Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of A Topography-Based Language System And A Selection-Based Language System, Carl Sundberg

Masters Theses

This study examined whether it was easier for developmentally disabled individuals to acquire a topography-based or a selection-based language system. Four moderately and mildly mentally retarded adults served as subjects. Each of the subjects was taught to tact an object by either pointing to its corresponding symbol (with the selection-based paradigm) or making the corresponding sign (with the topography-based system). They were then taught an intraverbal relation by either selecting the symbol, or making the sign which corresponded to an auditory stimulus. Finally, the subjects were tested for the emergence of stimulus equivalence classes. Each subject was trained and tested …

The Development Of A Self-Help Psychoeducational Booklet Of Rational-Emotive Problem Solving, Alan D. Baldon

Masters Theses

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Rational-Emotive Problem Solving workbook (REPS), developed by the researcher, which employs programmed learning principles to teach Rational-Emotive problem-solving techniques.

Fifteen undergraduate psychology students participated. Subjects were provided with the 69-page booklet. The subjects were guided through the Education, Self-Test, and Application components of the workbook.

Two hypotheses were tested. It was predicted that subjects would demonstrate mastery by achieving a score of 80% or better on the Self-Test section. It was further predicted that subjects would demonstrate generalization of the Rational-Emotive principles to a personal problem, achieving a score of 80 or higher …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of Teaching Nonverbal Sensitivity To Students In An Occupational Therapy Curriculum, Darla Kathleen Schurmeier

Masters Theses

The effectiveness of teaching nonverbal communication skills to undergraduate students in an occupational therapy curriculum at Western Michigan University was explored by testing students just entering the program and students leaving the campus for their fieldwork experiences. A control group was made up of undergraduate students from curricula that did not purposely teach sensitivity to nonverbal cues. The 50 subjects were tested using the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity (PONS; Rosenthal, Hall, DiMatteo, Rogers, & Archer, 1979). Comparisons were made between PONS scores and the subject's area of study, length of time in the program, gender and age. Results showed that …

Effect Of Modified Instructions On Test Performance Of First Graders, Lisa J. Nuss

Masters Theses

This study uses a simple experimental design to examine the effect of standardized and adapted instructions on first graders' performance on selected subtests of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (Bruininks, 1G78). The mean age of the 20 female and 24 male subjects was 6.77 years. Subjects were randomly assigned to the two experimental conditions. Although the findings for both subtests are not statistically significant at the p<.05 level, they do indicate that motor performance of some populations may not be compromised by altering the wording of the standardized assessment directions. The implications of this study and the need for future research in this area are discussed.

Differences In Values And Goals Of Occupational Therapy Students, Margaret A. Danka

Masters Theses

This study compared professional values and goals of three levels of occupational therapy students: (1) seniors in baccalaureate programs (n = 337), (2) students in professional master's programs (n = 95), and (3) students in post-professional master's programs (n = 62). Demographic characteristics and factors influencing career choice were also examined.

Significant differences were found among the three student groups for three professional goals: (1) contributing to theory, (2) doing research, and (3) educating occupational therapy students, and four professional values: (1) intellectual stimulation, (2) exciting life, (3) comfortable life, and (4) helpfulness. The demographic differences among the three student …

A Decision-Making Model For Adding, Revising, And Terminating Vocational/Occupational Programs At The Van Buren Vocational-Technical Center, James R. Allen

Masters Theses

This project for the Van Buren Vocational-Technical Center, Lawrence, Michigan, was designed to provide management with an instrument to assist them in their annual vocational program planning activities. The result was the development of a decision-making model that applies objective evaluative methods for determining occupational program additions, revisions, and terminations.

The model employs separate matrix worksheets for adding, revising, and terminating job training programs. Each classification utilizes five components for completing the worksheet: (1) selection of ten evaluation criteria, (2) criteria weights, (3) criteria definitions, (4) criteria data source information, and (5) criteria cell scores for applying data source values …

Kinematic Considerations Of Elite Alpine Slalom Ski Racers, David Andrew Goodwin

Masters Theses

This study described specific kinematic parameters associated with success on the international level in alpine slalom ski racing. Sixteen male athletes representing twelve countries comprised the subject pool. Subject selection was based on finish position in the men's special slalom at the 1989 World Alpine Ski Championships in Vail, Colorado. Cinematographical records were analyzed by a method known as direct linear transformation.

