Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Use Of A Job Model With Self-Recording And Performance Information As An Alternative To On-Site Supervision, Mark Kevin Forbes

Masters Theses

The action goal of the study was to reduce performance deficits of relief employees who operated a Group Home, though use of a Job Model, self-recording, and performance information. The research goal was to ascertain if generalization occurred from performance accomplishments targeted by the intervention to accomplishments not targeted. Overall performance means increased over 34 percentage points for subjects following the Job model intervention and rose further after self-recording and feedback were introduced. The use of a partial Job Model resulted in performance improving or maintaining in five of six nontargeted accomplishments. When Subject A received the Job Model, self-recording, …

Performance Feedback And Its Relationship To Goal Setting, Douglas A. Nicola

Masters Theses

This study illustrated the effect of information feedback and goal setting on production efficiency. Two male machine operators (ages 29 and 54) working on a low efficiency press were selected for the study. Operators were initially given efficiency information following individual production runs. The next phase involved providing efficiency information and a request that they set efficiency goals for each run. These goals were noted by the researcher and compared with the actual results. In a final phase, high efficiency goals were prompted by the researcher, compared to actual results, and shown to the subjects following each run. Results showed …

The Differential Effects Of Three Job-Related Manipulations On The Task Performance Of Movie Theatre Employees, Raymond Douglas Bennett

Masters Theses

This study examined task checklist use (self-recording with accuracy monitoring and performance standards with performance monitoring) in a program designed to increase task performance of movie theatre employees. A multiple baseline design across tasks was employed. Accuracy of self-recording averaged 68% when the checklists were first introduced alone and increased to an average of 93% when feedback for task performance and recording accuracy was implemented. Employee task performance averaged 48% for Baseline and 92% for the final condition. The introduction of task checklists alone was followed by a mean performance increase of 18%. The introduction of self-recording and supervisory comments …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Participation, Expected Payment, And No Expected Payment On Clerical Performance, James Theodore Austin

Masters Theses

Seventeen psychology students participated in a group comparison of the effects of participative decision making, defined as subject decision making in three areas of the experiment, expected payment, and no expected payment on performance of a repetitive scanning task. Measures of performance quantity and quality were assessed directly, while satisfaction and manipulation checks were evaluated via selfreport. Clerical pretest scores were used as covariates in an analysis of covariance, which revealed no significant differences on the quantity dimension but-highly significant differences (p = .03) for quality (error) performance. The findings, which may have been biased by an experimenter "instruction" effect, …

The Design And Evaluation Of An Information System For Assessing Performance Appraisal Practices, James Michael Naughton

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Christianity And Delinquency: A Study Of Religiosity And Delinquency Involvement, Brenda T. King

Masters Theses

Much of the previous research on the relationship between religiosity and juvenile delinquency suggests that religiosity does not deter its adherents from moving toward anti-social behavior. Using a quite narrow definition of Christian, this conclusion was tested. Three questions were posed: (1) Does knowledge of religious status aid in predicting delinquency?: (2) Do Christians engage in less delinquency?; and (3) Do Christians with higher levels of religious commitment engage in less delinquency? The answer to each question is "No." There is very little difference between Christian and non-Christian delinquency patterns. The only significant difference uncovered was with life time delinquency …

An Investigation Of The Instructional Communicator Style Expectations Of Nontraditional And Traditional Male And Female Undergraduate Students, Chryl Irvine Snyder

Masters Theses

Increasing numbers of nontraditional students, many of them women, are enrolling in college and university classes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the instructional communicator style expectations of nontraditional and traditional male and female undergraduate students. Students were asked to rate their own preferences on a variety of items designed to reflect instructional communicator styles. The researcher looked for differences in student expectations of their "ideal teachers" based on age and sex.

