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The Differential Effects Of Biobehavioral Feedback On Physiological Reactivity In Type A Coronary-Prone Males, Gary Michael Chavoya

Dissertations

The concept of Type A coronary-prone behavior underscores the unique relationship between a specific constellation of biobehavioral events and the pathogenesis of coronary illness. The principle purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether exaggerated arousal in Type As could be successfully modified as a function of biobehavioral feedback. Twenty-seven males with minimum JAS A-B total scores of 75% were initially exposed to two conditions of behavioral challenge emphasizing time pressure and competition stress. Results indicated that both types of challenge were associated with significant increases in multiple indices of autonomic arousal (multi-site EMG, skin temperature, pulse rate, systolic …

The Relationships Between Family Communication, Self-Concept, And Academic Achievement Of Adolescents In Some Schools Of Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Aizan Mohd Yusof

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the parent-adolescent communication, adolescents' self-concept, and academic achievement.

The sample consisted of 341 Form II (8th Grade) students from seven secondary schools in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, and their parents. The instruments utilized in this study were Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory and Academic Self-Concept Scales as the measure for adolescents' self-concept. The 1984 mid-year examination results were used as the measure of academic achievement. The Parent-Adolescent Communication Inventory (Form A) was used as the measure of students' perceptions of their communication with their parents, and Parent-Adolescent Communication Inventory (Form P) was …

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 …

Sex-Role Attitudes And Some Selected Background Characteristics Of Women In Nontraditional Careers, Women In Traditional Careers, And The Homemakers In Malaysia, Rohany Nasir

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the sex-role attitudes and background characteristics of women in nontraditional careers, traditional careers, and the homemakers in Malaysia.

The population studied was 630 women, out of which there were 210 women in nontraditional careers, 210 women in traditional careers, and 210 homemakers over the age of 18 who worked and resided in the areas of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Spence and Helmreich's Attitudes Toward Women Scale-short form was used to measure the overall sex-role attitudes while the AWS vocational, educational, and intellectual theme was utilized to measure the attitudes toward women's roles …

Process Theory: A Reliability And Validity Study, Barbara Pritchard Nash

Dissertations

Process Theory is a new personality/diagnostic system designed by Dr. Taibi Kahler. It is described in detail and compared to other such systems in the psychological literature. A study was conducted to determine the system's interdiagnostician reliability, inter-measure reliability, external validity, and convergent validity with Millon's Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). Forty subjects, 20 normal and 20 clinical, were interviewed on tape. The tapes were assessed by three expert diagnosticians. The normal subjects were given the Personality Pattern Inventory (PPI), which is the Process Theory personality test. The clinical subjects were given the MCMI. Interdiagnostician reliability was assessed among the three …

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 Use Of Guided Imagery In The Control Of Food And Liquid Intake Of Hemodialysis Patients, Thomas E. Higgins

Dissertations

This research was undertaken in order to clarify the relationship between guided imagery and the control of food and liquid intake by hemodialysis patients. There have been a number of studies dealing with the negative psychological states experienced by hemodialysis patients. A behavioral manifestation of these psychological states is the problem of maintaining proper food and liquid intake and this is a major problem for most patients.

One technique used by individuals to cope with negative psychological states and to learn healthy behaviors is guided imagery. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relaxation technique coupled with …

Matching And Melioration In Concurrent Linear Vi Schedules, Christopher Cherpas

Dissertations

Pigeons were presented with pairs of linear VI schedules in a choice situation. Once a week, the schedules were changed during a special transition session. The steady-state time and response ratios approached matching of reinforcement ratios, although undermatching and bias were prevalent. During the transition sessions, behavioral allocation changed rapidly, in spite of no change in the overall rate of reinforcement; instead, the rate of change in behavioral allocation was found to be an increasing function of differences in local reinforcement rates. The results were interpreted as confirming the theory of melioration (Herrnstein, 1982; Vaughan, 1982b) and disconfirming the theory …

The Therapeutic Use Of Hope, Bonnie Lee Timmer Aardema

Dissertations

Hope is a fundamental element of human behavior which activates, shapes, and sustains psychological development. The literature presents hope as a significant nonspecific factor in psychotherapy; however, the specific use of hope is not examined. There has been little exploration or specification of the characteristics, dynamics, and effects of hoping on individual psychology. The author examines hope as a psychological construct and presents a theory of hope development, loss, and distortion, and a model is presented for the therapeutic use of hope in counseling and psychotherapy.