The findings of the study indicated that: (a) hip and knee joint angles of the turning leg must approximate 1.80 to 1.83 radians and 1.82 to 2.21 radians, respectively, for efficiency in this turn; (b) a decrease in …

Extension Of The Audio-Visual Combination Discrimination Test, Valerie R. Davine

Masters Theses

The Audio-Visual Combination (AVC) scale (Kerr, Meyerson, & Flora, 1977) was developed to assess basic discrimination skills in the developmentally disabled population. Acquisition of such skills has been demonstrated to follow a progressive pattern. The existing AVC test assesses discrimination skills in the following hierarchy: Imitation, Position, Visual, Match-To-Sample, Auditory, and Auditory- Visual Combination. This investigation attempted to discover transitional skills between the Match-To-Sample and the Auditory levels. Twenty-four developmentally disabled adults were tested using the original AVC tool with the addition of four new discrimination tasks that were added to the existing scale to ascertain a finer gradation of …

The Effects Of Audiotape Self-Monitoring On Direct Instruction Teacher Presentation Techniques, Kay D. Simon Brynildson

Masters Theses

Prior research has shown that several Direct Instruction teacher presentation techniques are functionally related to student academic achievement. Unfortunately, variability exists in the implementation of Direct Instruction programs with regard to these critical teaching skills. Monitoring of Direct Instruction teachers appears necessary to ensure program effectiveness. The present study employed a multiple baseline across subjects experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of audiotape self-monitoring in improving and maintaining five Direct Instruction teacher presentation techniques: clear signalling, pacing, corrections, contingent reinforcement and student accuracy. The subjects were two middle school special education teachers who taught Direct Instruction corrective reading programs. Both …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Verbal Vs. Nonverbal Cue-Controlled Relaxation In Reducing Test Anxiety, Marilyn J. Christensen

Masters Theses

This study compared the effectiveness of verbal vs. nonverbal cue-controlled relaxation in reducing test anxiety. Twenty-four subjects participated. Subjects received training in progressive muscle relaxation with one treatment group using a verbal cue and one treatment group using a nonverbal cue. The control group was offered relaxation training at the completion of the study. The Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale (STABS) (Suinn, 1969) was administered at pre- and post-training in addition to a comparison of the subjects' quiz scores before and after relaxation training was completed.

The findings from this study indicated thats (a) the groups did not differ; however, …

A Comparison Of Outcome Reinforcement Contingencies And Process Reinforcement Contingencies Using Concurrent Training With The Severely Mentally Impaired, Nancy Lonsberry

Masters Theses

This study compared the effectiveness of Outcome and Process reinforcement contingencies using concurrent training to teach severely mentally impaired students to perform component tasks. Each student was trained to assemble a four-piece apparatus using either the Outcome contingency or the Process contingency. The Outcome method was defined as a contingency where the final outcome of a component task has been achieved and a reinforcer is delivered contingent upon that outcome. The Process method was defined as a contingency where reinforcement occurs after the performance of each step in the sequence and when the final outcome of the task has been …

The Acquisition Of Spelling By Developmentally Disabled Adults: An Examination Of Some Variations Of The Look-Cover-Write-Check Cycle, Mark Stafford

Masters Theses

Five developmentally disabled adults were taught to spell groups of five words using the look-over-write-check cycle, in which the subject looks at the word, covers it, writes the word, then looks at the word again to check the accuracy of spelling. Four variations of this procedure were used with each of the subjects including requiring the subjects to spell the words out loud in the "look" component. The results showed that the subjects required fewer sessions and fewer trials to spell the five words when the out loud requirement was in effect. Approximations generated as the subjects learned to spell …

The Effects Of Aerobic Conditioning Upon The Resting Metabolic Rate, Marti R. Davis

Masters Theses

This study com pared the metabolic rate following an exercise bout to the resting metabolic rate (RM R) established in pretesting procedures for twelve college age females. The only factor differentiating the groups was length o f the training period (one week, two weeks, four weeks, and five weeks). Training took place on a Bosch cycle ergometer three times a week, for 30 minutes each session, at 70 to 85 percent o f the subjects' heart rate reserve (HRR). Breath analysis was measured on a Beckman Metabolic Cart in both pretesting and post-testing procedures.

The findings indicated that aerobic exercise, …

Teacher And Student Discourse Variables In Academic Communication, Janet M. Sturm

Masters Theses

This study was designed to analyze the oral communication exchanges between first, third, and fifth grade teachers and their students. It was based on the hypothesis that discourse parameters of linguistic quantity and complexity and communication acts change over grade level, much as the discourse parameters of caregivers with young children have been found to do. The language of teachers and students in 15 classrooms was examined by measuring 6 form and quantity variables and 11 communication act variables. Results showed significant differences for some form variables (MLU, mazes, and Type-token ratio) and some communication acts (convey content, mark content, …