Browsing by Subject "Psychology, General (0621)"
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Item An Exploratory Study of the Experiences and Perspectives of African-American, Latina/o, Asian-American and European-American Psychology Graduate Students: "Is One of These Things Still Not Like the Others?"(2008-11-06) Wimms, Harriette Ernestine; Maton, Kenneth; Psychology; PsychologyAs the cultural and racial/ethnic landscape of the U.S. continues to change, psychologists from varied cultural backgrounds will be called upon to address issues of equity, diversity, and well-being among the population. Despite decades of initiatives within the field of psychology to increase the numbers of ethnic/racial minorities among its ranks, African-American and Latina/o doctoral students continue to be underrepresented and the numbers of African-American, Latina/o and Asian-American professors in psychology departments continue to be at levels far below those commensurate with their U.S. population representations. However, little is known about the experiences of Black, Latina/o and Asian-American graduate students in psychology. This "mixed-method" qualitative and quantitative research study utilized interview and survey data to examine the graduate psychology student experience among African-American, Latina/o, Asian-American and White students across the United States. Overall, the results reveal similarities in the lived experiences of students of color and White students, and also a number of important areas where distinctive differences are present. Specifically, both qualitative and quantitative findings reveal similarities in why students choose to become psychology students, the encouraging circumstances that help them persist in doctoral programs, and suggestions of means to support future generations of students. Also, a number of important facets of the graduate school experience predicted satisfaction independent of ethnicity. Important areas of difference between students of color and White students (as well as to some extent between the three minority groups) revealed by qualitative and/or quantitative methods include challenges faced, perceptions of cultural diversity within the academic environment, and the perceived relationship between ethnicity and supports, barriers, and future employment aspirations. Additionally, differences between White students and students of color were generally found across perceptions of ethnicity and circumstances of graduate school. The implications of the study findings are related to previous research and an ecological perspective in psychology higher education. Consideration of limitations of the present study, recommendations for future research, and implications for psychology training and the field at large conclude the study.Item The Common Integrative Framework (CIF)(2022-08) Abuhamada, Jacob; Sierra-Sosa, Daniel; Hood College Department of Psychology & Counseling; Interdisciplinary Studies of Human BehaviorWhile it is often assumed that the mind can only be understood in terms of the brain, this has been to the detriment of psychological science. The dearth of consensus on how to integrate diverse findings in psychological fields highlights this fact. This manuscript presents and explicates the Common Integrative Framework (CIF) as a viable dimensional model for the representation of all subjective, phenomenal states of consciousness, as well as the basis for a unified framework of general psychology. First we present the history of similar models before systematically laying out the relevant components and structural sections of the CIF: The four dimensions (executive-cognitive functioning [X], phenomenological intensity [Y], affective valence [Z], and sense of self [SoS]) as well as the quadrants and interquadrant regions of the vector space. The framework’s presentation incorporates a transdiagnostic analysis of psychopathologies, as well as a phenomenological characterization of the major classes of psychoactive substances. A preliminary experience-sampling study yielded a dataset of experiences (n = 204), which were analyzed with a multitude of statistical and visualization methodologies including scatter and contour plots, heatmaps, and multiple OLS linear regression models. Results found that the configuration of experiences aligned with the predicted structures; demonstrated the utility of distinguishing groups, individuals, and concepts on the basis of characterizing subjective experience; and the predictive diagnostic capabilities of the applied framework when paired with demographic information. The preliminary findings of the study and literature review together support the CIF as a valuable tool that provides context for both the design and interpretation of a wide range of psychological research, warranting future studies.Item Developing a Questionnaire to Measure Social, Tickle, and Contagious Yawning Behavior in Normally Developing Children and Children with Autism(2008-10-19) Whyms, Nicole; Provine, Robert; Psychology; PsychologyTickle and contagious yawning are predictable behavior affected by social cues and context. Tickle and contagious yawning may be performed abnormally by children with autism or other special needs because they express a variety of social behavior abnormalities. The goal of this study was to develop a questionnaire that can be used to gather descriptive data about tickle and contagious yawning in normally developing children and children with autism or other special needs with the intent of identifying future areas of research in diagnosis and intervention. DeVellis's (2003) principles for scale construction were combined with Dillman's (2000) guidelines for questionnaire construction to guide the questionnaire development process. The questionnaire had low return rates and tickle and contagious yawning items did not form internally consistent scales. Despite these limitations, the questionnaire shows promise for use as a qualitative instrument.Item Evaluating Possible Bias in a Giftedness Assessment: An Empirical Comparison of IRT and Non-IRT (Parametric and Non-Parametric) Techniques for Detecting Differential Item Functioning(2019-04-01) Alahmadi, Maisaa Taleb S.; Perrino, Carrol S.; Haines, R. Trent; McKay, Sylvester E.; Psychology; Doctor of PhilosophyEvery year, students from 3rd, 6th, and 9th are nominated to take the Multiple Cognitive Abilities Assessment (Mawhiba Assessment) to determine whether they possess giftedness and are entitled to special programs that cater to such giftedness. Students who meet a certain threshold on all fours areas of learning measured on the assessment are determined to be gifted and are thus given many opportunities to utilize their giftedness. Considering the importance of this assessment and the benefits given to those who do well on it, it is essential to ensure that the assessment is fair for all individuals who are chosen to take it. This study looks at determining whether the items on the Mawhiba Assessment function similarly for both males and females who take the assessment. Eight different types of DIF analyses were conducted to ensure gender fairness and compared to test whether these methods give similar results for every item on the assessment with females (reference group) and males (focal group). For two of the most common analyses, Mantel-Haenszel and Lord’s Chi-Square, DIF analyses were run between males and females for the entire sample as well as for those identified as being gifted, as defined by specific parameters set by the researcher. It was found that the DIF had larger effects with the gifted sample as compared to the overall sample. The remaining six DIF analyses only looked at differences between males and females for the overall sample. The multiple DIF analyses produced findings that allowed the researcher to obtain a complete understanding of possible gender bias. Generally, it can be concluded that the Mawhiba Assessment is a fair assessment; however, males were more advantaged on the Mathematical and Spatial Reasoning and Scientific and Mechanical Reasoning sections, whereas females were more advantaged on the Linguistic Reasoning and Comprehension section. Both groups had an equal advantage on the Mental Flexibility section. These findings reflect what has been found in previous research and can be used by the officials who develop and maintain the Mawhiba Assessment to help ensure a fair testing instrument.