Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Improving On-The-Job Performance Of Restaurant Employees Through Behavior Modification Techniques, Patricia A. Kershek

Masters Theses

Behavior modification techniques were used to improve the performance of individual employees in a restaurant setting. Desired performance was defined in operational terms. Contingent upon observations of desired behavior, procedures involving praise, performance charts, and bonuses were implemented according to an ABCB design. After applying both praise and performance charts, bonuses were added so that all three techniques were in operation. Then, bonuses were discontinued. Results indicated that while employee performance (quality of performance and time spent on the job) improved when praise and performance charts were applied, the addition of a bonus led to even further improvement. Hence, bonuses …

The Perceived Utility Of The Job Model As A Planning Document For Faculty Members, Victoria Kai-Cacho

Masters Theses

A job model for faculty activity plans was developed based on an interview and a questionnaire response from 14 Western Michigan University professors. Perceived accuracy and usefulness of the job model were measured by a questionnaire designed by the investigator. Responses were analyzed by computing the mean ratings of each item included in the questionnaire. The job model was perceived as an accurate and useful instrument for faculty activity plans, self-development and faculty evaluation. However, methodological limitations suggest that further empirical research with a large sample and participation of administrative officers and students, in addition to faculty members, will be …

The Effects Of Music On The Duration Of Time Spent In A Store By A Customer, Danita J. Mussatto

Masters Theses

The present study was compared the effects of employing music and withholding music in a retail setting. Over a three week experimental period, the duration of time customers spent in a store was recorded. The music system was first employed (Phase I), next the customers were subject to an environment void of music (Phase II), and then the music system was reimplemented (Phase III). During Phase II customers spent significantly less time in the store than in Phase I or Phase III. Another store, employing music continually, was used to control extraneous sources of variability. The results provide empirical verification …

Effects Of Phenytoin On Schedule-Controlled Performance, Kathleen M. Krafft

Dissertations

The present studies examined the effects of acute and chronic administrations of phenytoin on the responding of pigeons and rats maintained under fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, and interresponse-time-greater-than-t schedules of food reinforcement. These schedules typically engender different rates and temporal patterns of responding and are often differentially affected by drugs. The results indicated that phenytoin, given acutely, produced dose-dependent decreases in the response rate of rats and pigeons maintained under fixed-ratio and fixed-interval schedules. Response rates under the fixed-interval and inter response-time-greater-than-t schedules were little affected by the drug. A degree of tolerance was observed to phenytoin's rate-decreasing effects when the drug …

Effect Of Informational Posting And Employee Inspection On Safety Hazard Reduction In A Retail Drug Store, Craig A. Berger

Masters Theses

Undesired safety conditions were operationally defined for a large retail drug store. The recording of unsafe conditions were conducted for two different employee shifts for ten weeks. A multiple baseline design (ABC-ACB) was used in which three conditions were introduced: (a) baseline, (b) public posting of a safety performance chart, and (c) individual employee inspections. Results indicated that the frequency of safety hazards declined 23% from baseline for the public post-condition and declined 44% for the employee inspection condition (averaged across both shifts). An advanced analysis of variance indicated significant mean differences (p < .01) between baseline and employee inspection for both shifts. An additional measure was taken correlating photograph ratings by employees on a safety dimension and an attractiveness dimension. The coefficient of correlation was statistically significant (r = .76; p <.05). The results indicate that a training program involving employee inspections may be an effective way of reducing undesirable safety conditions.

