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The Impact Of Assigned, Conflicting Goals On Task Performance, Daniel P. Whitenak

Student Work

Previous research has strongly supported Locke's theory of goal-setting: given specific, difficult, accepted goals with proper feedback, individual performance w ill improve relative to others not given a goal. A possible exception to this theory might be the setting of goals that conflict or require widely different strategies for task completion. The present study employed a 2 x 2 factorial design (presence/absence of a quantity and a quality goal) to investigate the impact of conflicting goals on task performance. Results showed that assigned, conflicting goals do not provide an exception to the goal-setting/performance relationship since significan t main effects were …

A Comparison Of Personality Types Between Deans/Directors Of Continuing Education And Chief Academic Officers In Selected Post-Secondary Institutions In North Carolina, Mary F. Joseph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem was to determine whether significant relationships existed between the personality types of deans/directors of continuing education and chief academic officers in institutions of higher education in North Carolina. Literature was reviewed in order to determine the research that had been completed using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) with administrators in post-secondary institutions. A demographic questionnaire was developed to ascertain information about the type and size of the institutions, as well as data about the respondent. All post-secondary institutions, excluding business and trade schools, in North Carolina were included in the study. The dean/director of continuing education and chief …

Using Performance-Management To Improve The Academic Success Of High-Risk College Students, Valerie L. Jager

Masters Theses

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a performance management program designed to improve the academic success of high-risk college students; students who had been previously dismissed from the university and had grade point averages (GPA) below 2.0 (on a 4.0- point scale). Twenty-two of these high-risk students were required to enroll in a one-credit hour performance-management course. They met weekly with a student staff member and prepared a contract, which specified their goals for the upcoming week and evaluated the past weeks' accomplishments. The students were also required to graph their daily accomplishments and spend ten hours per week studying …

Methylphenidate Effects On The Learning And Performance Of Four Hyper Active Children, Paul James Yoder

Dissertations

The effects of methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin) on the learning and performance of four hyperactive children were evaluated using a repeated acquisition procedure with both learning and performance components. Three dosages of methylphenidate plus a placebo were evaluated under double-blind experimental conditions. Dosages treated included each subject's therapeutic dosage, a dosage 5 milligrams higher, and a dosage 5 milligrams lower. Methylphenidate produced no effect on either the number of errors per session or on the rate of responding across the range of dosages tested suggesting that the medication neither facilitated nor impaired learning or performance. Data were also collected on social …

The Effect Of Aerobic Training And Weight Training On The Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Cathexis, And Self-Concept Of College Females, John Stuart Irvine

Dissertations

The present study investigated the effects of two differing exercise programs, aerobic training and weight training, upon the body cathexis, global self-concept, and cardiorespiratory fitness of college females. The subjects were undergraduate nonintercollegiate athletes who self-selected into four different physical education classes that served as the two experimental and one control group. The subjects in the aerobics exercise group engaged in rope jumping, aerobic dance, and jogging for 50 minutes, twice per week, for 14 weeks. The weight training experimental group utilized free weights and variable resistence strength training equipment during the 14-week, twice weekly, 50-minute sessions. The control group …

The Effects Of A Structured Study-Support Program On The Academic Performance Of Minority College Freshmen In A General Psychology Course, Mark Andrew Jackson

Masters Theses

This study analyzed the effectiveness of a structured study support course on the academic performance of minority college freshmen in a general psychology course. The study-support course required the participants to study the weekly quiz material in specified increments throughout the entire week. These participants received significantly higher grades than those who did not.

In addition, the weekly quiz scores of the participants during the treatment phase were significantly higher than their quiz scores prior to the beginning of the study-support course. Students who did not participate in the study-support course showed no significant difference in weekly quiz performance during …

Effects Of The Center For The Self-Management Of Academic Performance On High Risk Students, Connie J. Wittkopp

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a behavioral package designed to help keep high risk students in school. Thirty-four undergraduate students on academic probation were referred to the Center for the Self-Management of Academic Performance by the College of Arts and Sciences. These students were divided into two groups: an experimental group which consisted of 21 students and a control group which consisted of 13 students. Members of the experimental group were exposed to a treatment package which included behavioral contracting, lectures, and mandatory attendance at a study center; members of the control group …