The author draws from the philosophical, eschatological, and psychological literature concepts regarding the characteristics …

The Comparison Of Achievement Of Weekend Course Student Groups And Concurrent Course Student Groups Of Nazareth College Management Division, Norm Woodin

Dissertations

Record numbers of nontraditional students are enrolling in colleges today. These students are being actively recruited in an effort to overcome a decrease in enrollments caused by the declining size of the pool of potential traditional 18-year-old students. To accommodate these nontraditional students, colleges have had to adjust their traditional class meeting time schedules. One such class meeting time schedule has been developed where the class meets in large blocks of time on weekends. Many educators have questions about the academic credibility and worth of this nontraditional weekend class meeting schedule. This question became the basis for a research study. …

The Relationship Between Conflict-Communication Values And The Relationship Between Principals' Conflict Management Effectiveness And Involvement Of Teachers In Decision Making In Small High Schools In Michigan, Michael Kenneth Ryan

Dissertations

Due to the ever-increasing complexity of the social, financial, technical, and political environment in which schools must function, teachers have become more and more involved in the decision-making process in many schools. As teachers participate more in decision making, conflicts may arise. As these conflicts are managed, conflict-communication values may be an integral part of such management.

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between principals' effectiveness when dealing with conflicts and the principals' willingness to involve teaching staff in decision making. Investigations regarding the relationships between opposing communication values were also conducted.

The methodology used …

Adjustment Problems Of Malaysian Students At Western Michigan University, Suradi Salim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the adjustment problems encountered by Malaysian students enrolled at Western Michigan University. The study also attempted to determine if there were significant differences in the adjustment problems among respondents in the various variables and sub-groups identified.

The following demographic and personal data, and patterns of social integration were treated as independent variables: Age; Sex; Marital status; Academic classification; Setting of home residence; Duration of stay in the U.S.; Major field of study; Financial sponsorship; Entry qualification; Work experience; English language proficiency; Frequency of interaction with American students, non-Malaysian foreign students …

An Examination Of The Relationships Among Locus Of Control, Role Variables, And Perceived Job Satisfaction, Glenn Ellis Liddell

Dissertations

The relationship among locus of control, role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction were examined for chief housing officers of member institutions of the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International with a resident population of under 1,000.

The literature review revealed that high levels of role conflict and ambiguity are related to low levels of job satisfaction and that locus of control affects perceived role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction. Internals (those who believe their fate is controlled by themselves) experience less role conflict and ambiguity and more job satisfaction then do externals (those who believe their fate …

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 …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between In-School System Student Transiency And Student Reading Achievement, W. Craig Misner

Dissertations

A study was conducted to ascertain what influence transiency had on students' reading achievement in school. Transiency was defined as students moving from one school within the Kalamazoo, Michigan, Public Schools to another at a frequency double to that which school system policy required. Reading achievement was measured by a national norm-referenced test (Metropolitan Achievement Test) and progress in the school system reading program. A total population of 317 students was selected at the second, fourth, and sixth grade levels for the investigation. At each grade level, students were divided into transient groups or nontransient groups dependent on school stability. …

The Evaluation Of A School-Court Program That Deals With Chronic Absenteeism Of Middle School Students, Robert A. Duell

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to examine the perceptions of middle school administrators, probation officers, and judges regarding chronic absenteeism of rural middle school students and to evaluate a school-court pilot program designed to deal with chronic attendance problems.