Effects Of Informational Data Upon Attendance In An Industrial Setting, Karen T. Suarez

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of informational data on employee attendance in an industrial setting. It was believed that knowledge of attendance rates would encourage employees to improve their attendance. An average of 50 male employees ranging from 22 to 55 years of age were included in the study. The procedure involved the implementation of publicly posted graphs which displayed attendance rates for the total department and each shift according to an ABA reversal design. Attendance rates were calculated and graphs updated each week by the department's superintendent. In addition, a brief questionnaire was distributed …

Prompts And Feedback As A Means Of Increasing A Customer Service Behavior In A Family Restaurant, David B. Lennox

Masters Theses

Although waiters and waitresses traditionally receive a gratuity based upon quality of service from customers, it may be difficult for them to interpret the amount of the gratuity as an indicator of good service or bad service. This ambiguity could be a result of different amounts of customer checks or faulty comparisons of total dollar amounts (total for the working shift) without taking into consideration the total dollar amount of the customer checks or the number of customers served. This study was conducted to provide accurate information for waitresses regarding gratuity percentage received from customers while monitoring its effects on …

Matching-To-Sample In The Pigeon: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Correction And Noncorrection Procedures, Deborah Lou Grossett

Masters Theses

Contradictory results concerning the effect that presence or absence of a correction procedure has on matching-to-sample were obtained by past studies (Carter and Werner, 1978; Thomas, 1979). Carter and Werner (1978) reported that exposure to a correction procedure resulted in an increase in accuracy, while Thomas (1979) found no difference between the noncorrection and correction procedures. The present study showed that exposure to a correction procedure resulted in an increase in accuracy in comparison to a noncorrection procedure during acquisition, but not during maintenance.

Past studies (Holt and Shafer, 1973; Thomas, 1979), using a correction procedure, showed that presence of …

A Comparison Of Reading And Listening Performances Of Braille And Print Readers, Betty P. Zook

Masters Theses

Blind and sighted subjects were tested on their capability to retain information after both reading and listening to specially prepared printed and taped materials. The sample consisted of graduate students and professional individuals. It was found that, on the average, subjects retained more after reading than listening. This effect was more pronounced in the braille reading subjects. As the level of complexity of the material increased, the difference in the points earned between the two modalities, reading and listening, increased significantly. A behavioral analysis suggested some reasons for this difference. It was suggested that further research into reading and listening …

Affective Perspective-Taking And Sympathy In Young Children, Mary Driver Leinbach

Dissertations and Theses

The present study focused upon both behavioral and cognitive aspects of sympathetic responses in preschool children. Subjects, 36 boys and girls aged 33-75 months, were seen at their regular day care center. An attempt was made to promote comforting behavior through the use of a peer model both alone and accompanied by an adult's inductive statement regarding the consequences of a sympathetic response; a six year-old girl served as the sympathetic model and as an apparently injured victim in need of comforting. In addition, age- and sex-related relationships for the measures of social cognition, affective perspective-taking and knowledge of strategies …

The Effect Of Early Handling On The Sexually Dimorphic Rate Of Extinction Of A Conditioned Taste Aversion In Rats, Rebecca Lee Yoder

Dissertations and Theses

Male rats have been found to extinguish a conditioned taste aversion slower than females. It has also been found that female rats that have been "handled" (i.e., exposed to daily brief isolation from siblings and mother) during the preweaning period extinguish a taste aversion faster than nonhandled females. The present study sought to combine and extend these findings by testing handled and nonhandled females and males in a conditioned taste aversion under the methodological conditions used in the sex difference research.

The Effects Of Correctional Education On Recidivism, William L. Hiser

Dissertations and Theses

The effectiveness of programs intended to rehabilitate criminal offenders has been widely debated during the last decade. This thesis represents an attempt to evaluate the effects of education and training programs in particular, insofar as these effects have been measured in terms of recidivism.

The Development And Effects Of An Educational Audiovisual Presentation On Female Masturbation Upon The Attitudes And Masturbatory Behavior Of College Females, Catherine Ann Hogan

Dissertations and Theses

The current study was designed: (1) to develop an educational tool on female masturbation capable of reaching a wide audience of women with accurate and complete information on female masturbation; (2) to provide initial validation for the further educational usefulness of this tool and (3) to assess its potential ability for improving overall sexual functioning in women by possibly altering negative attitudes toward masturbation and/or by dis-inhibiting masturbatory behavior.

