Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Life Stress And Risk-Taking Style On Risk Perception And Driver Performance, Christine B. Philput

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the effects of risk-taking style, stress level, and highway environment on driver performance. In Phase I, 50 subjects were assessed for risk-taking style and stress level. In Phase II, the same subjects were presented with slides of traffic situations that varied in terms of risk of accident. This was a paired comparison task in which they rank-ordered ten highway sites, producing a measure of subjective risk. No significant relationships were identified between these subjective risk judgments and objective data regarding those sites (accidents and fatalities), though this is most likely due to problems with the slide presentation. …

Religious Commitment As A Predictor Of Health Behavior And Health Status In A Selected Population, Donald George King

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Religious beliefs and behaviors are multidimensional and they profoundly determine the ways we respond to health and illness, suffering and death. Researchers have designed numerous scales to measure different dimensions of religious commitment, beliefs and behaviors. A thorough review of the literature has shown general relationships between religion and health, but no researcher has developed an instrument measuring dimensions of religious commitment specifically relevant to health behaviors.

In this study, scale items were developed to measure three dimensions of religious beliefs thought by Kenneth Vaux (1976) to be related to health behavior--purity of life, peace in existence, and belief in …

The Effectiveness Of Relaxation-Visualization Training On The Natural Killer (Nk) Cells Of Breast Cancer Patients, Morry Edwards

Dissertations

A large number of studies have found that stress qualitatively and quantitatively reduces a variety of immune components. Several recent studies have examined relaxation skills and their ability to increase immune measures. The primary hypothesis of this project was that relaxation-visualization training (RVT) would enhance Natural Killer (NK) Cell Activity. Two other major hypotheses were generated: (a) RVT would produce beneficial psychological effects and, (b) increased psychopathology would be inversely correlated with NK levels. Six volunteer breast cancer patients who were at least 3 months post treatment were taught a passive form of relaxation that included visualizing an increase in …

Misfit Between Motivational Style And Type Of Job Demand As A Factor In Developing Occupational Stress, Arlene Gray Blix

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Occupational stress is costly in terms of human suffering and impaired organizational effectiveness. Occupational stress involves the interface between the individual worker and the work environment. The purpose of the study was to analyze the fit between motivational style and the type of job demands as a contributing factor in developing occupational stress symptoms. A literature review of occupational stress models was conducted. The six models compared and contrasted included the Person-Environment fit model (French, Rodgers, & Cobb, 1974), Integrative Transactional Model (Schuler, 1982), Organizational Stress Models (Ivancevich & Matteson, 1987; Parker & DeCotiis, 1983), Facet Analysis Model (Beehr & …

The Predictive Validity Of The Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory To Assess Borderline Conditions In Adolescents, Juan Mario Herakovic

Dissertations

This study examined the predictive validity of the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI) (Millon, Green & Meagher, 1982) to evaluate Borderline Personality Disorder in adolescents. The hypothesis is that the MAPI tends to overdiagnose Borderline Personality Disorders. The origin of the term is placed first within the framework of psychoanalysis and its evolution through other theoretical constructs is then discussed. The concept of Borderline is surrounded by imprecise terminology which contributes to the confusion of a clinical diagnosis. While there is a movement in mental health to provide a more precise and behaviorally oriented description of this disorder, current explanations …

The Effectiveness Of Three Study Aids As Measured By Immediate Examinations And Delayed Examinations, Yousef Abdulwahab Abuhmaidan

Dissertations

Two experiments were performed to examine the effectiveness of three study aids: (1) information maps, (2) behavioral objectives, and (3) the students' own strategies in reorganizing written material. A training workshop was given prior to the first experiment to teach the students appropriate skills to use to read research articles (e.g., generating and answering questions, filling out and generating information maps). Eighteen undergraduate students participated in the study. In the first experiment, students were randomly assigned to three groups. The researcher provided students with a research article every week for three weeks, together with either an information map, a set …

