Showing papers by "David A. Waldman published in 1983"

Internal and external locus of control in relation to beliefs in free will and determinism

Abstract: Responses of 85 male and 56 female undergraduates to a scale designed to measure beliefs in free will or determinism were correlated with responses to an internal/external locus of control questionnaire. Analysis gave only a low-order correlation between scores on the scales, and factor analysis led to the conclusion that beliefs in free will or determinism are not necessarily related to beliefs in internal or external locus of control. Explanations were offered for why those who believe in free will might nevertheless believe in many external constraints upon behaviors and why determinists might believe in the so-called internal locus of control.

Self-modification of depression via cognitive-behavioral intervention strategies: A time series analysis

Abstract: A 20-year-old student enrolled in an undergraduate adjustment course implemented a self-modification program oriented toward the reduction of a 4-year history of moderate to severe depression. Following an initial baseline period, separate interventions were aimed at reducing depressive ruminatory activity by (a) reinforcing the gradual completion of academic tasks that had been serving as primary sources of negativistic thinking, and (b) reducing maladaptive rumination directly via the implementation of a cognitive-behavioral intervention package consisting of rational restructuring, covert self-reinforcement, and covert modeling. Results, analyzed by time series analysis, indicated a significant decline in frequency and intensity of self-monitored depressive thoughts only during the cognitive-behavioral intervention. Moreover, treatment effects were maintained at 6-month follow-up, with self-report data being corroborated by independent peer evaluation. Limitations and potential implications of the present single-subject experiment are discussed.