Four major research questions were examined in this paper. First, do rural middle schools have chronically absent students? Second, if there are such students, is their chronic absenteeism symptomatic of other serious problems? Third, if there are such students, do the school administrators, probation officers, and judges want to cooperate to deal with those students? Finally, do these three groups …

Using Group Psychotherapy For Enhancing Late Adolescent Selfconcept: Comparing The Effects Of Hypnosis And Rational-Emotive Therapy, James J. Buldas

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether university students, classified as late adolescents, could enhance their self-concept as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) Total Positive Score. Seven hypotheses which stated the null relationship between self-concept enhancement and the treatment modalities of hypnosis and rational-emotive therapy, when compared over an eight week period of time were derived. A review of the literature showed that the belief that low self-concept is etiologic in psychopathology is widespread in the clinical literature.

A sample of university students enrolled in Psychology 100 (N = 54) were pre, post and follow-up tested …

Adolescent Eating Attitudes And Behaviors, Linda Kron Brundage

Dissertations

This study sought to establish a baseline of eating attitudes and behaviors among a non-clinical population of adolescents. Three major questions were addressed: Does a spectrum of weight and diet concern exist among adolescent girls which ranges from dieting for cosmetic reasons to anorexia and bulimia? What is the relationship between attitudes and behaviors at a young age and eating disorders at a later age? What are some of the ways boys and girls differ regarding eating attitudes and behaviors? In addition to these major questions an attempt was made to quantify the incidence anorexia and bulimia.

The Eating Disorder …

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 …

Grief Adjustment In The Compulsive Personality, James Lewis Young

Dissertations

Researchers in the field of grief (Parkes 1972, Bowlby 1980) theorized that personality is probably the major factor in determining how well one recovers from grief. Since Lindemann's (1944) study of surviving loved ones who died in a night club fire in Boston, most researchers have worked under the assumption that a survivor must go through the grief process in order to recover adequately, and that those who do not grieve will have poor recovery. Since the compulsive personality style has difficulty expressing emotions, it was hypothesized by this researcher that compulsives would recover more poorly than others in the …

Effect Of Father-Presence And Father-Absence On The Self-Concept Of Black Males In Special Education And Regular Education Classes, Queen Esther Woodard

Dissertations

This study compared the self-concept of Black males residing in father-present and father-absent low socioeconomic status homes, who were between the ages of 8-12, and who were enrolled in emotionally impaired, or regular education classes. Literature indicated that since 1970, the number of children reared in one-parent homes has increased by over 60%, with over 90% of these children living with their mothers. This changing lifestyle has prompted researchers to investigate the effects of father-absence on children; especially on boys.

It was hypothesized that self-concept would be influenced by father status, chronological age, and class placement. These three independent variables …

An Investigation Of The Reliability, Validity, And Translation Of Holland's Self Directed Search For Utilization By A Malaysian Population, Amla H. M. Salleh

Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Malay translated version of Self Directed Search (SDS) and the use of Holland's hexagonal model with a Malaysian college student population.

Form E of the SDS was used. The four subscales, Likes, Competencies, Occupations, and Self Rating, were modified and translated into Malay Language following back-translation procedure. The translated version was pretested using "counterbalance" design. The responses from a population of 169 Malaysian undergraduate students from Western Michigan University were analyzed. Principal factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to produce simple structure analogous to types (Realistic, …

The Effects Of Immediacy To Parenthood On The Perceptions Of Importance Of Parent Education Topics, Nancy Mauro Gerard

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how immediacy to parenthood affects one's perception of what should be learned in a parent education class. Differences were sought among groups of individuals at four levels of immediacy to parenthood on the perceived importance of 11 parenting topics. These topics were Pregnancy and Childbirth, Infancy, Early Childhood, Late Childhood, Adolescence, Health and Safety, Social Issues Related to Parenthood, Family Relations and Communication, Guiding the Behavior of Children, Parenting Patterns, and Career-Related Concerns. In order to determine if there were differences, the data, collected through the use of a parent education questionnaire, …

Job Position As A Moderator Of Opinion Regarding School Finance Among Seventh-Day Adventist Administrators, Gregory A. Gerard

Dissertations

All levels of public and private education have been affected by difficult economic times. Much attention has been paid to the financial plight of public schools, but less research has been undertaken regarding the financial operation of parochical schools.