Design Of A Program Of Instruction To Teach State Notation, Esther Hannah Shafer

Dissertations

The process of programming instruction involves a series of steps which include determining the need for programming instruction on a particular topic, choosing the appropriate programming method, and a series of approximations toward the final program through testing and revision. State notation (Michael, 1986), a notation system which is used to visually represent procedures such as those used in an operant laboratory setting, was deemed an appropriate topic for programmed instruction since the complex decisions that learners must make when diagramming are difficult to teach using conventional methods. Mathetics (Gilbert, 1962) was chosen as an appropriate programming method for state …

The Identification Of Pseudoneglect On A One-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional Task, Sonja Dyane Lawless

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Effects Of Juvenile Rheumatic Disease : The Family And Peer Systems As A Context For Coping, Jennifer Ann Harris

Master's Theses

The psychosocial effects of juvenile rheumatic diseases and disease activity were examined among 24 families (12 with a rheumatic disease child, 12 with no chronic illness). Rheumatic disease children were paired with a healthy control child nominated by their classroom teacher. Family and child functioning was assessed through measures of stress, competence, coping, and adjustment while observations in the classroom were made to assess peer relations. MANOVA's and ANOVA's were performed to determine significant differences. Families with a child with inactive rheumatic disease tended to be less likely to seek out and accept help, more likely to put activities into …

Training Potential Witnesses To Produce Higher Quality Face Composites, David Bradley Marwitz

Master's Theses

This study attempted to determine if training and familiarization with a composite construction system would improve the quality of subjects' composite production. Subjects were trained in the use of the Mac-a-Mug Pro system over two sessions. During the course of the two meetings, subjects constructed eleven composites (six from memory and five with the face in-view) and were allowed time to practice with the system. Results suggests that the quality of subjects' composites improved with practice. However, training with the composite system prior to exposure to the first face did not lead to higher quality composites. These results have implications …

Bilingual Education: What It Could Mean On The Navajo Reservation, Berniece A. Blackhorse

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

It provides the learner the advantage of participating and functioning in two cultures , socially and academically. Amid all the controversy, the educational system is attempting to provide meaningful education for the limited English proficient students. 'The primary recommendation of this paper is that bilingual programs focus on the needs of the second language learner, with cautions regarding the use of experimental programs.

Bilingual Education: What It Could Mean On The Navajo Reservation, Berniece A. Blackhorse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The educational system in the United States is meant for the native speakers of English. As a result, students who are limited English proficient do not succeed academically in this educational system.

Literature presents much evidence as to the effectiveness and successes of students' academic performance when their mother tongue or home language is used in the classroom.

Successful bilingual program models which could be used with Navajo students was sought through the literature.

Through the literature there was no one method that was appropriate for all bilingual programs. There were three distinct program models discussed in the literature: the …

Sex Differences In Attitudes And Motivation Of Egyptian Students In An Intensive Efl Program, Amani Shawki H Demian

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ecology Of Gray Partridge In North Dakota, John Patrick Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

I studied gray partridge (Perdix perdix) ecology in north-central North Dakota during 1985-87. The primary goals of this study were to identify habitats important to gray partridge survival and nesting, and to provide baseline data on partridge ecology in North Dakota. I captured and radio-tagged 100 gray partridge, mainly during winter. Individuals were tracked by a vehicle-mounted telemetry system until August of each year. Home ranges, movements, habitat use, and survival were calculated by using the telemetry locations. Winter home ranges averaged 117 ha, and were larger than previously reported in North America. Important habitats used by radio-tagged partridge during …

A Guide In Working With Elementary-Aged Navajo Children Of Alcoholic Parents, George Ray Henry

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Programs which provide intervention services for children of alcoholics are very new and in their developing stages nationwide. Despite this, the need for such programs exists, particularly on the Navajo Reservation. All available literature was reviewed that relates to the state-of-the-art in programming for intervention with children of alcoholic parents. Programs in use with children are described and the rationale for adapting such programs for use with Navajo children is discussed. A Navajo intervention pilot program for children of alcoholics is outlined.

The Iconoclast: A Study Of A Radical Newspaper, Perry J. Hornbacher

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Mission Statements On Teacher Education Programs At Two Church-Related Undergraduate Institutions, Ann Marie Biermaier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which stated institutional missions influenced the operation of teacher education programs, and the way that teacher education programs used the institutional mission statement in evaluating their programs as it applied to two private, liberal arts colleges in Minnesota. Institutional missions were expected to guide curricular policy, inform the public, and establish criteria for accountability and subsequent program evaluation.

