Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Feedback Specificity And Simultaneous Goals On Task Performance, David W. Furst

Student Work

A laboratory experiment was conducted examining the influence of feedback specificity and simultaneous quantity and quality goals on the performance of an assembly task including the effect of feedback specificity on perceptual and behavioral measures of intrinsic motivation. The hypotheses were framed in terms of a traditional goal setting model and a control systems-goal conflict model. Neither model was supported for the quantity performance measure in that varying the specificity of quantity of performance feedback did not result in differential quantity of performance. The traditional goal setting model was supported based on results from the quality performance measure . These …

Concurrent Validity Of The Pain Locus Of Control Scale And Its Relationship To Treatment Outcome Variables, Linda Kay Schaefer

Student Work

Studies have shown that locus of control orientation is related to emotional and behavioral adjustment to chronic pain. Researchers have begun the process of establishing the validity and reliability of the Pain Locus of Control Scale. This study was conducted to establish the concurrent validity of the PLC Scale at the time of follow-up from pain management treatment, an effort not previously undertaken. In addition, studies suggest that those persons with an Internal locus of control orientation demonstrate more favorable treatment outcomes, as compared to a Powerful others or Chance locus of control. This research examined the relationship between treatment …

Cigarette Smoking And Its Effect Upon Perceptions Of Source Credibility, Cari L. Tokheim

Student Work

This thesis examined the effect of cigarette smoking on perceptions of source credibility. Twenty-five bi-polar adjectives were used to measure five dimensions of credibility (competency, character, sociability, composure, and extroversion) developed by McCroskey and Jenson. Subjects recruited from students enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (n = 272) were assigned one of four versions of a photograph depicting either a male or female model holding a cigarette, or those same models in identical photographs with the cigarette removed. Subjects were then asked to complete the credibility scales, based upon the person depicted in the photograph.

Results from the …

The Black Experience In Selected Nebraska Counties, 1854-1920, James D. Bish

Student Work

This work is a history of the black experience in the fifteen most densely black populated counties in Nebraska, excluding Douglas, from 1854 through 1920. Beginning with the formation of Nebraska Territory in 1854, the thesis studies the population, employment, and social status of blacks living in Nebraska throughout the frontier and postfrontier eras. Slavery and suffrage are critically examined throughout the territorial period. Following statehood, the impact of black migration into the state is studied, especially during the years 1879 and 1880. Massive migration of southern blacks into northern states occurred during those years, a result of the termination …

The Improvement Of Digital Image Classification Over An Urban Area: A Probabilistic Relaxation Approach, Yafei Lu

Student Work

Digital image classification is a technique to extract land cover information from imagery using certain classification schemes. Additional information, either in a map, digital or verbal format, from multi-sources other than satellite imagery can be integrated into a classification scheme to improve its performance. The research in this field is essential because data interpretation has long been a weak link between the functions of two powerful systems: data acquisition by the remote sensing system and data storage, renewal and retrieval by the geographic information system - that has been more and more involved in the geographical research with the development …

A Comparison Of Attitudes Toward Persons With Mental Retardation In Three Age Groups, Catherine L. Palmer

Student Work

This study is an attempt to compare attitudes toward persons with mental retardation in different age groups. It attempts to determine if public attitudes toward adults and elderly persons with mental retardation are more negative than attitudes toward children with mental retardation, and if attitudes toward elderly persons with mental retardation are more negative than attitudes toward adults with mental retardation. The instrument used in this study was a set of three semantic differential scales. The scales measured attitudes toward three concepts: mentally retarded child, mentally retarded young adult, and mentally retarded elderly person. A stratified sampling procedure was used …

Digital Analysis Of Selected Glaciers Of Afghanistan And Pakistan, Mohammad Saqib Khan

Student Work

The present study represents an attempt to classify and compare features of selected glaciers and their surroundings in Afghanistan and Pakistan for two different time periods. The classification utilizes digital data imaged by the MSS (multi-spectral scanner) carried by the LANDSAT satellite. This digital data permits fairly reliable measurements of the many different features including glacial ice, snow, moraine, water, vegetation and different rock types in the adjacent valleys. The LANDSAT digital data were evaluated using both supervised classification and unsupervised classification algorithms. The supervised classifications include Parallelepiped, Minimum Distance to Means and Maximum Likelihood classifications; the unsupervised classification incorporated …

