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Success Avoidance: A Gender Neutral Theory, Geraldine Lipman King

Doctoral Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is the development of a non-gender-specific theory of success avoidance. Because success avoidance has traditionally been viewed as a phenomenon associated with female socialization, there is an initial look at the messages given to, and responses of, men and the issue of success.

In order to provide a foundation for a more expansive theory, there is an exploration of mixed-gender groups based on quantitative and qualitative data accumulated prior to the theory's generation.

Existing motivational constructs that influenced the theory's development are acknowledged and, to various degrees, assimilated into a new orientation. Ultimately, a theory …

When Dough Is A Female Deer: The Role Of Homophony In Lexical Priming, Kevin Kyle Fleming

Doctoral Dissertations

Several models of printed word recognition claim that phonology mediates lexical access. Four experiments employing lexical decision tasks and naming tasks were conducted to assess this claim. Homonyms such as "mint" were used in Experiment 1 to verify that both meanings of an ambiguous word are activated automatically upon presentation. In a priming paradigm with a 250 millisecond SOA, the homonym "mint" was found to facilitate the recognition of words related to both interpretations such as "candy" and "coin." In the remaining three experiments, homophones such as "dough" and "doe" were used to assess the role of phonology in lexical …

Stimulus Configuration And The Perceived Rigidity Of Eight-Vertex Polyhedra, John Edward Sparrow

Doctoral Dissertations

In a series of four experiments, subjects examined the perceived rigidity of rotating eight-vertex polyhedra. Four different categories of polyhedra were observed under parallel projection: (1) line drawings where the initial orientation appeared to be a cube (LN), though the depth components of the eight vertices were randomly positioned (upon rotation, it could be seen that the stimuli were not cubes); (2) line drawings where the vertices were randomly placed (LR); (3) vertex-only drawings where the initial orientation appeared to be a cube (VN), though the depth components of the eight vertices were randomly positioned; and (4) vertex-only drawings with …

The Impact Of Systemic Family Processes And Structures On Mental Illness And Family Violence, Al A. Shigo

Doctoral Dissertations

The relationship of both family structure and process variables to both mental illness and family violence are examined in this study. A non-clinical sample of 100 university student families and a clinical sample of 100 in-patient families at a psychiatric hospital are utilized. Both non-clinical and clinical samples are utilized with subjects of similar age. Within the broader context of General Systems Theory and family systems theory in particular, the inter-systemic variable of bounding and the intra-systemic variable of linking are tested in their relationships to both mental illness and family violence. Open, random, and closed family system types are …

Estimates Of Energy Expenditure In Women And A Biofeedback Device For Weight Loss, Sandra Rutter

Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers have been unable to discern the relationship between energy expenditure and obesity because there has been no reliable, unobtrusive method to capture daily activity. Single-plane accelerometers have been developed, using microcomputer technology, which may provide a means for measuring expenditure in human subjects. The Caltrac Personal Activity Computer$\sp\circler$ has shown high test-retest reliability and a strong relationship to several measures of expenditure in some laboratory tests. In Experiment 1, 40 university women (mean age = 19.15 yr) wore Caltracs during waking hours for either three or six consecutive days, with the devices programmed to count activity regardless of individual …