Computer-Assisted Consultation: Problem-Identification, David B. Lennox

Dissertations

Three experiments were conducted to validate the effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Consultation (CAC)--a computer-based problem identification interviewing system for use in conducting school-based behavioral consultation. The specific goals of problem identification are to establish behavioral objectives and initial assessment characteristics. Experiment I functioned as a pilot which: (1) validated the need for problem identification, (2) demonstrated the general utility of CAC, and (3) provide a basis for program improvement. Experiment II provided a more rigorous analysis of CAC by comparing it with an actual problem identification interview. Two groups of three consultees each were exposed to one of two counter-balanced sequences …

Feminine Role Orientation And Locus Of Control In Battered Women, Nancy C. Zielke

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine locus of control and feminine role orientation in battered women. It was hypothesized that battered women would have a more "external" locus of control than women who have not been in a battering relationship. It was also hypothesized that battered women would describe themselves as having more characteristics that are traditionally associated as "feminine" in nature and fewer characteristics that are considered "masculine" in nature than women who have not been in a battering relationship. Finally, it was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between locus of control and self-perceived feminine …

A Performance Audit Of A Graduate Training Program, Maria Emma Garcia

Masters Theses

The present study consists of a performance audit of a graduate training program. The performance audit is an engineering model created by Gilbert (1978) to design, analyze, and evaluate organizations. This performance audit was applied to the Behavioral Systems Analysis Program (BSAP), a graduate training program of the Psychology Department at Western Michigan University. The mission of BSAP consists of training behavioral systems analysts to effectively create or improve systems that benefit humanity.

This study had two objectives: first, the identification of the areas of BSAP with greatest potential for improvement and the identification causes of their deficiencies; second, to …

A Study Of The Efficacy Of Two Educational Methods In The Reduction Of Computer Fear, Scott M. Gordon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effcacy of two different educational methods in the reduction of computer fear. One of the methods focused on the effectiveness of a quasi-hypnotic session in the reduction of computer fear. An open-ended sentence completion questionnaire was given to 46 employees of Pittsburg State University in conjunction with an in-service training seminar on computers. The data were analyzed according to Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Signed Ranks tests and Spearman Rho correlations. Results of this study indicate that an educational presentation is not as effective as an educational presentation paired with relaxation training in …

An Empirical Examination Of The Construct Validity Of The Spiritual Leadership Qualities Inventory, Thomas G. Parker Jr.

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The The Spiritual Leadership Qualities Inventory (SLQI) is a self-report measure of the qualifications for elders and deasons given in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. This study examined the construct validity of the SLQI by means of correlations with measures of religiosity and personality inventories, and by factor analysis at the subscale level for 90 male, evangelical, Christian seminary students in the Southwest.

Use Of Contingency Contracting For The Generalization Of Social Skills Of Emotionally Impaired Students, Michelle M. Kapp

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the effects of contingency or behavioral contracting on the generalization of emitting polite words. Generalization as a result of social skills training was compared to generalization as a result of contracting. The subjects were three elementary students identified as emotionally impaired. The experimental design was a combination reversal and multiple baseline across subjects. The results of the study supported the hypothesis that contracting would be more effective than the social skills training in initiating generalization of emitting polite words. It was suggested that additional research be conducted to investigate the long term effects of contracting on …

The Use Of Performance Data To Monitor And Support The Reorganization Of An Educational System, Ellen Spall Thompson

Masters Theses

The goal of this study was to determine the performance effects on staff and students following the reorganization of a special education facility. The organizational plan was based on the development of teaching teams where students were grouped together according to exit curricular goals. Four interventions were completed in order to assess the overall outcome of the reorganization project. At the student level, the rate of learning was monitored in order to determine whether the implementation of teams affected educational objective acquisition . At the team level, meeting agendas were surveyed to find out what effect they had on student …

The Delay-Reduction Hypothesis Of Evocative Effectiveness And Latency, James Bryant Nuzzo

Dissertations

Prior studies found that separations between latencies correlated with differential stimuli in a multiple discrete trial procedure were attenuated with increased intertrial interval durations. In this study six pigeons served as subjects in two groups. The procedure for one group was a multiple DRO-FR chain schedule (Ratio Delay group) while in the other group a multiple DRO - response-initiated delay interval chain schedule (Time Delay group) was used. Results of this study are consistent with the Delay-reduction hypothesis of evocative effectiveness which predicts that with increasing initial link durations relative terminal link evocative effectiveness would decrease. Specifically, relative terminal link …