Black Students In Private White Colleges: Changing Coping Strategies., Anece Faison Mccloud

Student Work

The present study was undertaken to investigate changes in the coping strategies of black students at private, predominantly white colleges, and the implications of their behavior for the future of black Americans. This population of students was selected for the study because blacks in private, predominantly white colleges who assimilate successfully and graduate from these institutions are presumed to have an advantage over other college graduates. A prestigious network in place through fellow alumni, former professors and "friends" of the college help them to move into the American mainstream. Consequently, they become part of a sub-group of privileged black Americans …

An Examination Of Mediation As An Atternative To Special Education Due Process Proceedings In Nebraska., Mark Charles Draper

Student Work

Prior to the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EAHCA), the educational rights of special education students in the United States were not clearly defined and varied greatly from state to state. With the adoption of EAHCA, procedural guidelines were legislated for the free and appropriate education of all handicapped children ages three through twenty-one. Procedural guidelines called for in EAHCA included the establishment of individualized education programs (IEP's). A second procedural guide¼ine was the requirement that handicapped children be served in the least restrictive environment in an educational setting. Procedural guidelines were also included providing handicapped individuals …

Proxemic Behavior Of The Nonhandicapped Toward The Visually Impaired, Carol J. Olsen

Student Work

This study investigated spatial behavior of nonhandicapped individuals toward physically handicapped individuals. Initial seating distance was measured between a visually impaired experimenter and nonhandicapped subjects. Subjects were from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Students completed a survey and then, one at a time, went to an adjacent room to answer some follow-up questions posed by a visually impaired confederate. Distances were measured and compared to other studies measuring handicapped/ nonhandicapped interactions. Previous research showed significant differences in distance between handicapped/ nonhandicapped interactions and nonhandicapped/nonhandicapped interactions. Greater distances were chosen when interacting with a physically handicapped individual than with a …

A Factorial Ecology Of Omaha: Using 1980 Census Data At Block Group Scale, Xinglai Ge

Student Work

This thesis is an urban factorial ecology of the Omaha/Douglas County area. The ecological unit used in the analysis is the Census Block Group. As a result, the data used are based on a more homogeneous areal unit, and the regionalization constructed yields social areas which more accurately display residential differentiation. The input data consists of a matrix of 84 variables by 399 block groups. Through factor analysis, the matrix is reduced to a factor score profile matrix of 10 factors by 399 block groups. The first eight factors are interpreted into social dimensions. From this factor structure, a regionalization …

A Descriptive Study In Fund-Raising: Theory Versus Actual Practice, Michaela S. Wright

Student Work

Philanthrophy has become a serious business throughout the world, and nowhere more so than in the United States. Even though Americans donate more than $74 billion each year to charity (and this dollar amount continues to climb each year), little to no scholarly research has been done in the area of fund-raising. The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast fund-raising theory to actual fund-raising practices utilized by five non-profit organizations based in Omaha, Nebraska. A 22-point questionnaire, created purposely for this study, was administered via a face-to-face interview with those people who are actually responsible for fund-raising …

Courtroom Factors And Jurors' Decision-Making In Cases Involving Child Witnesses, Debra Schwiesow

Student Work

This study examined the influence of expert witness testimony and jury instructions on mock jurors' final verdicts of guilt in a case where the sole eyewitness to a murder/abduction was a five-year-old-child. One hundred and ninety-two college students heard an audio-taped trial proceeding in which the testimony of an expert witness and the jury instructions were varied (both supporting or discrediting of a child witness' testimony or mixed testimonies). Individual judgments of guilt and judgments after group deliberation were recorded. It was hypothesized that expert witness testimony and jury instructions would significantly influence verdicts. Contrary to predictions, neither expert witness …

A Survey: To Determine The Reorganization Characteristics And Capabilities Of Six Selected School Districts In Holt County, Nebraska, Tom L. Hester

Student Work

School district reorganization is an ongoing process intended to enable school districts to best satisfy educational needs. The Problem of attaining the best organizational arrangement is a long-standing dilemma. The Process that may best provide a solution is a study of a district's needs and resources.

