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Ratio Pausing And The Determination Of Discriminative Operant Latencies, Thomas M. Bell

Dissertations

The latency between discriminative stimulus onset and initiation of a corresponding ratio requirement (RR) was studied in pigeons using a two-key discrete-trial procedure with three-component multiple schedules. The two-key procedure allowed measurement of response-reinforcer relations on a "constant" key, and stimulus-reinforcer relations on a "stimulus" key. The first experiment showed regular between-session effects as equivalent fixed-ratio (FR) components were raised over several phases and then lowered. A direct relation was observed between latency and RR for each of ten subjects. Initial stimulus-key pecking showed several trends, the most prevalent being an inverse relation to RR.

Experiment 2 demonstrated within-session separations …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of A Low Glycemic Diet On The Antisocial Behavior Of Juvenile Offenders, James Edward Longhurst

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine if a low glycemic diet contributes to a reduction in the incidence of antisocial behavior among male juvenile offenders.

One hundred forty juvenile offenders at a residential treatment center were randomly divided into treatment and nontreatment groups. The treatment group ate from a diet which contained foods low in glycemic characteristics. There was no dietary alteration for the control group.

Three instruments were used to measure differences between groups in antisocial behavior following a 5-week experimental period. These instruments include: (1) the Unusual Incident Report--a systematic and objective observer report form, (2) …

Preventing The "All But Thesis" Phenomenon, Maria Emma Garcia

Dissertations

Twenty-three to 54% of the students who enter graduate programs never obtain their degrees. A high percentage of those students drop out after the completion of all the academic requirements except their master's theses or doctoral dissertations. The literature makes reference to the "all but thesis" (ABT) and the "all but dissertation" (ABD) phenomenon.

The present study involved the implementation of a research supervisory system designed to help students complete their theses and dissertations, therefore preventing the ABT and ABD problems. Twenty-nine graduate students in psychology formed the research supervisory group and 53 graduate students from several departments formed a …

Treatment Of Spasticity Via Transcranial Electrical Stimulation In Persons With Cerebral Palsy And Severe Mental Retardation, George A. Thompson Jr.

Dissertations

Although the clinical manifestations of cerebral palsy are many and varied, spasticity is a common aspect of the disorder, observed in as many as 75% of all cases (Paneth & Kiely, 1984). A double-blind and placebo-controlled and counter balanced reversal design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial electrical stimulation (TCS) in the treatment of spastic cerebral palsy in six severely mentally impaired individuals. Although there appeared to be some improvement from pre to post measures, a comparison of the placebo and treatment conditions yielded results indicating that transcranial electrical stimulation did not increase the passive range of motion …

Differential Response Latencies Using Auditory Stimuli, Albert Edward Neal

Dissertations

Previous research has identified and isolated the elicited (autoshaped) control of pigeons' response latencies. The present research, using auditory frequencies as discriminative stimuli, was designed to eliminate the intrusion of this elicited control.

Two experiments are presented, both using a discrete-trial, two-component multiple schedule. In Experiment 1, in which a two-key arrangement was used, pigeons were required to peck a continuously-illuminated left key when one of two different frequencies, each correlated with a different amount of reinforcement, was presented behind the illuminated right key. In Experiment 2, in which a three-key arrangement was used, pigeons were required to peck either …

Medical Students' Self-Reports Of Reactions To The Malpractice Crisis, Kevin J. Franke

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Psychological Study Of Adolescent Everyday Morality, Charles M. Shelton

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Special Care Nursery Intervention With Preterm Infant-Parent Dyads, Kathleen Malee

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Personal Growth And Therapy As A Component Of Graduate Training In Counseling Psychology Programs, Eric Visokey

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Decision Making In Long-Term Health Care Planning, Frances M. Weaver

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Interaffectivity In The Mother-Infant Relationship, Lenore R. Weissmann

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Predicting Success In A Vocational Rehabilitation Program For Chronic Psychiatric Patients, Mary A. Yerkes

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Present And Future In Generativity, Donna A. Van De Water

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Early Intervention For Premature Infants, James S. Gyurke

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Physiological And Psychological Variables Contributing To Sexual Dysfunction In Female Insulin Dependent Diabetic Patients, Linda D. Rice

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Foreign Study: An Analysis Of The Long Term Impact, Randy Mccombie

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Neuropsychological Investigation Of Prefrontal Dysfunction Among Conduct Disordered Adolescents, Robin Shear

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Confirmation In The Assessment Process: The Effects Of Clinicians' Expectancies On Tat Card Selection And Perceptions Of Tat Protocols, Robert Jeffrey Jackson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Sex Role Stereotypes On Coping With Depression: Are There Perceptions Of Gender Appropriate Ways To Cope?, Mary M. Pfeiffer

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Depression As A Mediator Of Memory Biases In Alcoholics, Henry Jay Richards

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Individual Differences In Strategy Shift On A Perceptual Classification Task, Cathleen Campbell-Raufer

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Depression On Expectancies And Perceptions Of Health Risk In Male Alcoholics, Margaret Kasimatis

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Parents' Affective Experience: A Study Of The Influences Over Time Of Infant Gestational Maturity And Maternal Perinatal Illness, Karin A. Ruetzel

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Feminine Values, Interpersonal Orientation, And The Evolution Of The Female Identity In College Students, Barbara Jones Robinson

Dissertations

Problem. The importance of interpersonal issues to female identity achievement has been noted by a number of researchers (e.g., Gilligan, 1982; Bardwick, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1979; Thorbecke & Grotevant, 1982). This study attempted to determine what degree of compatibility existed between higher degrees of identity resolution in females, and an interpersonal and values orientation reflecting a balance between self-achievement and mutually rewarding interpersonal achievements. It was hypothesized that the ideal balance represented by the concept of interdependence would be more closely related to higher identity scores than would autonomous self-achievement or traditional achievement-through-others.

Method. The study was based on data …

The Meaning Of Marriage To The Voluntarily Childless Couple, June Ann Smith

Dissertations

Problem. The literature is replete with findings to show that childlessness is a contemporary and growing trend. However, no known study has been done to explore what marriage means to the couple who chooses childlessness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of marriage to the voluntarily childless couple.

Method. This study was done with a purposive sample of 42 couples. These couples were selected from referrals made through contact with a local radio station. Some were selected from referrals made by church pastors who were aware of couples in their congregations who are voluntarily childless, …

Validation Of The Portuguese Version Of The Temperament Inventory, Flavia Jorge

Dissertations

Problem. There is a need in Portugal for valid psychological instruments. The Temperament Inventory (Blitchington & Cruise, 1979) seemed adequate to help meet this need. The present study attempted to validate the TI with the Portuguese population in mainland Portugal and to obtain norms on the TI for this population.

Methodology. A factor analytical research design was used to determine whether the items selected to measure a particular temperament in the original American version did, in fact, measure that temperament when translated into Portuguese. The 80 original items, together with 10 new items designed to measure the phlegmatic and choleric …

The Development Of A Self-Esteem Protocol For Adults, Steven D. Mauro

Dissertations

Problem. Counseling researchers and practitioners studying the self-esteem construct have had difficulty conducting consistent assessments. Varying approaches have led to ambiguous findings and inconsistent client assessments. There was a primary need for combining a clearly defined self-esteem construct with accepted methods of assessing clients. The instrument containing the combined assessment techniques was identified as the Self Esteem Protocol.

Methods. The preliminary phase of research consisted of developing 60 items for the Protocol by combining Maslow's self-esteem construct with acceptable assessment techniques. The items combined techniques by using a structured interview, test scores, and counselor observations. Six professional counselors …