This study was conducted utilizing the case study method. Data were gathered by reviewing documentation pertaining to the institution and to the teacher education program as well as by interviewing administrators, …

Aspects Of Mammalian Predation On Upland Nesting Waterfowl In Central North Dakota, John Thompson Trevor

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of mammalian predation on upland nesting waterfowl was studied in central- North Dakota during the summers of 1987 and 1988. Survival of artificial nests was examined in relation to nest density, vegetation cover, distance from roads, active predator dens, and other artificial nests in a plot. Survival of artificial nests was also compared between an area with predator control and one without predator control.

Artificial waterfowl nests located in high density plots had a significantly lower probability of survival than nests located in low density plots. Although there were significant differences in vegetation height and density between years, …

Self-Esteem And Perceived Barriers To And Benefits Of Exercise Among Physically Active And Non-Physically Active College Students, Barbara Brown Bonheur

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine differences in self-esteem, perceived benefits of and perceived barriers to exercise between exercisers and non-exercisers and to determine if relationships existed between self-esteem, perceived benefits of exercise and perceived barriers to exercise, that could explain participation in regular aerobic exercise. A sample of 105 university students completed four questionnaires. The level of social desirability present in participant responses was also measured. Five hypotheses were tested. Utilizing t-tests, a significant difference was found between exercisers and non-exercisers on self-esteem, perceived benefits of exercise, and perceived barriers to exercise. The three variables (self-esteem, …

Psychosis In A Developmental Psychopathology Context: A Factor Analytic Study Of Schizophrenia In Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients, Paul R. Adams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Demographic, historical, psychometric, and clinical data were obtained from the psychiatric files of all patients manifesting schizophrenic symptomatology who were hospitalized in an adolescent psychiatric facility during a five year period (N= 71). Factor analysis of the usable data resulted in three interpretable factors, which included: (1) aggressive behavior; (2) disturbed family functioning; and, (3) thought disorder. Age of first hospitalization correlated positively with factor three.

The results provide support for concerns expressed by a number of scientists and clinicians that schizophrenia may not be a discrete, unitary disorder; and that uncritical downward extension of adult diagnoses to adolescents and …

Changing Accessibility For Tourism In The Aurland Municipality Of Norway, Kari Brekke

Theses and Dissertations

Because of changes in accessibility, the Aurland Municipality in Western Norway may be subjected to increased tourism. In 1991, an all-season highway will open between Oslo and Bergen, which will pass directly through the Aurland Municipality. The shift in importance from mostly seasonal rail/fjord traffic to an all-season automobile traffic has the potential for accelerating tourism pressures in this highly scenic area. The purpose of this study was to address possible problems and prospects of changing accessibility for tourism in the Aurland Municipality.

In order to examine tourism in the Aurland Municipality, a number of methods were used. Fieldwork was …

Adolescent Norms For The Eating Disorder Inventory As Related To Personal Variables In Female Adolescents At One Private Urban, One Rural, And One Semi-Rural High School, Betty J. Larson

Theses and Dissertations

The societal preference for a slender body image has caused an increasing number of adolescents to diet or use unusual methods of weight control. Some adolescents progress along the continuum of restrained eating toward the development of pathological eating disorders. In order to identify risk factors in the development of eating disorders, eating attitudes and behaviors of 454 normal adolescents were studied by using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and a personal background questionnaire. The higher the subscale scores on the EDI the more similar the individual's perceptions to those of victims with a pathological eating disorder.

With the exception …

The Relationship Among Teacher Satisfaction, School Organizational Climate, And Professional Growth And Development Attitudes Of High School Teachers, Sharon E. Craig Kabes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and explore the relationships among school climate, teacher satisfaction, and professional growth and development attitudes as perceived by high school teachers. The study also provided school climate, teacher satisfaction, and teacher professional growth and development attitude profiles.

The NASSP School Climate Survey was used to measure the schools' climate profiles. The NASSP Teacher Satisfaction Survey was used to measure the affective perceptions of secondary teachers of their work environments. The Teacher Professional Growth and Development Attitude Scale was used to measure teachers' professional growth and development attitudes.