Stimulus-Reinforcer And Response-Reinforcer Relationships In The Determination Of Response Latency, Bruce Edward Hesse

Dissertations

Response latency is measured from the onset of a stimulus to the onset of a response and is relevant to both respondent and operant control procedures. Previous research has shown response latency to be a sensitive operant dependent variable but the contribution of respondent influences was not known. The present experiment used pigeons, a two-key procedure and a two component FR schedule to study the respondent (stimulus-reinforcer) contributions to the determination of an ostensibly operant response latency. Stimuli associated with each FR component were displayed on one key (stimulus key) while responding for reinforcement was required on a second key …

Effects Of Tripelennamine And Pentazocine Alone And In Combination On Schedule-Controlled Performance, Deborah Lou Grossett

Dissertations

The effects of tripelennamine (3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mg/kg) and pentazocine (5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg), given alone and in selected combinations, were determined in rats performing under fixed-ratio 30 and interresponse-time-greater-than-15-second schedules of food delivery. When given alone, tripelennamine and pentazocine produced statistically significant decreases in responding under the fixed-ratio 30 schedule, but did not significantly affect responding under the interresponse-time-greater-than-15-second schedule. Each drug alone significantly decreased the number of reinforcers (food pellets) earned relative to control values under both schedules. The effects of the two drugs in combination were supra-additive. That is, the effects …

The Effects Of Given Versus Self-Derived Rules On Children's Performance Of A Complex Discrimination Task, Susan F. Roy

Masters Theses

Two groups of preschool children were studied in a discretetrial concept formation task involving identification of stimulus cards which shared a common feature (e.g., picture a color, or a facial expression). During training, one group (rule-given) was given a verbal description which delineated the aspect of the stimulus card that should control responding. The second (self-derived rule) group was exposed to the same cards, without a rule (verbal description) being given. Members of each group were reinforced for correct responses (i.e., identifying which of two pictures had the relevant stimulus property), and accuracy of description was recorded for each trial. …

Psychometric Characteristics Of The Behavioral Observation Scale, Gregg Allen Bolt

Masters Theses

Self-, peer-, and supervisor ratings were obtained on 52 psychiatric aides using a Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS). Self ratings showed less leniency error than peer- and supervisor ratings. Halo error could not be assessed due to a negative correlation between means and variences. A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analysis supported the presence of strong rater bias and significant convergent validity but not discriminant validity. The results of the analyses demonstrated that the ratings obtained from a BOS were not psychometrically superior to other appraisal formats. Questions were raised as to the adequacy of a five point scale, data transformation, and rating scales.

An Experimental Study Of Contact With The Elderly Upon Second-Grade Students' Attitudes And Factual Knowledge, Theresa Ann Haman

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose Purposes of this study were: (a) to assess the effects of inter- generational contact on the attitudes and knowledge of second-grade students and (b) to determine if similarities existed between second- grade students' and their parents' attitudes and knowledge concerning the elderly. Procedure The research population for this study was comprised of 91 Grand Forks Public School second-grade students and 61 of their parents. The experimental group of students (46) participated in an intergenerational program with elderly persons in a nursing home. The control group of students (45) was not involved in this intergenerational program. All of the students …

Prescriptive Contracting: Utilization Of Self-Monitoring And Contracting In A Study Improvement Program, Raymond L. Boettger

Masters Theses

Several factors in program design and concurrent research of study programs for academically at-risk students have been noted in reviewing the literature. Two of the most effective techniques are self-monitoring and contracting. While many of the programs based on these procedures have shown significant increases in rates of study behavior, few have reported actual academic gains. Those that have predominately used simple difference of means tests to show significance. A major drawback to many of the study improvement programs is that they require additional expense to be implemented and maintained.

Prescriptive Contracting in an Individualized Guided Study center was designed …

The Effect Of Problem Complexity On The Efficiency Of Intuitive And Analytic Processes, Teresa Farley Kao

Dissertations and Theses

Some investigators have suggested that when material becomes more complex, an individual is forced to use an intuitive process, while others suggest that increasing complexity forces analysis. This study was an attempt to resolve this question by manipulating rate of presentation and instructions. No effect was found due to these manipulations or due to complexity. The reason is not clear, but may be due to a combination of factors which inclined the experiment in the direction of the intuitive process.