School-Wide Discipline Plan: Teachers Perceptions As To How It Effects School Climate, Karen Hayes Butler

Student Work

The organizational climate of elementary schools has been extensively studied since the early 1960s. Much publicity has recently been given to methods of student management in the public schools.

Placement Criteria For Students After Long Term Hospitalization, Cheryl F. Blue

Student Work

The treatment of adolescent problems relating to chemical abuse and emotional disturbances has become more commonplace during the last ten years. Long-term absences of students for treatment purposes are no longer a rarity.

Teacher Response To Aggressive Behaviors In Preschool Boys And Girls, Theresa Sauser Wiehl

Student Work

This study was conducted to determine if inner city preschool boys and girls differed in either the type or amount of aggressive behaviors displayed. The question of whether teachers differed in their responses to preschool boys and girls when they behaved aggressively was also studied. A total of 180 children and 14 teachers were observed in two Head Start centers in a Midwestern city. The naturalistic observational study was conducted over a period of approximately 18 hours. Results of the study showed that boys, while making up 46% of the population, committed two-thirds of the aggressive acts. Boys and girls, …

The Predictive Value Of Mmpi Personality Style In Obesity Therapy, Jeffrey J. Harvey

Student Work

The present study assessed whether psychopathology influences obese subject’s ability to lose weight. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was used to differentiate between 46 pathological and 52 nonpathological subjects. A repeated measures analysis of variance did not support the hypothesis that the degree of weight loss is negatively associated with the amount of psychopathology measured by the MMPI. In addition, an analysis of covariance was conducted in an attempt to control for possible confounding factors at the start of treatment and also failed to support the hypothesis.

Linkage Analysis Of Reading Disability On Chromosome 6., Yin Yao Shugart

Student Work

Reading disability (RD) is defined as difficulty learning to read and spell despite adequate intelligence and educational opportunity and without demonstratable physical, neurological, or emotional handicap. Investigators have suggested a genetic influence and postulated an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. The strongest support for this hypothesis came from the observation of linkage between RD and a heteromorphism of the short arm/centromere of chromosome 15. Further analysis indicated the possibility of genetic heterogeneity with some families showing RD due to a gene not on chromosome 15. This research is a report of the results of a linkage analysis of RD verses …

The Effects Of Feedback Referent And Content Upon Self-Determination, Rated Task Interest, And Intrinsic Motivation, Kerry L. Sheehan

Student Work

This study was an attempt to determine if verbal feedback could be used to convey information about feedback referent and feedback content to individuals in an experimental setting, and if so, if that information would influence their perceptions of perceived task competence, self-determination, task-interest, and intrinsic motivation. Eighty subjects were used from psychology classes. The majority were college freshmen or sophomores. Results showed that subjects did attend to the feedback referent, but that the referent had no subsequent influence on any of the dependent variables. Additionally, the feedback content manipulation did not produce the predicted effects upon the dependent variables. …

The Effects Of Facial Attractiveness On Judicial Recommendations Made By Middle-Aged Mid-Western Females, Angela Boyd

Student Work

Upon first meeting someone, we are most likely to notice their physical appearance before anything else. "We have a strong tendency to be favorably impressed by attractive people and to be less favorably impressed with those who are not so attractive" ( Janda, & Klenke-Hamel, 1982, p. 422). There are a number of studies that have dealt with characteristics of an individual as related to his or her physical attractiveness. Past studies (Asch, 1946, Landy & Aronson, 1969) have also looked at attractive and unattractive individuals and the effects this has on one's expectations of these individuals.

An Analysis Of Methods Used In Training Intramural Sport Officials At Selected Universities And Colleges, Kara Lenore Mckennitt

Student Work

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the most prevalent and valued methods for training intramural officals.