One hundred seventy-three teachers in …

The Frequency Of Occurrence Of Phonemes In The Speech Of Aphasics, Rita M. Vis

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the phoneme selection patterns in the spontaneous speech of Broca's and Wernicke's aphasics. The frequency distributions of phonemes for the aphasic subjects was compared to the normal distribution curve of English consonantal phonemes. Differences in the frequency of occurrence of phonemes subsequent to neurological impairment may be linked to the nature of the impairment. In addition, this study described and compared the occurrence of phonological processes in the single word responses of the subject groups. The frequency of phonemes and the occurrence of phonological processes were then analyzed jointly for possible trends.

Analysis of …

Relationships Across Training Programs, Professional Titles, And Perceptions Of Therapy Performance, Debra E. Anderson Bach

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the perceptions of students training to be counselors, clinical psychologists, and social workers, regarding the professional titles of counseling psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, and social worker. A videotaped counseling session of a therapist and a client, a client description, and a therapist description served as the stimuli. The professional title of the therapist varied in the therapist description and served as the independent variable. One hundred three subjects were grouped according to their training program and then randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups differentiated by the professional titles of counseling psychologist, …

The Survivors: A Comparison Of Bereavement Experiences Following The Suicide, Accidental, Or Natural Death Of A Spouse, Terence W. Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare bereavement experiences of suicide survivors with those of other survivors. The primary focus of investigation was upon grief reactions suggested to be unique to suicide bereavement and upon quality of grief resolution two to four years after death. Fifty-seven women and men, between ages 24 and 48, who had experienced the death of a marital partner were interviewed. Subjects were assigned to one of four groups by cause of death (Suicide, Accident, Unanticipated Natural, and Expected Natural). The categories of death served as the independent variable. Dependent variables were total grief reactions, …

Personification Of Death, Mary M. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the primary personifications of death as perceived by college students. One hundred fifteen students from private and public institutions of higher learning were invited to participate in the study. Surveys from one hundred nine were useable. The questionnaire consisted of a demographic survey, factors related to an individual's experience with death and death education, and a research instrument known as the Death Personification Exercise

Of the four pr;..iary personifications, the Macabre (a dark and fearful oeing) and Automaton (an unemotional being) were present most frequently. Out of 109 students, thirty one students …

The Effect Of Notetaking And Review Among Eighth-Grade Students, Nancy Lindbergy Risch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study was conducted in which both notetaking and review were systematically varied in order to examine viii eighth-grade student's notetaking and performance behaviors. Three formats of notes (Matrix, skeletal, conventional) were examined in combination with three notetaking strategies (take notes/review own notes, take notes/review expert notes, listen/review expert notes) to form nine conditions. Subjects viewed a videotaped lecture, reviewed their respective set of notes, and were administered the following performance tests: structured recall, factual recognition, application, and synthesis. The number of ideas, number of words, and an efficiency calculation was obtained for each notetaking protocol. Results indicated that subjects …

Reducing Stress Of Inservice Teachers, Jeffrey R. Curley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A prototype treatment developed to significantly reduce symptoms of stress among inservice teachers was tested in this experiment. Thirty participants selected for high stress levels were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. They were assessed on environmental, personality, and emotional variables, using self-report and expert-judge measures, both pre- and posttreatment. The experimental treatment was holistic, incorporating all processes previously found to be related to reducing teacher stress. At posttreatment, the treatment group averaged 1.02 standard deviations lower on the stress measures than the control group. Significant differences in the posttest means, favoring the experimental group, were found for 23 …

Altruism, Cooperation, And Type A Behaviors In Kindergarten And Third Grade Children, Pamela S. Martin

Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships of altruism, cooperation and Type A personality types in school-aged children. It was predicted that older children and Type A children would be more competitive and show fewer altruistic behaviors. Forty third-grade students and fifty-two kindergarten students served as subjects. Teachers completed the MYTH on each child to determine his/her personality type. Subjects were then paired according to Type A or Type B profiles, AA, AB, BB. The children played two games, a marble pull and a teaching task. By the time all of the games were completed, each child …