The Use Of Function In Infant Concept Acquisition, Carolyn S. Held

Student Work

The use of function for concept formation in 5 and 8 month old infants was studied in an experiment employing a conceptual adaptation of the standard habituation paradigm. A total of 64 male and female infants were shown videoptaped presentations which involved changes in form and functional attributes of selected stimuli. The stimuli consisted of striped figures which could vary in form (shmoo-shaped or H-shaped) and function (side-to-side movements or up-down movements). During habituation, all infants were shown multiexemplars of a specific figure performing a single movement pattern; the figures varied only in color. During test trials, the infants were …

Recognition And Recall Memory As A Function Of Intentional And Incidental Learning Of An Eyewitness Account, Jill L. Ricke

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between recognition and recall memory as a function of intentional and incidental learning of a eyewitness event. A total of 188 college students participated in the experiment with 47 students in each of four conditions. The two learning conditions were produced by giving either intentional or incidental learning instructions while the two memory conditions, either recognition or recall, were defined on the basis of one of two forms of the retention questionnaire. All subjects viewed two groups of slides; the first group depicted a wallet of paired-associate nonsense syllables. The …

The Effect Of Machine Pacing Of Simulated Inspection Tasks On Physiological And Psychological Stress Reactions, Norma Roll

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain data on the impact of machine-paced industrial inspection tasks upon workers. Psychological and physiological stress reaction measures were gathered from subjects under simulated work conditions. Typical stress indicators such as heart rate, electromyograph readings, temperature, and psychological stress scales comprised the raw data. After being subjected to statistical analysis, results and conclusions will be discussed in order to gain knowledge and insight as to the stress reactions of the machine-paced inspection worker, and to provide implications for further research.

Fear Of Success And The Performance Of Males And Females In A Managerial Position, Joan A. Helms

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Current Close Friendships And Lapsed Close Friendships, Teresa A. Rodgers

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of A Visual Training Technique For Female Volleyball Players, Diane G. Burbank

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of The Relative Success Of Two Pay Incentive Plans Under Controlled Conditions, Richard J. Poole

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Child Abuse And Neglect: A Primer, Judith K. Schwartz

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this specialty paper is to present an overview of child abuse and neglect in the United States. This accomplished by researching previously published literature. Topics investigated include the epidemiological factors, personality characteristics of children and adults, etiology, diagnose and assessment procedures, intervention and treatment options and early identification and prevention. Sexual abuse, foster care and the legal problems associated with a diagnoses of child abuse/neglect are treated, briefly, as separate topics. In addition, critical comments in research methodology and findings and suggestions for further research can be found throughout the body of the paper.

Sex-Roles And Marital Satisfaction Of Employed And Homemaking Mothers Of Pre-School Children, Leslie G. Bennett

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A group of college educated mothers of pre-school children were compared on ratings of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and the Marital Satisfaction Inventory in order to examine what effect sex-role orientation may have on marital satisfaction in working and in homemaking wives. The subjects were grouped according to employment status, that is employed or homemaking, and according to their designation on the Bem, that is masculine, feminine, androgynous and undifferentiated. The levels or marital satisfaction for each group were then computed. When analyzing the differences between working wives in general and homemaking wives, no statistical significance was noted, although it …

The Transgenerational Effects Of Father-Daughter Incest, Kevin M. Conlee

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The notion of "Transgenerationality" as it pertains to father-daughter incest, has been the source of speculation in research on incest. This study examines the relationship between the manifestation of family system factors often found in father-daughter incest families and the incidence of childhood sexual experience reported by parents actively or passively participating in this dysfunctional system. Fathers sexually abused or witnesses to incestuous relationships in childhood appear to most extensively violate the incest taboo. Mothers in incestuous family's who were victims of sexual assault as children tend to function in more stereotypic incest family systems as described routinely in the …

"The Tide Of The Unconscious" Jung, Bosch And The Archetypes Of The Garden Of Earthly Delights, Andrea R. Peck

