Digital Commons Network^™

Social Support Networks And Sex Role Orientation After Divorce In Catholic Italian Women And Catholic Anglophone Women, Diana Maria Di Costa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Twenty-one Catholic Italian divorcees and a matched group of twenty-one Catholic Anglophone divorcees (who were born in Canada and whose ethnic roots were in Great Britain) were studied to determine ethnic differences in family concept, family interaction, sex role orientation, and social support. Results showed that Italian fathers, but not mothers, disapproved of the divorce significantly more than Anglophone fathers. Parental approval/disapproval of the divorce was found to have a greater effect on the support received by Italian divorcees than Anglophone divorcees. Parental disapproval of the divorce was associated with less family and relative support for Italian divorcees only. Italian …

An Examination Of Aftercare Services For The Chronically Mentally Ill In Two Communities, Lorraine Ferris

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Within the last few decades there has been a shift from traditional institutional approaches in mental health to community based service delivery systems. Researchers examining the community-based model have focused on improving the quality of community care. Specifically, use of aftercare services has been found to improve the quality of community care (Byers, Cohen, & Harshbarger, 1978; Gittelman 1974; Krauss & Slavinsky 1982; Weinman et al. 1978). Coordination of services has also been shown to improve the quality of community care by increasing the effectiveness of aftercare (Broskowsky, marks, & Burmen 1982; Clark 1976; Krauss & Slavinsky 1982). At the …

The Role Of The Computer In Society Some Aspects Of Person-Machine Interaction, Robert Clarence Hallman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In Community Psychology, we assume that people at the grassroots can learn to help themselves if they are offered the means of understanding a problem and helped to discover the strategies needed to resolve it. Micro-computer technology is currently at a cultural crossroads: a technology in search of new applications. To date, research and concerns around the role of the computer in society have taken the macro view, being predominantly sociologically, politically, and economically oriented. The purpose of the present study was to bring these issues to the individual level and to examine some variables at the person-computer interface. In …

Predicting And Understanding Teacher Use Of School Consultation Services, Loretta M. Hillier

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Special education services offered to students and teachers in Ontario schools have changed dramatically within the past twenty years. Special education service delivery has evolved from a focus on the school psychologist as a psychometrist to the formation of multidisciplinary teams to deal with the needs of special students and their teachers. Students with special needs are no longer always segregated or left to fade into the wallpaper. By recent legislation, all students with special needs are entitled to special education programs suited to their needs. This often results in students being placed into the “least restrictive environment” which is …

Recipient Reactions To Aid Reciprocity And Self-Esteem, Ronald Douglas Rankmore

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this research was to determine to what extent the clients of the Ontario March of Dames – Assistive Device Program experienced negative reactions to aid across three conditions: 1) no reciprocity condition, 2) voluntary reciprocity condition and 3) financial reciprocity condition. Dependent variable measures assessing negative reactions to aid were: a) self-esteem scores on the Phillips Self-Acceptance Scale (Phillips, 1951), b) length of delay to approach the program, c) feelings of approaching the agency as measured by a seven item, five point semantic differential scale and reason for delay if any was indicated, and d) choice for …

The Evolution In Canada Of The Citizen's Movement Against Nestle, 1978-1984: A Descriptive Study, Deacute Bryant

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This is an historical study of a social action. The purpose of the study was two-fold: 1) to document the evolution in Canada of the infant formula controversy, and 2) to use the intervention as a case example with which to propose a theoretical model of social action. In Canada the history of the controversy went from 1978 to 1984. During that time action groups for activists and industry reported similar changes in focus. Their targeted audiences changed from being the general public to being the “power elite”: professionals with political clout and money. The primary topics and groups advocated …

A Comparison Of Sexual And Physical Assault Court Cases Following The Elimination Of Rape From The Criminal Code Of Canada, Suresh K. Sahjpaul

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of the present study was to determine if the change in the Criminal Code which replaced the old offence of “rape” with the new offence of “sexual assault” had the desired effect of having sexual assault treated similar to physical assault. For this evaluation, five sexual assault cases and 22 physical assault cases were compared on the severity of the charge, the nature of the courtroom process and on the conviction and sentencing patterns. In addition, reporting, founding, clearing and charging rates before and after the new law were statistically compared.

Findings indicated that both sexual and physical …

An Evaluation Of The Quality Of Service At A Volunteer-Run Telephone Distress Centre, Peter John Crocker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A quality of service evaluation was designed collaboratively with listeners at a volunteer-run hotline, to promote the utilization of evaluation results. Listener use of empathy, talk time, and silence, and different types of verbal helping responses (e.g. advice, reflection of feeling) was examined through the use of 30 simulated calls placed to consenting listeners. While the second major focus of the evaluation, assessing the validity of listener self-rated performance as an evaluative technique, was not successful, a large number of performance gaps were identified. Contrary to expectations, listeners were directive in their helping orientation, often providing inappropriate or unhelpful advice …

Changing Attitudes Toward Computers An Intervention Strategy, Margo Stevenson George

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) was used to predict and understand University students’ attitudes toward using a computer for word processing, and such attitudes were changed through an intervention strategy, consisting of a persuasive communication and a word processing task. Results from study one indicated that the theory of reasoned action was a useful model of predicting and understanding attitudes toward word processing and also intention and behavior. Results from a computer attitude questionnaire administered to 238 University students (100 males and 138 females), who volunteered to participate, suggested that intention to do word processing predicted …

Increasing Participation In Continuing Education The Relationship Of Specific Obstacles And Supports To Likelihood Of Participation, Victor Wayne Oake

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The study investigated the relationship between reported likelihood of participation in a continuing education course and the importance of obstacles and supports to participation as perceived by 238 adults. The research instrument, a questionnaire developed by the author, was mailed to 1,000 residences in the county of Waterloo, Ontario. Previous research and theoretical positions on obstacles to participation in continuing education were examined. It was hypothesized that obstacles and supports related to concern with academic ability would be significantly correlated with Likelihood of participation. The Pearson Product-Moment statistic was utilized to test the hypothesis. No significant correlations between the dependent …