Effect Of Menstrual Cycle On Hedonic Response To Gustatory Stimuli, Laurie Ann O'Toole

Dissertations and Theses

The present experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between the human menstrual cycle and gustatory hedonic response. Hedonic response was defined as the perceived pleasantness or unpleasantness of a taste stimulus. Gender differences in taste hedonic have been observed; these may be due to differences in endocrine systems. Animal taste preferences are altered when reproductive hormonal status is experimentally manipulated. Previous researchers report that human females' hedonic responses to sucrose vary systematically with phase of menstrual cycle.

The Interaction Between Characteristic Locus Of Control And Control Of Events On The Perceived Stress Of Events, Jeffrey B. Harrison

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Jeffrey B. Harrison on July 7,1984.

The Effects Of A Communication Skills Training Program On Marital Satisfaction, Commitment, Social Desirability, And Spiritual Well-Being, Frank G. Upshaw

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The issue of marital communication between newlywed couples was explored in an experimental design which was intended to teach communication skills to newlywed couples. The participants were all newlyweds who had been married less then one year. There was a total of 48 subjects involved in the study (N=48, IF16, k=3). All the participants were Christians and they represented five different denominations in the Portland area. Each couple was randomly assigned to one of three groups: the Couples Communication Program (CCP) treatment group, a Filmstrip Series (FSS) treatment group, or a wait list Control group. Each parson was tested before …

A Comparison Of A Group Approach And A Personalized Approach In Teaching Behavior Management Techniques To Parents, Vicki Martin

Dissertations and Theses

Parent intervention programs that assist parents in increasing their skills in behavior management techniques have experienced considerable success over the last 20 years. Parent training not only aids the parent in changing the child's behavior but may be beneficial in preventing future problems.

When a program of this type is utilized with low income populations, cost effectiveness becomes an important issue. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of a parent intervention program when utilizing a group format versus a personalized, one-to-one approach to training.

The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) was administered pre and posttreatment …

Plasma Catecholamine And Ascorbic Acid Levels In Smokers And Nonsmokers As A Function Of Stress, Audrey A. Wickiser

Student Work

Research on the relationship between the role of stress and blood catecholamine levels began in the early 60's. Studies since that time have shown that both physical and psychological stressors can cause an increase in the circulating levels of catecholamines. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are the catecholamines most implicated as being affected by stress. The results have not been clear as to whether the two catecholamines respond differentially to physical and psychological stress. Epinephrine secretion appears to increase in response to anxiety while norepinephrine may be related to aggression.

Acceptability Of Treatment: The Effects Of Socioeconomic Status And Intellectual Level On Teachers' Ratings Of Interventions, Kathryn L. Welch

Student Work

The study examined the effects of a child's socioeconomic status and intellectual level on classroom teachers' ratings of positive and negative interventions. Ninety urban kindergarten through sixth grade classroom teachers participated in the study. The teachers varied according to age, sex, race, number of years taught, and years of experience with low socioeconomic children, as well as grade level currently teaching. A vignette was constructed varying the socioeconomic status and intellectual level of an elementary school age boy who was displaying inattention during instructional time. The inattention (token economy) paired with it. The teacher were asked to read one of …

A Study Of Loneliness And Health Related Complaints In Residents Of High Rise Apartment Buildings For The Elderly, Susan H. Jones

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore feelings of loneliness among relocated elderly residents of age-segregated, high-rise apartment buildings and any relationship between these subjective feelings of loneliness and certain variables which were hypothesized as predictors of feelings of loneliness. The variables studied in relation to loneliness were cathectic investment, activity, and perceptions of health. A non-experimental survey design where data were collected by interviewing subjects was used. The sample consisted of 18 female residents of a high-rise apartment building for the elderly. Each was interviewed using the Loneliness Rating Scale developed by Dr. Gloria M. Francis and a …

Eeg And Evoked Potential Measured Of Age And Sex Differences In Central Nervous System Processing, Judith Ann La Marche

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Age and gender differences in CNS information processing were investigated with EEG measures of power spectral analysis and cortical coupling, and evoked potential measures of brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), visual evoked potentials (VEPs), pattern reversal evoked potentials (PREPs), and P300 evoked potentials. Eighty normal volunteers comprised four subgroups of 20 subjects: young females and young males (25-35 years); old females and old males (55-70 years).

Trends were generally consistent across evoked potential measures: women and young people produced faster latency responses; females and oldsters produced larger amplitude responses. Old age was associated with reduced variability of electrophysiological responding across …