Digital Commons Network^™

Motivational Factors In Combat: A Comparison Of German And American Soldiers In World War Ii Using Content Analysis, Douglas J. Traversa

Theses and Dissertations

To determine whether content analysis could be used to successfully identify major combat motivational factors for individuals, this research focused on soldiers who fought in World War II. Combat narratives written by men who fought in World War II were examined. Ten German and ten American works were examined. Of these, five of each were the works of flyers and the other five were the works of ground troops. The following factors were examined: "primary group" influence, ideology, attitudes toward the enemy, group leadership, national leadership, personal gratification, propaganda, religion, vindictiveness, desire to end the war and go home, coercion, …

An Air Force Guide To Team Building, Roy M. Gozum

Theses and Dissertations

Team structures are used extensively in civilian, government, and military organizations to accomplish modem task demands that almost always exceed the capabilities of single individuals. As team structures became larger and more complex, managers realized the need for formal team building education. Team building programs serve to facilitate an environment for productive teamwork. However, despite the apparent importance of teams, most organizations overlook the implementation of formal team building programs. Therefore, the purpose of this research is two-fold. First, this thesis examines the evolution and importance of teams, and the subsequent need for the development of formal team building programs. …

Verbal Learning And Memory In Adults With Mild, Moderate And Severe Closed Head Injury, Paula J. Bergloff

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most prevalent of cognitive dysfunctions associated with closed head injury is impaired_memory function. The current study examined qualitative and quantitative aspects of learning and memory to define the effects of mild head injury in comparison to moderate and severe head injury and a sample of normal controls.

Forty five survivors of severe (n=15), moderate (n=15) and mild (n=15) closed head injury were compared with age and education matched controls (n=15) on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). On CVLT learning trials, head injured groups recalled less than controls, with the severely …

The Interactive Effects Of Caffeine And Phase Of Menstrual Cycle On The Recall Of Prose Passages, Jacqueline Marie Mcpherson

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has yielded inconsistent results regarding the effects of caffeine on memory. Such inconsistency is likely to a large extent a function of the complex interaction effects of caffeine and other variables such as estrogen. The purpose of the present study was to discern possible variation in the effects of caffeine on the recall of prose for females tested during days 1-5 or 9-13 of their menstrual cycle. One hundred and seven subjects received either O mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, or 4 mg/kg of caffeine. Following an absorption period, subjects read six passages from a computer terminal and immediately afterwards, …

Attorney And Judicial Perceptions Of The Credibility Of Expert Witnesses In Child Custody Cases, Michael T. Foot

Theses and Dissertations

Attorney and judicial attitudes towards expert witnesses in child custody cases were investigated by a cross-sectional research design. Subjects consisted of a sample of 381 of all attorneys and judges in the Commonwealth of Virginia who wished to be certified as guardians ad litem. Subjects were asked to fill out a six page questionnaire immediately prior to a daylong certification training session. The sample was primarily white (85.2%) and male (57.7%). Information was gathered on the subjects' demographic characteristics, experience with and attitudes toward expert witnesses in custody cases, opinions on traditional court and family structures, and knowledge of developmental …

Role Of Perceived Competence In The Behavior Of Socially Anxious Persons In Problem-Solving Groups, Scott D. Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Research finds high-shy persons participate minimally in interactions, withhold ideas from their groups, and negatively evaluate their performance. While commonly true, high-shy persons do not always interact less and it has been suggested (Efran & Korn, 1969) that high-shy persons may dominate a discussion if they can find a "safe" topic. The current study examined whether perceptions of perceived competence can produce this effect and increase the performance level of high-shy persons in a problem-solving group above the performance level of low-shy persons.

One hundred and four women, ages 18 to 24, at Virginia Commonwealth University participated. Subjects completed a …

Attachment, Social Support, And Violence In Adolescent Delinquents, James R. Craft

Theses and Dissertations

Attachment relationships between children and their primary caretakers have been hypothesized to contribute to internal working models of subsequent relationships with others. Poor attachment might lead to internal working models which devalue later relationships, making the perpetration of violence against others more likely. One focus of this study was to propose a model which combined parental bonding, adolescent attachment, and perceived family support to predict the severity of violence used against others by adolescent delinquents. A second focus was to test the proposed model in predicting the total number of violent offenses committed by adolescent delinquents. One hundred and forty-five …