Education Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Feedback Procedures On Machine Set-Up Time In A Manufacturing Setting, Connie J. Wittkopp

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment package designed to improve and maintain set-up time in the extrusion department of a rubber manufacturing company. Subjects were exposed to various behavioral techniques including training and a feedback system in the form of both written and verbal supervisory comments with an emphasis placed on improving performance through use of videotaping. An attempt was made to maintain treatment gains by teaching supervisors how to give information concerning set-up performance to their employees. Results indicate that average weekly set-up times for each machine were significantly below baseline …

Stimulus Overselectivity: An Investigation Of Determinants, Margaret T. Mcglinchey

Dissertations

Stimulus overselectivity refers to a phenomenon in which, after discrimination training with a multiple component stimulus, behavior fails to come under the control of all of the components of the stimulus. After a screening process based on past research, a group of children with specific learning disabilities was categorized into one of two groups: overselective and non-overselective. Both groups were exposed to training and testing for generalization. All children in both groups evidenced "stimulus overselectivity" during these tests for generalization. Generalization training subsequently reduced stimulus overselectivity for all students. There were few differences between the two groups. The results suggest …

Preventing The "All But Thesis" Phenomenon, Maria Emma Garcia

Dissertations

Twenty-three to 54% of the students who enter graduate programs never obtain their degrees. A high percentage of those students drop out after the completion of all the academic requirements except their master's theses or doctoral dissertations. The literature makes reference to the "all but thesis" (ABT) and the "all but dissertation" (ABD) phenomenon.

The present study involved the implementation of a research supervisory system designed to help students complete their theses and dissertations, therefore preventing the ABT and ABD problems. Twenty-nine graduate students in psychology formed the research supervisory group and 53 graduate students from several departments formed a …

Self-Concept In Home-Schooling Children, John Wesley Taylor V

Dissertations

The home school appears to be in a renaissance. This national study sought to provide an empirical base upon which to formulate viable decisions regarding homeschooling children. The study considered homeschoolers in grades four through twelve. The randomized sample yielded 224 qualified participants.

Conclusions include the following:

1. The self-concept of the homeschoolers was significantly higher (p<.001) than that of the conventionally schooled population on all scales of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Half of the homeschoolers scored at or above the 91st percentile on the global scale.

2. Insofar as self-concept is a reflector of socialization, it appears that few homeschoolers are socially deprived.

3. The self-concept of the homeschoolers decreases significantly (p<.01) as age and grade level rise.

4. The factors of gender, number of siblings, locale of residence, prior conventional schooling, number of years …

Occupational Identity Assessment Among Middle And Late Adolescents, Julian Melgosa

Dissertations

Problem. Research on James Marcia's identity statuses has been directed toward the overall problem of identity, but not toward the specific area of occupational identity. The major purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to assess Marcia1s Identity Statuses (Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure, and Diffusion) for the occupational area. In addition, the relationships of selected variables to these statuses were investigated.

Method. Random class groups of students (N=417) from six selected high schools and colleges located in Michigan provided the data for this study. Items were created utilizing the criteria established by previous research and content validated …

Cognitive Styles And Measured Occupational Preferences Of College Freshmen And Sophomores, Leonard M. Fisher

Dissertations

Problem. This research study tested the hypothesis that significant statistical relationships obtain for junior college and college freshmen and sophomore students, between the cognitive style measures field independence/dependence, "preference for structure," Harvey's Cognitive Style Factors--and occupational factors measure by the UNIACT Interest Inventory.

Method. Four paper and pencil tests measuring three cognitive styles were administered to 213 Michiana area and junior college and college freshmen and sophomores. The Group Embedded Figures Test was used to measure field independence/dependence while the two major measures of "preference for structure" cognitive styles were the VRTTAB average, and the FRTTAB average scores of the …

Effects Of Rational-Emotive Group Therapy Upon Anxiety And Self-Esteem Of Learning Disabled Children, Donna J. Meyer

Dissertations

Previous research has indicated the effectiveness of rational-emotive education techniques in reducing anxiety and building self-esteem with regular classroom children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of rational-emotive group therapy on anxiety and self-esteem of learning-disabled children. One hundred ten learning-disabled children (ages 8-13) were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: rational-emotive therapy (N=32), recreational-educational programming (N=31), or no-contact (N=47). Within the two experimental treatments that actually met, groups of seven to nine members, similar in chronological age, were formed. The rational-emotive groups received therapy based on rational-emotive theory. The recreational-educational programming groups engaged in …

A Comparative Study Of Critical Thinking Skills, Dogmatism And American College Testing Program Scores Of Seventh-Day Adventist College Freshmen Graduated From Church Related And Public Secondary Schools, Elizabeth May Wilkins

Dissertations

Problem. Development of critical thinking skills is commonly accepted as a desirable outcome of secondary education. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has also accepted this as one of the goals for its educational system. It was the purpose of the present study to compare critical thinking skills developed in Seventh-day Adventist young people in Seventh-day Adventist boarding academies, Seventh-day Adventist day academies, and public high schools. Since earlier studies have shown critical thinking to be negatively correlated with dogmatism and positively correlated with intelligence, both dogmatism and intelligence were included as variables in the study.

Method. Three hundred and twelve …

Selected Characteristics Of Children Referred For Psychiatric Evaluation, Rebecca Louise Pigott

Dissertations

Problem

Behavior-problem children constitute a main concern in the field of education today. The ability to recognize when the needs of the individual student call for procedures beyond the scope of the school is a professional necessity. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether students with school-related problems referred for psychiatric evaluation can be distinguished by a set of selected characteristics.

Method

Using multiple-discriminant analysis, students who had been referred for psychiatric evaluation were compared with students not referred for psychiatric evaluation on such criteria as teacher-pupil rating, as measured by Burks' Behavior Rating Scales; self-concept as …