Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Management Guide For Early Childhood Programs, Cathy S. Jording

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Relying upon many years of experience as an early childhood educator and consultant, and utilizing examples of programs and forms during the past thirteen years while serving as the Director of Peace Lutheran Preschool/Kindergarten in Owensboro, Kentucky, and as a regional/national early childhood consultant. The author has proposed a manuscript whose purpose is to assist early childhood professionals in the development and implementation of quality, needs-appropriate preschool programs.

The eleven chapters are divided into seven areas of concern: program survey, development, purpose, regulation requirements, administration, financing, enrollment, curriculum and day-care. (Within each area are varied appropriate methods of implementation relating …

Pre-Lent Celebrations: Shrovetide & Carnival, Eleonore Mitchell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The history of pre-Lent celebrations is traced through the presentation, comparison, and evaluation of the main theses of origin held by Shrovetide and Carnival scholars. It is determined that the question whether the festivals are of pagan or Christian origin is not important for the analysis of their present-day significance. Their vitality stems first of all from the general importance of celebration for humans to define themselves in a setting in which they can perform, act, and behave in non-traditional ways that cannot be transferred to everyday life. However, the festivals' uniqueness can be defined through two main characteristics: (I) …

Development Of A Weighted Application Blank For The Carryout Clerk Classification In A Large Retail Organization, Linda Gabbard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Weighted Application Blank to predict turnover for use as a selection tool for a large retail organization. Utilizing the England (1971) procedure, it was hypothesized that significant derivation and cross-validities would be obtained. The hypothesis was partially supported: the derivation validity coefficient was significant (r = .28, p < .01) and the resulting cross-validity coefficient was net significant (r = 19, p < .05). The results and recommendations for implementation of the WAB are discussed.

A Relational Analysis Of Patients' Perceptions Of Physicians' Noverbal Immediacy & Patients' Satisfaction With Their Physicians, Stuart Schrader

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines the relationship between patients' perception of physicians' nonverbal immediacy and patients' satisfaction with their physicians. Using a newly designed scale tor measuring nonverbal immediacy and patients' satisfaction with their physicians, the researcher tested one hundred and eighty-nine patients of six southern, male, caucasian doctors to determine if a significant correlation exists between composite scores. These doctors practice in Southern Kentucky, specializing as internists, general practitioners, and family practitioners. Both scales use a composite measure based on the summation of all twelve questions within the scale. Data analysis included reliability coefficients, factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, Pearson correlations, …

The Effect Of Sex, Gender Identity, & Sex Of Story Characters On The Assessment Of Moral Development, Cathy Frey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study investigated the three areas associated with sex bias in Kohlberg's theory of moral development --sex, gender identification, and sex of story characters. The Defining Issues Test (DIT: Rest,1986a), a measure of moral development derived from Kohlberg's theory, was used in its original form and two revised forms (Male and Female versions) to determine the effects of sex and sex of story characters on the assessment of moral development. The Bem Sex -Role Inventory (Bem, 1981) was used to classify subjects as either sex -typed or androgynous to determine whether sex -role identification affects the assessment moral development. …

The Effect Of Social Context & Group Decision Making Formats On An Evaluative Task, Joyce Bowers

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of the literature on decision making indicated a lack of research attention given to the effects of the dynamics of the social context surrounding participation on decision outcomes. The present study examined the relationship between social context and group decision making formats, and its implications for the effective implementation of group participation in decision making The effectiveness of three decision -making formats, the nominal technique, the interacting technique, and the consensus technique, were compared under conditions of cooperation and competition on the three decision effectiveness dimensions of quality, acceptance, and synergy.

Two-hundred and forty-eight undergraduate students, working in …

Spatial Vision: Age And Practice, James Pasley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous studies have shown that practice can improve adults’ ability to discriminate between two similar high frequency spatial patterns. Adults trained on this task also demonstrated significant improvement on a standard acuity test which is dependent on high frequency information. The aim of this study was to extend the range of training patterns to low (1.7 c/deg) and middle (4.0 c/deg.) spatial frequencies, and to determine if practice in a similar spatial frequency discrimination task would transfer to other spatial tasks dependent on low frequency information. Fourteen subjects in three age groups (young, middle and old) were tested before and …

Sex Role Orientation And Self-Esteem Of Female Varsity Athletes, Recreational Athletes And Nonathletes, Jo Ann Utley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between athletic participation, sex role orientation and self-esteem has received little attention from researchers and the relationship of these variables among females has not received as much attention as it has among males. It has been theorized that participation in sports, particularly team sports, may effect an increase in self-esteem due to increased positive body image and tend to “masculinize” women and/or attract females who possess or value more masculine traits and behaviors.

To address these issues, a comparison of sex role orientation and level of self-esteem was made with female varsity athletes, recreational athletes and nonathletes at …

Adolescent Smoking Status And Socioeconomic Dependence On The Tobacco Crop In Southeastern Kentucky, Gregory Colwell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to quantify the relationship between adolescent smoking and economic dependence on the tobacco crop. A survey of 1322 students from a random sample of all secondary schools in four counties in southeastern Kentucky was performed. The survey gathered information concerning smoking behavior and social variables. Chi-square analysis was performed to assess the relationships between these variables in students from families who worked with tobacco and families who did not.