Institute for the Humanities Theses

Many scholars have discussed the meaning of Hieronymous Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights concluding that Bosch's works were of a conscious nature relating to the real world. By contrast, this study, using the theories of Carl Jung, fragments Bosch's work and sees the milieu of his art through the eyes of the collective unconscious. Accordingly, a number of explanations of Jungian ideas are presented with the view to better understanding Bosch: Jung's theory of the archetypes, his view of Christianity, his analysis of medieval alchemy, as well as matrix archetypes and symbolic forms relating to The Garden. Through this …

The Effect Of Mother-Infant Bonding On Maternal Attitude, Roxanne Hughes

Student Work

The attachment relationship that develops between parents and their infants has been the focus of extensive research. The results suggest that parent-infant attachment can be crucial to the survival and development of the infant. Research has further shown that strong feelings of affection could be easily disturbed or altered permanently if prolonged separation between parents and their newborn occurs during the immediate postpartum period (first few hours). This study investigated whether differing amounts of early postpartum contact between mothers and their normal full term infants would be reflected in maternal attitude toward the newborn infant* documented through a questionnaire administered …

Subject Bias In Managerial Evaluation, Don Marie Persing

Master's Theses

The following research considered the influence of the sex of the manager being evaluated, the age, managerial level, educational level and sex of the subject upon the evaluation of management behavior. A five-page questionnaire presenting four examples of managerial behavior for evaluation was administered to 45 male and 133 female managers of a large corporation. Although it was hypothesized that the independent variables would account for the variance in the scores, the multivariate analyses of variance indicated that the research did not produce significant results. Results were discussed in terms of managerial training and implications for future research.

Attitude-Behavior Relationships: A Comparison Of The Fishbein-Ajzen And Bentler-Speckart Models, Arlene J. Fredericks

Student Work

This study compared the Fishbein-Ajzen (1975) model of attitude-behavior relationships with Bentler-Speckart's (1979) modifications of the model. Subjects were 236 undergraduate college students and the measures of behavior were repeated self-reports of class attendance. An analysis of linear structural relationships, using multiple indicators for each underlying construct, supported the Bentler-Speckart addition to the Fishbein- Aj zen model of prior behavior as a direct causal influence on both subsequent behavior and behavioral intentions. However, consistent with the original Fishbein-Ajzen model, a direct causal path from attitude to subsequent behavioral intentions was not found. Directions for future studies and respecification of the …

Behavioral Observation Versus Behavioral Expectation Rating Scales: Development And Psychometric Properties, Calvin C. Hoffman

Student Work

Rating scales to assess the level of proficiency of human performance have come in a wide variety of formats. The objectives of the scales, types of questions asked, and procedures followed vary widely. Prior to 1960, most rating scales utilized what is known as the graphic format. According to Guion (1965) the rating scale was relied on in 81% of the validation studies using rating scales. While this has declined somewhat (Landy § Trumbo, 1976) performance ratings still play a major part in validation. This study will compare behavioral observation and behavioral expectation scales in terms of psychometric properties. Central …

Developmental Changes In Fantasy Play The Years Two To Six And The Relationship Of Social Cognition, Diane Cole

Student Work

Fantasy play is a very general type of play and includes most types of pretending, whereas symbolic and dramatic play are specific types of pretending. There has been much controversy surrounding the age at which a child initially develops the ability to role-take, and the relationship between play and role-taking,. This study examined age and sex differences in eight categories of fantasy play— substitution, attribution of function, animation, insubstantial material, insubstantial situation, character attribution, dramatic, and other play. Relationships were also examined between play categories and egocentrism, role-taking, and verbal IQ. The subjects were 78 two- and six-year olds who …

The Effects Of Study Carrels On The Behavior And Academic Performance Of Distractible Elementary School Children, Robert William Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of study carrels on distractible students. A secondary objective was to determine whether behavioral contrast effects resulted from working in the study carrels. Four third grade and two fifth grade students served as subjects. An ABAB single subject design was employed with the fifth graders. Observers collected data on the subjects' behaviors. During the intervention condition, the subjects did their independent seatwork while seated in a study carrel. To examine for behavioral contrast, data were collected during the period immediately after the students used the carrels.

The study carrels …