two measures, The Adolescent Invulnerability Scale (TAIS) and The Adolescent Personal Uniqueness Scale (TAPUS) were developed to quantify levels of felt invulnerability and personal uniqueness, respectively. The relationship among these two personal fables (invulnerability, personal uniqueness), and mental health variables was assessed in a large sample of adolescents (n = 248, including seventh and eighth grade students). Participants responded to the newly crafted measures of adolescent invulnerability and personal uniqueness, the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, three indices of suicidal ideation, an inventory of delinquent risk behaviors, and two subscales from the Self-Image Questionnaire for Young Adolescents. It was predicted that invulnerability would be positively associated with risk behaviors and more prevalent among boys. In addition, personal uniqueness would be positively associated with depression and suicidal ideation, and more prevalent in girls. With respect to personal fable ideation, boys demonstrated higher levels of felt invulnerability and more risk behaviors than girls. In addition, girls reported more feelings of depression than boys, however neither group differed on the amount of reported felt personal uniqueness. The results show that the personal fables of invulnerability and personal uniqueness are differentially linked to indices of mental health within an adolescent population. / Department of Educational Psychology

This study investigated relationships between literacy level and global self concept. employment status. income level, age. and gender among students enrolled at a vocational technical college. The contribution of a subset of job-related reading self concepts to the multiple correlation was also examined. The study sample consisted of 100 students in Related Education Courses at Indiana Vocational Technical College, Region VI. Muncie. Indiana. Subjects responded to three instruments and a demographic questionnaire. The Literacy Assessment Battery (Sticht. 1982) provided literacy levels, the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (Fitts. 1964) yielded global self concept, and the Hays Job-Related Reading Survey (Hays, 1986) indicated job-related reading self concepts. Piloting of Hays Job-Related Reading Survey Reliability and construct validity were sought using responses from a sample (N = 230) closely comparable to one selected for the study. An analysis revealed four interpretable factors:(a) Positive Employee Self, (b) Perceived Limitations of Self, (c) Perceived Importance of Occupational Literacy, and (d) Perceived Value of Company Notices. Further analysis yielded coefficient alpha reliabilities of r = .69 to r = .86.Results Significant relationships were found between literacy level and the following: (a) Global Self Concept (r .20, p<.04`; (b) Global Self Concept when combined with Perceived Limitations of Self, a factor from the Hays JobRelated Reading Survey (r = .56. p<.000+); and (c) Perceived Limitations of Self alone (r = .56, p<.000+).Conclusions Both Global Self Concept and Perceived Limitations of Self were significantly related to Literacy, both singly and in combination. The "best" (most efficient) predictor of Literacy Level could be gained by Perceived Limitations of Self alone. Additional research with adults is needed to confirm the findings and expand established research at younger ages. Educational suggestions focus on strengthening self concepts and occupational literacy of adults pursuing vocational training. Business should foster occupational literacy self concepts and employer-employee relationships in the workplace. Economic implications involved public and private sector support for long-term occupational literacy and job-related reading self concept programs which may yield more effective, productive employees.

The study investigated the influence of culture and sex, and their interaction, on measured self-concept and anxiety. Four cultural groups: Indonesian, American, Indian, and Chinese were studied. The variables of interest were five aspects of self-concept (self-esteem, net conflict, total conflict, deviancy, and variability) and two types of anxiety (general anxiety and- test anxiety).The instruments employed were the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, the IPAT Anxiety Scale questionnaire, the Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale, and the House-Tree-Person Test. The Ss were 240 randomly selected undergraduate college students and there were 37 females and 2.3 males from each of the four cultural groups. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the three major hypotheses.There were systematic differences between cultures on both self-concept and anxiety and it was concluded that these differences were attributable to the differential effect of the cultures on the subjects. There were no differences between the sexes on the seven variables. There was a significant interaction between culture and sex on five of the seven variables.Three areas of additional research were recommended. Two of these involved extentions of the basic research model while the other dealt with the development of cultural stable measuring instruments.