Chi square analysis of female adolescent smoking behavior revealed a significant association between the instances of adolescent smoking and age, friend smoking status and sibling …

Effect Of Parent Training On Parents' Level Of Depression & Sense Of Competence As Measured By The Psi, G. Lamar Roth

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how parent training reduced the level of depression and increased the level of sense of competence experienced by parents who perceive their child to have at least one behavior problem. Twenty-five mothers participated in 3 training groups. Two of the groups served as experimental groups and the third group served as a control group. The materials presented to the experimental group were a combination of behavioral and humanistic/Adlerian approaches to parenting (Clark, 1985). The participants were administered the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) (Abidin, 1986) before and after treatment. The data for the …

Using Risk Factors To Predict Drug Use In A College Population, Gregory Leopold

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for the model that the greater number of risk factors experienced by an individual, the greater the drug use. A series of questionnaires including a parental nurturance scale, the PRIDE College Drug Use Prevalence Questionnaire, a delinquency scale, the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale, a modification of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, and the Johns Hopkins Symptom Checklist were administered to 235 college students. The series of questionnaires measured ten risk factors used in the study that included high perceived distance from parents, early tobacco use, low religiosity, low academic motivation, sensation …

The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Abbreviated: A Validity Study, Beverly Moore

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of a 25-item abbreviated version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (Richardson & Suinn, 1972). Convergent and discriminant properties of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale -Abbreviated (Alexander, Cobb, & Martray, 1986), as well as its sensitivity to individual differences were examined.

Convergent validity was examined by studying the correlation between the two math anxiety scales, the MARS -A and the Fennema-Sherman Math Anxiety scale (FSMA). Discriminant validity was examined by studying the correlations between: (a) the MARS-A and a test anxiety scale (TAI), and (b) between the MARS -A and …

Misattribution Of Interpersonal Attraction: A Case Of Mistaken Chemistry Or Cognition, William John Bowman Ii

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Prior research endorsed two theories of misattribution of interpersonal attraction. Both the two-component theory and the excitation transfer theory demonstrate misattribution and, in combination, enhance the probability of misattribution. However, which theory provides the primary source of misattribution has not been distinguished. The present study asked 60 undergraduate males to rate their interpersonal attraction toward a female in a video recording engaging in self disclosure. A manipulation of different levels of environmental saliency and physiological arousal was used to determine which condition or combination of conditions is most likely to elicit misattribution of interpersonal attraction. An analysis of variance followed …

Factors Affecting Tolerance Of Abuse In Abused & Non-Abused Women, Karen Wright

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A review of theory and research on spouse abuse identified sex-role socialization and past experiences with abuse as possible factors contributing to women's tolerance of abusive relationships. The current study of 151 college women attempted to identify factors predictive of tolerance of abuse which could identify women at risk of becoming abused. It was hypothesized that significantly more abused than non-abused women would be classified as feminine on the Bern Sex Role Inventory (Bern, 1974) and that previous experiences with abuse would be related to greater tolerance of abuse as measured by the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS); (Straus, 1979). Neither …

Effects Of Gender & Body Size On Ratings Of Physically Demanding Task Performance, Carolyn Hill

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of gender and body size on ratings of physical performance and effort. Participants (N=250) viewed the videotaped performance of one of four actors (large man, small man, large woman, and small woman) lifting, moving, and stacking 25 pound bags of feed. However, instead of containing feed, the bags contained a light weight (three pound) packing material. Participants rated the actor's performance either immediately or one week after viewing the videotape. Although the actual performances were identical, a 2 (Gender) x 2 (Body Size) x 2 (Time of Rating) ANOVA revealed …

Folk Custom As A Barometer Of Social Change In A Tennessee Community, Chad Berry

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Using the techniques of oral history, residents of the Cypress Creeks area of southwestern middle Tennessee were questioned about their perceptions of the social change since 1940. In that year, the National Park Service hired men in the area to help snake out logs for the Natchez Trace Parkway's right-of-way. For most men in the area, the temporary positions on the Trace were the first "public" jobs they ever had. After these positions were no longer needed, outmigration brought residents north to factory-cities; thus, the building of the parkway remains a watershed in residents' memories as the benchmark when change …

Eliminating Sex Bias Through Rater Cognitive Processes Training, Carter Ard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The success of Rater Cognitive Processes Training as a strategy for eliminating sex bias in ratings of performance in a physically demanding job was investigated in the present study. One hundred undergraduate students from a mid -sized regional university served as subjects. The independent variables were type of training and sex of the ratee. resulting in a two by two factorial design. The dependent variable was the performance ratings assigned by the subjects. Subjects in the experimental condition were trained to recognize the important dimensions of performance for the lob of feed handler and received one Practice/feedback session. Subjects in …

Displays Of Culture: Personal Museums In Wisconsin, Mary Zwolinski

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fieldwork was undertaken in the state of Wisconsin to document and interpret privately owned and displayed collections. Collections were comprised of various types of objects, most commonly artworks created and/or collected by the collection owners. These collections often take on an environmental scope, occupying private spheres such as collection owners' homes or outbuildings. An examination of environmental type collections that are housed in bars was also undertaken.

Collections of this specific type are culturally and locally significant. The objects in the collections and the collection owners address and provide important information on such local or regional subjects as history, local …