Openness In Communication Between Managers And Freelancers In The Publishing Business, Janet Barrell Davis

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of openness in communication between managers and freelancers in the publishing business. Two particular conditions governing relations between managers and freelancers made a study of aspects of their communication appear appropriate. First, because freelancers are not employees of the publishing companies, but work on each manuscript as a separate project, communication between them and their managers is likely to focus onsuccessful task completion rather than on other goals, such as mobility within the organization. Second, freelancers are likely to be good exemplars of what Manz (1986) has termed "self-led workers," who …

Building The Meat Packing Industry In South Omaha, 1883-1898, Gail Lorna Didonato

Student Work

An article by Gregory R. Zieren was brought to my attention as I was completing this study. I Dealing with recently published works on the packing industry, it critiques books that have been my constant companions over the last two years. Zieren writes, "Despite the local focus [Chicago], none of the works is parochial in its scholarly concerns, and all of them broaden our understanding of the urban and social history of one the nation's quintessential working-class districts." Chicago was the environment for the development of the modern industry and, for almost a century, was the world's leading packing center. …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Drug Use In Adolescents, Earl H. Faulkner

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to examine adolescent drug involvement in relation to a variety of psychological and social constructs. One hundred ninety-nine adolescent high school students and 67 adolescents receiving drug treatment served as subjects. A battery of questionnaires was administered to assess a participant’s: involvement with drugs (i.e., reported drug use index, intent to use drugs in the future, exposure to drugs, and level of drug use prior to abstinence); self-concept/self-esteem; social skills; and anxiety and depression levels. Degree of drug involvement, both within the student sample and between student and treatment samples, was related differentially to …

An Exploratory Study Into The Conceptualization And Measurement Of Communication Motivation In Public Speaking: An Expectancy Theory Model., Edwin J. Dawson

Student Work

To an extent, behavior is the result of an organism's desire to attain a specific goal (Brown, 1961; Gage, 1985; Haire, 1964; Vinacke, 1964). Although various theories differ, the foundation of these works rest on the premise that goal fulfillment is central to behavior.

Construct Validity And Development Of Local Norms In The Assessment Of Adhd., Rose Ternes Hunter

Student Work

A pilot study was performed to determine the validity of on-task behavior and locally developed attention tasks# to assist in the identification of children with ADHD. Subjects were third grade students in the Hampton City Public Schools. Means and standard deviations were computed for time-on-task as well as number correct and number committed for each of five separate attention tasks. A correlation analysis was performed to compare results of attention tasks with each other as well as with the Abbreviated Conners Teacher's Scale (ACTS), a Hyperactivity Index, and IQ. Results were in the expected direction, although correlations with ACTS were …

A Comparision Of The Achievement Of Deaf Children With Deaf Parents And Deaf Siblings And Deaf Children With Hearing Parents And Hearing Siblings At The Iowa School For The Deaf, Sharon Kay Crawford Hovinga

Student Work

Is there a significant difference in achievement test scores of deaf children with deaf parents and deaf siblings compared to deaf children who have hearing parents and hearing sibilings.

Omaha Intrametropolitan Locational Changes In Manufacturing: 1969 To 1987., Xiaofang Chen

Student Work

Studies of locational change in manufacturing at the metropolitan scale have attracted an increasing amount of research interest. The evolution and variety of theories of intrametropolitan location of American manufacturing has been documented in the literature. The primary objectives of this study are to; 1) examine locational changes in manufacturing within Omaha metropolitan area between 1969-1987, and; 2) assess Omaha’s industrial change pattern as to how it fits into the theoretical pattern as established in the literature. Through the technique of devising a three-zone spatial base across the metropolitan area, it was determined that manufacturing employment in the downtown or …

A Comparative Analysis Of Adult And Student Attitudes Regarding The Perceived And Actual Use Of Drugs And Alcohol In The Elkhorn Public School District, Stephen R. Baker

Student Work

According to the 20th Annual Gallup Poll (1988) of the public's attitudes toward public schools, the use of drugs was identified as the biggest problem with which the public schools must deal. However, drinking/alcoholism, was not viewed as that serious of a problem. This category placed tenth, just ahead of low teacher pay and busing.