Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Adjustment Personality Trait And The Process Of Grieving Among Parents Who Have Had Children Die Of Sids, Agnes Melissa Ibanez

Student Work

The research examines emotional adjustment personality trait as related to intensity of grief experienced by parents who have had a child die of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). The NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) neuroticism scale measured emotional adjustment trait, and Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS) measured grief intensity. Thirty-three participants from 18 states were recruited via SIDS Alliance and SIDS Network websites. Results supported the hypothesis that there is a direct significant correlation between emotional adjustment and grief experiences. Other results showed that grief intensity was inversely correlated with years since child’s death, conscientiousness, and extraversion. Conscientiousness was found to directly …

Do Teacher Opinion Leaders Impact Other Teachers, Annette Eyman

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were identified opinion leaders among teachers and how those opinion leaders may have influenced teachers’ acceptance levels of the standards and assessment implementation for the language arts curriculum. Three phases of research were conducted. Twenty-four secondary language arts teachers and 109 elementary classroom teachers in the Papillion-LaVista School District were first surveyed to determine their level of acceptance of the standards and assessments for language arts. Each of the respondents was then asked to identify the opinion leaders, or those they turn to and trust regarding the standards and assessment …

The Role Of Small And Medium Enterprises In The Economy Of Slovakia, Jaroslav Kling

Student Work

The aim of this paper is to analyze the role of small and medium enterprises in the economy of Slovakia. The changes of 1989 brought about the changes of society and economy as well. In the period of transformation of the Slovak economy, small and medium enterprises have been often considered to be a critical element of economic revival. The study answers to what extent this expectation has been met. Legal and institutional frameworks of the small and medium enterprises development are analyzed. Popular attitudes toward entrepreneurs, views and opinions of the key representatives of entrepreneurs and state representatives are …

The Moderating Role Of Trust On The Relationship Between Ingratiatory Communication Strategies And Interactional Fairness, Erik Drafsten

Student Work

Previous research has shown that when perceptions of both procedural justice and distributive justice are low, increasing perceptions of interactional fairness can serve to reduce negative consequences that an organization may face, including subtle forms of retaliation, or what are known as organizational retaliatory behaviors (ORB). In an organizational setting personal attempts to improve perceptions of interactional fairness, under conditions of low distributive and procedural justice, can take on ingratiatory-like qualities when the source attempting to boost these perceptions of interactional fairness uses flattery, expresses excessive empathy, or excessive sympathy. Research has shown that ingratiatory actions such as these become …

The Impact Of Communication Medium And Outcome Severity On The Effectiveness Of Social Accounts, Peter D. Timmerman

Student Work

The present study was designed as a partial test of the model of social accounts by Folger and Cropanzano (1998). Organizational justice researchers have shown that social accounts are effective in reducing negative reactions and displacing blame from the decision-maker following a harmful decision. Using a 2 x 3 completely randomized design, the study examined the effects of outcome severity and media choice on four types of fairness perceptions, medium appropriateness, anger, and turnover intentions. A temporary pay cut scenario was used to manipulate two levels of outcome severity, and the company president provided an explanation of the pay cut …

Making Organizational Punishment Work: The Effects Of Social Accounts And Punishment Severity, Andrew L. Noon

Student Work

Punishment continues to be used by organizations as one method to eliminate unwanted employee behaviors. Bennett (1998) argued that managers must be aware of two aspects of the punishment situation: (a) the punishment intensity and (b) the negative consequences of the punishment. Previous research indicates that strong punishments are most effective at changing unwanted behaviors, but strong punishments are also more prone to producing negative attitudes in the punished individual. One way managers may be able to reduce the negative impact of punishment is by using explanations regarding the need for punishment. These explanations are called social accounts. Not all …

Interpersonal Forgiveness In Adolescent Friendships, Molly A. Wernli

Student Work

The purpose of the present study was to investigate interpersonal forgiveness in the context of adolescent friendships. The following factors were examined in relation to an adolescent’s forgiveness of a transgressing friend: a) religiosity, b) commitment, c) relationship closeness, d) empathy, e) apologies, and f) transgression severity. A total of 161 students (66 males, 95 females) from grades 7,9, and 11 (12- to 18-years of age) participated. Transgression severity was found to have the most influence on forgiveness, accounting for 70% of the variance. Adolescents were more forgiving after low-severity transgressions than high-severity transgressions. The presence of apology had a …

Characteristics And Qualities That Are Important To Middle School-Aged Students In Choosing Friends, Kristin R. Honaker-Carter

Student Work

This study investigates the characteristics that are important to middle school students when they choose their friends. The subjects for this research study are seventh, eighth, and ninth graders with ages ranging from 11-15 years old.