The purpose of this study was to investigate one aspect of the financial operation of one church's school system. Specifically, the research examined the opinions of incumbents of five different positions within the Seventh-day Adventist Church and school system concerning the potential of within and outside of school strategies for the operation of boarding schools. Within school strategies were defined as …

Naphthalene-2,3-Dialdehyde: A Synthon To 7,9-Polymethylene-8h-Cyclohepta[B]Naphthalene-8-One And A Study Of Their Aromaticity, Edward O. Crapps

Dissertations

This report describes the synthesis of naphthalene-2,3-dialdehyde, and an analytical method for determining its purity by thin layer chromatography. Subsequently, the dialdehyde was condensed with various cyclic ketones to generate a series of polymethylene bridged naphthotropones. It was found that planarity and aromaticity increase with the size of the methylene bridge, although, the bridge must contain six or more methylene groups for the latter to be true. The claim for aromaticity is supported by NMR and IR data, which indicates the positive charge for a perchlorate cation salt is delocalized over the naphthalene and tropone ring system. Furthermore, from the …

Underdevelopment And State Capitalism: A Cross-National Study, Massoud Chalabi

Dissertations

This is an inquiry into the nature and developmental role of state capitalism (SC) in the Third World. In an effort to enhance understanding of the problem of underdevelopment in general and to gain understanding of state capitalism in particular, contributions and limitations of basic theories of development were examined via a positive critique. State capitalism, as a political movement under the political leadership of middle classes, is a response to the structural crisis and chronic crisis of authority to which misborn capitalism has been facing in the Third World since its emergence. Once state capitalism comes to exist, the …

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale/Wechsler Memory Scale Difference Scores: Their Relationship To Brain Dysfunction And Closed Head Injury, Don A. Boyd

Dissertations

Performance differences between the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) were studied. Differences in performance between the WAIS Full Scale IQ Score and the WMS Memory Quotient (WMS discrepancy score) were compared across three groups consisting of a closed head injury group (N = 45), a localized lesion group (N = 25), and a psychiatric group (N = 45) who were unimpaired on the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery. Also, WMS discrepancy scores were compared across a long-coma group and a short-coma group and the correlation coefficient between the WMS discrepancy score and neuropsychological impairment rating was …

The Influence Of Perceived Teachers' And Parents' Expectations On Student Achievement, William Zollweg

Dissertations

This study investigates the influence of perceived teacher and parent expectations on student achievement. Additionally, variations in perceived expectations were measured for students with different sex, race, and socioeconomic background. The sample population consisted of 283 tenth-grade students in a large midwestern school district. Results indicate that students with higher teacher and parent perceived expectations score higher on standardized tests of reading achievement. Furthermore, student perception of teacher and parent expectation varied directly with socioeconomic status.

Life Events, Social Support, And Health: An Examination, Kathleen Anne Tiemann

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the relationship between life events, social support, and health by testing a theoretically derived model. Regression analysis reveals that the number of undesirable health-related events explains most of the variation in reported health problems. Yet, when undesirable health-related events are added to the dependent variable, only five percent of the variation is explained. This finding suggests a measurement problem: the tautology of health-related events and health outcomes. The impact of this measurement problem is further illustrated through path analysis. When the tautology is removed, only two of the eight predictor variables remain in the model. Suggestions for …

The Relationship Between Women's Levels Of Achievement And Self-Reported Characteristics Using The Bem Sex-Role Inventory, Sandra Kay Ragen

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between adult women's perceptions of their sex role and their level of achievement. Sex role was defined by the scores achieved on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), and achievement level was based on an index of education, work role, and salary. It was hypothesized that a significant relationship exists between levels of achievement and self-reported masculine (instrumental) and feminine (expressive) characteristics.

A random sample of 100 females was selected from membership roles (N = 600) in the Kalamazoo Network, Kalamazoo, Michigan, a high-achieving women's group. Seventy-five (75) usable returns provided …