Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Pediatricians' Diagnostic Practices: An Analogue Study Of Responses To Adhd-Like Presentations In Preschoolers, Helle Augustesen

Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been considered one of the most chronic behavior disorders observed in the preadolescent population and is one of the most frequently diagnosed childhood disorders in North America. Currently, however, there is little consistency in terms of identifying specific criteria which need to be present in a child's behavior to make a diagnosis of ADHD. This difficulty is even more pronounced in very young children of preschool age. This study utilized a three year old male child shown to 80 subjects on a videotape engaging in either a high or a low level of activity. …

The Effects Of Intensive, Structured Study On Gre Verbal And Quantitative Scores, Jan Marie Miller

Dissertations

This research served as a follow-up to previous research (Goodyear-Orwat and Malott, 1994) in which students engaged in self-study utilizing various study materials. Three courses (spring, summer, and fall) were offered to further examine the effects of intensive, structured study on Graduate Record Examination verbal and quantitative scores.

Twenty undergraduates enrolled in Graduate Record Examination preparatory courses studied from 66 to 105 hours. An attendance and participation contingency was established to encourage adequate study time. The courses were structured to allow students to assess and manage their own performance, utilizing standard, self-instructional texts and computerized drill programs. Students worked at …

Evaluation Of A Computer Simulation To Assess Subject Preference For Different Types Of Incentive Pay: Part Two, Stephen Mark Sundby

Dissertations

This study further investigated the use of a computer simulation to assess subject preference for different types of pay systems. Subjects were eight undergraduates recruited from psychology classes at Western Michigan University. The dependent variable was the subjects’ choice of pay system, either simulated hourly pay or base pay plus incentive. Simulated work performance was determined by the computer with 0.50 probability of low or high performance. For Experiment 1, the independent variable was the maximum amount of simulated pay that subjects could earn under each pay type. For Experiments 2 and 3, the independent variable was the percentage of …

Autocorrelation In Single-Subject Data: A Meta-Analytic View, Laura L. Methot

Dissertations

Recent work by Huitema and McKean (1991, 1994a, 1994b, 1994c, in press) has shown that the most frequently used statistical methods for performing conventional time-series analyses lead to gross distortions of results when these approaches are applied in the context of the typical behavioral research study. Most of these problems could be avoided if researchers were aware that the time-series methods recommended in many areas are not generally needed. The appropriate evidence regarding the need for complex time-series methods requires a meta-analysis of the autocorrelation present in behavioral studies. The project involved: (a) sampling several hundred research articles published in …

Lesbian Identity Development And Career Experiences, Mary Jo Thiel

Dissertations

This study used a qualitative research design to explore the experiences of lesbian women with respect to identity development and career issues.

Using the Stage Allocation Measure (SAM) (Cass, 1984), twenty lesbian women who were in the Synthesis Stage (Stage 6) of identity development were identified. In face-to-face, one and a half to two hour interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide developed by the researcher, respondents were asked open-ended questions about their coming out process and their career development .

Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed and the transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory coding techniques. Themes and patterns were …

Contingency-Shaped Behavior And Rule-Governed Behavior: A Comparison In Terms Of Speed Of Acquisition, Generalization And Maintenance, Ronald Ramirez-Henderson

Dissertations

According to Skinner (1969, 1974), operant behavior can be acquired through two major processes, direct contact between the behavior and its environmental consequences and antecedents in a process referred to as contingency - shaped behavior (CSB) and through verbal mediation by rules and instructions in a process referred to as rule-governed behavior (RGB). CSB and RGB were compared in terms of the speed of acquisition of complex problem skills, the generalization of those skills to new stimuli, and their maintenance. Forty-four college students, 13 males and 31 females, with an average age of 21 .5 years, participated in four sessions …

The Treatment Utility Of The Therapeutic Reactance Scale In Relation To Single Session Hypnosis For Smoking Cessation, Gregory N. Vaughan

Dissertations

This study examined the efficacy of three different hypnotic suggestion scripts each delivered in a single session of hypnosis for smoking cessation as mediated by reactance scores on the Therapeutic Reactance Scale (TRS) (Dowd, Milne, & Wise, 1991). Consecutive clinical trials were used to assign 48 subjects to treatment groups such that an equal number of subjects received: (1) direct suggestions, (2) suggestions that refrained the problem, (3) suggestions not specifically related to smoking cessation, and (4) a delayed treatment waiting list. Each subject rated the believability of treatment efficacy on a Likert type scale.

Four categories of the dependent …

Psychological Climate And Organizational Commitment, Michael C. Helford

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of A School-Based Drug Prevention Program At The Elementary Level, Marie Anne Mackay

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How And When Should Information Be Restudied?, William L. Cull

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spina Bifida: How Are Pediatric Patients And Their Mothers Coping?, Joan Faier-Routman

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Therapists Psychological Adaptation To Client Suicidal Behavior, Patrick J. Horn

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Coping With Chronic Illness: Patient Determination Of Ability To Control Chronic Illness, Maureen O'Brien

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Unified Model Of Consumer Promotional Usage, Denise Lynn Archambault

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Subjective Mental Health And The Interaction Of Biology And Environment In Personality, Stephen M. Gedo

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Parameters Of Spectrally Remote Frequencies On Binaural Processing, Anthony N. Grange

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Competent Adolescents Despite Risk: Life Histories, Stress, And Coping Strategies Of Resilient Teenage Mothers, Anne Pelissier Montague