The population surveyed was limited to 47 middle-school aged children whose parents responded to a flyer posted in one of two college universities. The study design was a 14-question value survey using a Likert scale. The questions relate to the importance of various characteristics in choosing friends. The survey also included demographic questions pertaining to the subject’s gender, grade level, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and …

Variability In Word Learning: Phonological Sensitivity And Phonological Memory, Marnie E. Arkenberg

Student Work

Presently, investigators believe that variability in children’s word learning results from individual differences in one of two separate processes thought to underlie word learning: phonological sensitivity or phonological memory. Traditionally, researchers have viewed differences in children’s vocabularies as being the result of differences in either phonological memory or phonological sensitivity. However, there is reason to believe that a different type of relation exists among phonological sensitivity, phonological memory, and vocabulaiy. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the nature of these relations in preschoolers. Three hypotheses were presented: either phonological memory or phonological sensitivity plays a larger role in …

Cultural Differences In Self-Appraisal Of Group Task: Usage Of Group Vs. Individual Feedback, Mamiko Fujita

Student Work

The present study focused on differences in using group and individual feedback in self-evaluation of performance when engaging in a group task. Based on an established category of cultural differences, collectivistic-individualistic, Japanese and American students participated to represent each culture. The current study tested a hypothesis that Japanese students would use group feedback more heavily in evaluating their individual performances than would American students. The results did not support the hypothesis. Interestingly, the assumption that Japanese students represent collectivistic culture, and American students represent individualistic culture was not supported. According to the scale used in the study, the American participants …

The Effects Of Television On The Social Construction Of Body Images By Five- And Six-Year-Old Girls, Kristine M. Gruidl

Student Work

Television images influence individuals (Elliott and Slater, 1980). Cognitive learning theory suggests that during the first five to six years of life, children’s behavior patterns will be set (Donohue, 1975). Television has the potential to be a positive influence on learning. However, typical American media and television have been a negative influence on most children (Williams, 1981).

A 1996 study reported thirty-nine-point-one percent of first graders do not like their appearance and would change their looks, given the opportunity. It has been suggested the mass media are responsible and have taught children fat is bad and thin is good (Flannery-Schroeder …

The Douglas County Drug Court: A Comparison Of Recidivism Rates Between Drug Court Participants And Traditionally Adjudicated Drug Offenders, Erika Davis Frenzel

Student Work

Over the years there have been large increases in the number of drug offenders arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to prison. These increases have lead to an overload of the criminal justice system. This overload prompted states to develop new responses to substance use and drug-related crime. One such innovation is the drug treatment court, which combines accountability and treatment. The goal of these courts is to reduce recidivism and substance use among drug-involved criminal offenders. This study uses data from Douglas County (Nebraska) to compare recidivism rates for participants in the Douglas County Drug Court and traditionally adjudicated drug offenders. …

Development Of Commitment In Young Children's Best Friendships, Andrea L. Kelp

Student Work

Although the amount of research conducted on children’s friendships is large, the specific characteristic of friendship commitment has received little attention to date. At what age and to what extent commitment is present in children’s friendships is the main focus of this study. Students in grades 2 through 7 completed a demographic questionnaire, the Commitment and Satisfaction Scale, the Children’s Self-Efficacy for Peer Interaction Scale, The Network of Relationships Inventory, and they also responded to hypothetical vignettes. Of particular interest were the effects of children’s age, gender, friendship reciprocity, self-efficacy and friendship satisfaction on their friendship commitment levels. Analyses of …

Sedimentologic And Paleogeomorphologic Character Of The Western Beteiha Plain, Israel, Laura Baker

Student Work

The geographical problem addressed in this study was to reconstruct the paleogeography of the western Beteiha Plain, located between Bethsaida and the Sea of Galilee and determine its sedimentologic and paleogeomorphologic character. Grain size analysis of sediments, along with sediment color was used to reconstruct the landscape and identify areas such as estuaries or lagoons.

Sediment samples were collected throughout the Beteiha Plain at selected locations. Excavation and collection was accomplished with hand-driven core equipment and backhoe trenches.

