Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Softball Officials : Differences In Self-Esteem Based On Gender And Rating Status, Peggy Ann Yockey

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Officiating sport contests requires much personal control and poise, self-confidence, and a thorough knowledge of the rules and mechanics. Accepted as a part of sport, through exhibitions of improper player, coach, and spectator behavior, is criticism of officials. The impact of such criticism on the self-esteem of the official appears to be a key question and prompted this research. The study problem was to determine the gender and rating difference in self-esteem, if any, of Amateur Softball Association (A.S.A.) officials of the Greater San Joaquin Valley (GSJV) Metro. Specifically, the study compared the self-esteem level of: (1) softball officials and …

Child Language, The Emergence Of Vocal Requests For Absent Objects As A Function Of Preferred Operations And, Kay Lewis Tim

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Intellectually normal young children learn to request absent but needed objects which they are able to name. The primary focus of my study of child language in context was to assess the motivational effect of operation or stimulus preference on Lhe rate of toy request acquisition and the formation of stimulus classes (stimulus equivalences) . Of 13 21- to 37- month-old day-care children screened for generalized request responses (novel requests) , 1 girl and 4 boys participated in the training program because they were unable to request. Two of 4 children who completed training showed some support for the effect …

Children's Self-Efficacy And Perceived Problem-Solving Skills, An Investigation Of Parental Communication Styles, Deborah Rae Wolfersberger-Melcher

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

A number of studies have investigated the factors that lead to peer acceptance in children. Particularly, the problem-solving skills of accepted and unaccepted children have been examined, with differences being substantiated. The present study investigated the possibility that problem-solving skill differences may be attributed to varying self-efficacy levels in children. Further, the communication styles of parents of high vs. low self-efficacy children were examined by observing parent/child interactions in a problem-solving situation. The results indicated that children did not differ in their ability to identify effective solutions to problems; rather, they did differ in their perceived ability to engage in …

Personality And Television Program Preference, Scott Joseph Patterson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The first step in this process is to define what is implied by the term "Uses and Gratifications" and to elaborate on current perspectives of the uses and gratifications paradigm in order to understand the need for the present research. As the second step in this process. a discussion of the variable of audience personality will be explored in order to describe why some of the people exhibit different preferences for different television program content. The end result of this discussion on personality and program preference will be a contribution to the body or heuristic knowledge surrounding the reasons for …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Parents In Sacramento County Who Choose Home Schooling For Their Children, Elizabeth Louise Knopf

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to (1) investigate the reasons parents in Sacramento County choose home schooling for their child(ren); (2) describe selected characteristics of the parents; (3) describe selected characteristics of their child(ren); (4) describe the educational programs used in the home schools; (5) describe the perceptions home schooling parents have of local public school administrators; and (6) describe the commitment these parents have to home schooling. Method. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data. The population used in this study was 117 families who either filed a private school affidavit with the Sacramento County Office …

The Effects Of Group Treatment On The Self-Concepts Of Sexually Abused Children And Adolescents, Shiromanie A. Perera

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study attempted to evaluate the effects of the group treatment component of the Santa Clara County Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Program on the self-concepts of child and adolescent victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse. The Piers-Harris self-concept inventory was used to measure self-concept. The four groups of participants included 42 girls, (a) 10 who had been abused but had not received treatment, (b) 9 who had received 15 weeks of treatment, (c) 9 who had received 1-2 years of treatment, and (d) 14 in a non-abused comparison group. Results indicated that there was a significant difference between the abused, non-treated …

The Effect Of Headphone Music On Exercise Compliance, Gayle Ann Laszewski

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

A study was designed to assess the effect of headphone music on running performance and enjoyment with its implications for increasing exercise compliance. A counterbalanced split-plot design was used with 18 University of the Pacific undergraduates receiving both treatment conditions: running with music and running without music. Measures included: (a) perceived enjoyment questionnaire scores; (b) running time; and (c) heart rate. It was expected that music would increase participants' rated running enjoyment, amount of time spent running, and also running intensity or heart rate, in comparison to running without music. Music significantly increased participants' rated enjoyment scores but not running …

The Efficacy Of Visual Telephony As A Means Of Social Support In Socially Isolated Nuring Home Residents, Tamera L. Elkins

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Nursing home residents often experience loneliness and social isolation. Research indicates that visitation via the telephone can decrease feelings of social isolation and loneliness. The purpose of this study was to introduce visual images to the telephone conversations of this population. It was hypothesized that the residents receiving this intervention would evidence decreased levels of loneliness and a greater sense of social support. This hypothesis was not supported by the data; however, emotional and social loneliness scores did show positive trends that may have been due to the intervention.