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of A Values Based Sex Education Program, Students' Levels Of Moral Judgement, Sexual Knowledge, And Self-Esteem, And Their Impact On Attitudes Toward High Risk Sexual Behavior, Margaret Catherine Laneri

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Empirical Study Of Cognitive Evaluations Using House-Tree-Person Drawings, Anna M. Heiberger

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Among Selected Personality, Identity Status, And Academic Achievement Factors Among Black Adolescents, Juliet P. Sayles

Dissertations

Problem. The academic performance of Blacks has been documented as being much below that of other racial and ethnic groups (Castenell, 1984; Jordan, 1981; Lee, 1985; Mboya, 1986; Mickelson, 1990; Herrnstein & Murray, 1994; White, 1984). This study attempted to determine the relationships among personality, the development of identity status, and academic achievement among Black adolescents. -- Method. A total of 136 Black adolescent students (64 males and 72 females) was used in this study. They were in the age range of 13 to 18 years and were members of classes from integrated middle, junior high, and high schools. The …

Toward An Objective Measure Of Moral Development For Children, Ruth S. Smith

Dissertations

Problem. Research on moral development in school-age children has been hampered by the lack of measurement tools based on a comprehensive model that includes moral cognition, moral emotions, and moral behavior. This study presents the first step toward the development of an objective measure of moral development for children in grades 3-6.

Method. One-hundred-twenty-one items covering different theorized determinates of moral development were administered to 187 children enrolled in grades 3-6. Either cluster or factor analysis was applied to determine the scales. Reliability was appraised by item analysis and validity was assessed by: (1) parent, teacher, and self ratings of …

The Relationship Of Leadership Style And Organizational Climate To Job Burnout Levels Among Taiwan Public Secondary-School Teachers, Jerry Liang-Yueh Chi

Dissertations

Problem. This study is to examine the burnout levels of secondary-school teachers in Taiwan and to determine if leadership style, organizational climate, and demographic variables are related to teacher burnout.

Methods. This quantitative research based on empirical data collection utilized the following instruments: (1) the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), (2) the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), and (3) the Organizational Climate Index (OCI). The four instruments are translated into Chinese and administered to 809 secondary teachers serving in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Multiple regression and Analysis of Variance were used to determine what kind of leadership style and organizational climate factors, as …

Interactional Effects Between Levels Of Biofeedback Confidence And Measures Of Assertiveness On Biofeedback Treatment Outcome, Dora D. Clarke-Pine

Dissertations

Problem. Not all individuals who enter a biofeedback program obtain the relief that they are seeking from their various pain-related or anxiety-related complaints. Some individuals obtain little or no relief, whereas others may eliminate their pain-related or anxiety-related complaints completely. Understanding more clearly the reasons for such variance is considered important in that such understanding may encourage the development of techniques that elicit greater biofeedback efficacy rates.

This research study was an attempt to determine some of the factors that may help contribute to a successful biofeedback program. Specifically examined were interactional effects between levels of biofeedback confidence and measures …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Moral Developmental Theory: The Influence Of Collectivism On Moral Reasoning Of Asian Students And Caucasian American Students, Chang-Ho Clyde Ji

Dissertations

Problem Statement. Lawrence Kohlberg's stage model of moral development has attracted agreat deal of attention from educators and psychologists. Not surprisingly, his work has also inspired considerable criticism and revisionism. A number of authors have argued that Kohlberg's theory does not incorporate the collectivistic moral reasoning that emphasizes human relationships among individuals, families, the community, and society in general.

Methodology. Analyses of variance, t-test, correlational analyses, and regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between ethnicity, moral reasoning, and collectivism using the Defining Issues Test (DIT) and the Individualism-Collectivism (INDCOL) Scale. These scales were administered to 179 Asian students …

Kinetic Family And Human Figure Drawings Of Child And Adolescent Sexual Offenders, Lyle Curtis Miller

Dissertations

Problem. Juvenile sexual offenders constitute a significant percentage of the total offender population. This study sought to determine whether the KFD and the HFD can be useful in identifying male juvenile sexual offenders by identifying specific characteristics in their drawings that differentiate them from the general population.

Method. KFDs, HFDs, and demographic information were collected from 401 male general subjects and 49 male juvenile sexual offenders ages 8 to 17. Forty-three KFD and 30 HFD dependent variables involving emotional and behavioral indicators and sexual symbols were analyzed by Chi-Square Analysis and Discriminant Analysis. Significance was set at .05.

Results. …

A Study Of Gender-Role Attitudes Among Contemporary White And African American Couples, Margaret Cecile Dust

Dissertations

Problem. Limited and conflictual studies have been completed on White and African American marriages and gender-roles. As a result, this study sought to compare perceptions of gender-roles in White and African American married couples. In addition, this study looked at relationships between gender-roles, length of marriage, and level of education in White and African American married couples.

Method. A total of 92 couples (26 African American, 33 White interacting married, 33 White non-interacting defacto) participated in this study. The defacto couples served as a control group.

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory, Masculine-Feminine Sex-Roles Survey, and a demographics sheet were given to …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Nurturing Spousal Friendship And Marital Quality, Cherryl Anne Galley

Dissertations

Problem

Limited research has addressed the value of friendship between husbands and wives to the health and well-being of their marital relationships. The present study evaluated the relationship between spousal friendship and marital quality. It made a gender analysis as well.

Method

The Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Caring Relationship Inventory, and a demographic questionnaire were mailed to 500 couples (1000 married individuals). One or both spouses were members of a Lutheran or a Seventh-day Adventist church in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The sample consisted of 176 married individuals who volunteered to participate anonymously in the research project. A total of …