The multidisciplinary approach used in this project included fieldwork for sediment collection, laboratory analysis for the production of the data necessary to …

Correlational Study Of Attachment And Self-Reported Levels Of Urges To Self-Harm And Frequency Of Self-Harming Behaviors In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Clients, Nealy Anne Vicker

Student Work

This research examined the relationships between attachment style and frequency o f suicidal ideation, urges to self-harm, and action to self-harm in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy patients. The Attachment Style Questionnaire served as the attachment measure. The Diary Cards, used in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, served as the measure for suicide ideation, urges to self-harm and action to self-harm averages. Twenty women from the Omaha YWCA and Therapy Resource Associates participated in the study. Results o f the study suggest that there was no relationship between a high score on Avoidant and Anxious/Ambivalent attachment styles and frequency of suicide ideation, urges to …

Viewing The Parent As A Person: An Individuation-Related Phenomenon, Brian Andersen

Student Work

When do adolescents start viewing the parent as a person, and what influence this process were the developmental research questions examined in this study. The participants were high school and college students, ranging in ages from 14 to 27 years, who completed three different scales: the Family Relationships Measure, the Psychological Separation Inventory, and the Emotional Autonomy Scale. Age differences were found for the Family Relationships Measure as well as the Psychological Separation Inventory. Individuation and viewing the parents as people were not related, but both measures appeared to tap separate processes that occur at similar times in development during …

The Relationship Between Cynicism And Dispositional Attributions: Examining Individual Differences Of Police Officers, Jennifer L. Weimer

Student Work

Previous research has shown that veteran police officers are more cynical than less experienced police officers. Research has also shown that veterans are more likely than less experienced officers to make dispositional attributions for the actions of suspects in interpersonal disputes. This study examined these two premises and the relationship between cynicism and attributions. Participants included 127 police officers and 70 undergraduate students who completed a cynicism scale and were then asked to read two scenarios depicting interpersonal disputes. Participants answered several questions pertaining to their attributions of responsibility and their perceptions of credibility of the suspect and the victim …

Trait Anxiety As A Moderator Of Problem Structuring Effects On Solution Generation, Judith A. Wightman

Student Work

This study investigated the effects of problem structuring and anxiety on the quantity and quality of solutions generated for ill-structured, complex problems. Trait anxiety, the tendency to feel anxious across a wide variety of situations, has been shown to impair problem solving performance in certain conditions. Trait anxiety was examined as a possible moderator of the relationship between problem structuring and solution generation. Participants were 184 undergraduate psychology students. Participants completed a trait anxiety measure (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; Spielberger, 1983) and generated solutions to an ill-structured problem, with varying levels of structuring (no objectives, one-objective-at-a-time, conflicting objectives). The quantity and …

Developmental Changes In Verbal And Imaginal Mnemonic Techniques For Serial Recall, Michelle L. Rupiper

Student Work

Children’s ability to use mnemonic techniques was investigated in first, fourth and sixth graders. Children in each age group were assigned to one of three conditions: method of loci, story mnemonic or elaborative control group. Subjects were given three recall tests. Each test was scored with and without regard to the order in which subjects recalled the words presented. Relative to the control group, both mnemonic conditions showed an advantage in memorizing lists of 20 words. However, all conditions, including the elaborative control group showed significant increases in the number of words recalled between the baseline test and recall Test …

Traits Of Instrumentality And Self-Concept As Related To Mathematical Ability In Pre-Adolescent Girls, Bridget Lee Toon

Student Work

This study examined whether the androgynous trait of instrumentality, (otherwise known as having an androgynous gender-type), and having a positive self-concept is related to higher mathematical ability in pre-adolescent girls in the seventh and eighth grades. Since participants were in both honors and average math classes, the additional variable of being in honors math versus regular math was also analyzed. There were 39 participants that were selected from Norris Middle School, which is in the Omaha Public School System. From these 39 participants, 18 were in honors math classes, while 21 were in regular math classes. The Piers-Harris Self-Concept scale …

Communication Stereotypes Of Caucasian College Students, Danna Voorhes Swartz

Student Work

This thesis examined what communication stereotypes are held by Caucasian college students. The literature review focused on defining stereotypes, the function and roles of stereotypes, how stereotypes serve as communication barriers, and findings of previous studies of stereotypes. The research question asked what are the communication stereotypes of African-Americans, Japanese-Americans and Mexican-Americans as maintained by Caucasian undergraduate college students? Participants in the study were 200 Caucasian, undergraduate students who were asked to complete a survey regarding typical communication characteristics of each group in question. The results indicated uniformity in response to Japanese- and African- Americans with less agreement on characteristics …

Stress, Stress Utilization, And Creativity, Lisa M. Kobe

Student Work

This study investigated the effects of stress on creative problem solving. It was predicted that individuals in a stressful condition would perform worse on creative problem solving tasks than individuals in a relaxed condition and worse than individuals in a stressful condition where they successfully coped with the incident. It was also predicted that when in a stressful experience, individuals who are able to acknowledge and to advantageously use the information obtained from a stressful situation (high stress utilization) would perform better on creative problem solving tasks than individuals who are not able to acknowledge and use this information (low …

Humorous Communication In Casual Work Relationships: Self-Perceptions Concerning Humor Orientation, Loneliness, And Verbal Aggressiveness, Maurizio Gagliolo