Women's Perception Of Fashion Comparing Viewers And Non-Viewers Of Evening Soap Operas : The Cultivation Effect, Elliot Paul Bloom

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The cultivation effect is defined as the distorted view of reality which results from the heavy viewing exposure to a certain type of programming content. The assumption behind the cultivation hypothesis is that the more hours an individual exposes himself or herself to a particular type of program content. the more the individual's view of reality will be consistent with the "reality" shown in the program.

It is no mystery that for the past half-century, millions of Americans have made the broadcast soap opera a daily habit. In response to the heavy interest exhibited by this strong audience, social scientists …

The Use Of A Color Code System To Promote Compliance To Diet Information, Linda Rae Sparlin

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The use of color coded prompts to influence students' food selections in choosing a balanced meal was investigated. Yellow, green, blue, and orange dots, representing the four major food groups, grains, fruit and vegetables, dairy, and meat respectively were displayed at the point-of-selection on food entree cards along the serving line of a college dining hall. Two grain servings, two fruit/vegetable servings, one dairy serving, and one meat serving, were suggested as the optimal combination for a balanced meal. The results indicated that the prompts, although noticed and understood by the majority of the students, did not significantly influence their …

Improving Medication Compliance With Mentally Disabled Outpatients: A Thesis ..., Nicole Gabrielle Miller

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining medication packaging, verbal and graphical feedback, and pill count probes on increasing medication compliance. Eight chronic adult outpatients were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) a regimen card medication packaging system, and (b) a 7- day baggie medication packaging system. A staggered group treatment design was used to ascertain whether either of the two special packaging systems was effective relative to baseline and reversal conditions (using the standard medication vial) in increasing medication compliance behavior among both over-and undercompliant outpatients. Results indicated that the use of the special packaging of …

Visually Displayed-Emg Biofeedback : Training Muscle Relaxation In Hearing Impaired Children :A Thesis ..., Cheryl Renee Bene

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to test the use of visually displayed EMG biofeedback as a means for training hearing impaired adolescents to reduce anterior temporalis or frontalis muscle tension . Five male and four female hearing impaired students between the ages of 13 and 15 were chosen from the California School for the Deaf, Fremont, CA to serve as participants. Each participant was randomly assigned to either an experimental or control condition. Participants in the experimental groups were given five 15 minute EMG biofeedback training sessions. An additional group of 4 adolescents with normal hearing from Marshall …

Social Judgment Research Applied Toward Estimating Factors Relevant To Dui Offenders' Intentions To Drink And Drive: A Factorial Survey Approach, Daniel Elvin Dunlap

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was fourfold: (1) to measure the extent to which select circumstances weighed in driving-under-the-influence (DUI) offenders' intentions to drive after drinking; (2) to assess the impact of formal sanction, informal sanction, and moral inhibition with respect to intentions to drive after drinking; (3) to investigate the likelihood of each of fourteen rationalizations to represent a justification to drive after drinking; and (4) to examine possible associations between DUI offender characteristics and the factors indicated above. The offender characteristics of age, prior DUI offenses, and motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol were statistically significant, yet showed negligible …

Development Of Data Base Software To Facilitate Instrument Selection In The Adapted Physical Education Assessment Process, Charles Jay Anema

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study discussed in this thesis was to compile adapted physical education assessment instrument information into a matrix which matches test categories with parameters appropriate to the selection of a specific assessment instrument. From this matrix, a data base software program was developed. Use of the data base software program and thesis will enable the adapted physical educator to select a proper assessment instrument.

An Analysis Of Health Related Physical Fitness Measurements And Absenteeism Of Employees Participating In Worksite Wellness Program, Kristen Elizabeth Birtwhistle

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical fitness and absenteeism comparisons between exercising and non-exercising employees who participate in worksite wellness program.

Retention Of Content Material As A Function Of Mode Of Presentation And Preconceived Degree Of Difficulty, Richard S. Velayo

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The effects of the mode of presentation and the preconceived degree of difficulty on the retention of academic content material were measured. The design of the experiment was a 6 x 3 x 2 split-plot factorial. The levels for the mode of presentation were: (a) print-only, (b) pictorial-plus-print, (c) audio only, (d) pictorial-plus-audio, (e) print-plus-audio, and (f) pictorial-plus-print-plus-audio. The levels for the preconceived degree of difficulty were: (a) very easy, (b) neutral, and (c) very difficult. The participants were 112 undergraduate students (24 males, 88 females) randomly assigned to the experimental conditions. The dependent variables were the immediate and delayed …