Student Work

In order to understand humor orientation, loneliness, and verbal aggressiveness better, 14 faculty members and 25 graduate students from the University of Nebraska at Omaha completed measures of humor orientation (HO), loneliness, and verbal aggressiveness (VA). These individuals were asked to have an acquaintance (as opposed to a close friend or relative) complete an adapted version o f the HO scale (HOA). Results indicated that faculty members and graduate students did not significantly differ in HO, loneliness, or HO A, however graduate students were more verbally aggressive than faculty members in 10 different questions concerning VA. No correlation was found …

The Physician/Patient Interaction: Patient Satisfaction, Communication Apprehension, And Health Locus Of Control, Darian Allicia Galyon

Student Work

The purpose of this investigation was to discover the nature of the relationships between a patient’s communication apprehension with physicians and health locus of control and his/her satisfaction with the physician/patient interaction. No significant relationship was found between communication apprehension and a patient’s health locus of control. However, a positive correlation was found between communication apprehension and overall patient satisfaction and patient satisfaction with information. Possible explanations exist for this unexpected result within the uncertainty literature, and by considering that individuals with high communication apprehension may still communicate well despite their anxiety. Statistical analysis also showed that communication apprehension predicts …

The Effects Of Choice And Ego-Involvement On Confidence Judgments, Jonathan H. Chow

Student Work

Studies on confidence judgments have generally shown that people are overconfident about their abilities or knowledge, and their confidence judgments are not well calibrated. The purpose of this study was to contribute toward a more precise and defensible version of how motivational factors interact with cognitive biases to influence confidence judgments. Review of the effect of choice on confidence judgments suggests an avenue to study the joint effect of motivational factors and cognitive biases on confidence judgments. In particular, the study investigated how motivational factors such as ego-involvement interact with cognitive biases involved in making choices to increase overconfidence in …

Information Search And Creativity: The Role Of Need For Cognition And Personal Involvement, Jody J. Illies

Student Work

The effects of type of personal involvement and need for cognition on information search behaviors and creative problem solving were investigated. It was predicted that participants who are involved through the personal relevancy of the outcome of a problem would engage in more information search behaviors and be more creative than participants who are involved through having their values and morals engaged. It was also predicted that participants high in need for cognition would engage in more information search behaviors and would be more creative than would participants low in need for cognition. Results showed that information search behaviors effectively …

Incidental Memory For Spatial Information In Young Children As A Function Of Age And Gender, Isabelle D. Cherney

Student Work

The purpose of the present study was to investigate Hasher and Zacks' (1979,1984) automaticity theory of memory for spatial location information in young children using two incidental memory tasks. A total of 96 three- and fiveyear- olds (48 boys and 48 girls) were randomly assigned to either the "manipulation condition" (MC) or the "observation condition" (OC). In order to assess task difficulty, half of the participants manipulated a total of 18 genderstereotyped animal toys (male, female, neutral) and half of the participants a total of 9. After a 2 minute filler task, the participants were instructed to return the animals …

Temporal Integration In 17- And 20-Month Old Infants As Assessed By Elicited Imitation, Rebecca M. Starr

Student Work

The present study used a unique task derived from the elicited imitation paradigm to assess temporal integration in 17- and 20-month-old infants. Experiment 1 implemented a simpler task than has previously been used in order to tap temporal integration ability in 17-month-olds. The results indicated that the performance of 17- month-olds did not improve over that of previous research (de Haan & Bauer 1997). Experiment 2 added storage and processing demands to the de Haan and Bauer task in order to assess the robustness of temporal integration ability in 20-month-olds. The results indicated that the performance of 20-month-olds did not …

Senior Outlook On Death And Dying: A Comparative Study Of Older Volunteers Serving Older Clients Versus Older Volunteers Serving Younger Clients, Charles O. Udstuen

Student Work

This thesis examines the attitudes toward death and dying held by volunteers in the Senior Companion Program as compared with those in the Foster Grandparent Program. These programs represent two distinct environments, since volunteers in the former program interact only with other senior citizens while those in the latter program interact with children. In recent years volunteerism has been studied extensively relative to the positive effects that volunteer activities have on those performing them. However, there is a lack of research on the effects of the particular surroundings in which the volunteers operate. The comparison of two groups of volunteers …

Minority As A Majority: Does It Make A Difference?, Terrance J. Taylor

Student Work

The relationship between race and crime has long been a primary concern of criminal justice researchers. Numerous studies have examined this relationship through the use of official statistics, self-reports, and victimization surveys. The results of these studies present multiple and often conflicting results. Studies examining official statistics and victimization data have generally found a significant difference in delinquency between White and minority juveniles, with minority juveniles responsible for more delinquency than White youth in terms of both incidence and seriousness. Self-report studies, on the other hand, have often found no differences between minority and White youth, or smaller differences than …