Nontraditional students rated the precise style of instructional communication higher than the traditional students who gave higher ratings to the friendly, open, dominant, and contentious styles. …

Vantage Level Analysis: A Potential Tool For Reducing Conflict In A Labor Union, Pamela S.F. Shevchik

Masters Theses

Intra-group conflict among employees can cause a break in the organizational communication which could affect productivity. A major problem is locating the specific disagreements among the coworkers to find the source of conflict and increase the likelihood that a basis for reducing conflict can be found.

This study used the Gilbert (1978) vantage level analysis as a method of sorting agreements and disagreements in a conflicting labor union. The setting was a clerical union in a public school system which was subdivided into three conflicting subgroups. There were 70 female support personnel involved. Data collected demonstrated that it is possible …

The Effects Of Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales As Antecedent And Consequent Stimuli Upon Instructional Behaviors In A Special Education Setting, Dennis L. Van Hartesvelt

Masters Theses

The present study was an attempt to determine the effects of the Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) upong three distinct instructional behaviors when presented before instructional sessions and when presented after instructional sessions. A multiple baseline design across behaviors was used with four subjects with a reversal element used with one of those subjects. A slight positive effect of BARS presentation upon instructional behaviors occurred. No significant differences were observed between preinstructional and postinstructional BARS presentation. The relevance of the present study is explored in relation to previous BARS studies, along with the implications of the present study.

Quality Control: A Behavioral Perspective, Cathy L. Thorne

Masters Theses

Because of the high costs of quality, many disciplines have developed techniques to assist in its control. This paper examines quality control from a behavioral perspective by analyzing how behaviors affecting may be acquired and maintained and examining some common quality interventions. It is concluded that the application of the principles of behavior analysis can assist in providing an effective quality control technology which can benefit individual employees and the organization as a whole.

The Perceived Effectiveness Of The Borgess Human Assistance Program As Measured By A Checklist Of Key Components, Kevin G. Clark

Masters Theses

This study investigated the success and perceived effectiveness of an employee assistance program. Phase I consisted of interviewing representatives of the ten companies that were the most frequent users of the program. Phase II examined the program's annual report. The results were tabulated and compared to a checklist of key components which gauge the effectiveness of a successful employee assistance program (Egdahl and Walsh, 1980). The evidence indicated that the program operates in accord with Egdahl and Walsh's checklist.

Analysis Of The Prehistoric Settlement Pattern Survey Project In The Lower Kalamazoo River Valley: The 1978 And 1979 Field Seasons, Deborah K. Rhead

Masters Theses

Western Michigan University's Settlement Pattern Survey, Implemented in the Spring of 1978 under the direction of Or. Elizabeth Garland, is an intensive problem-oriented survey aimed at discerning patterns of prehistoric settlement in Allegan County, Michigan. This thesis is based on the analysis of the Settlement Pattern Survey data for the 1978 and 1979 seasons. The use of sampling strategies in archaeology and corresponding problems with analytical statistics is examined with particular reference to the Settlement Pattern Survey Project. The application of cluster analysis to the Settlement Pattern Survey project 1s also discussed. As a result of this analysis, distinct patterns …

The Effects Of Three Instructional Strategies On The Food Group Labeling Responses In Preschool Children, Jon Jeffery Boes

Masters Theses

This study compared three Direct Instruction procedures for teaching the labeling of food in terms of the five basic food groups (fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, and dairy products). Eighteen preschoolers served as subjects. They were randomly assigned to three experimental groups and a control group. The experimental group was assigned to one of the following instructional procedures: (1) Generative I, (2) Generative II, (3) Generative III. The sets of exercises in the procedures were taught as one track in a Direct Instruction program designed to teach nutrition knowledge. All other exercises in the program were identical for the three experimental …

Cardio-Vascular Conditioning In Pre-School Children, Patricia Anne Cole

Masters Theses

The effects of a changing criteria token economy system and a self-recording procedure on the duration and accuracy of pre-school children's distance running behavior are examined. In the first study, the use of tokens contingent on gradually longer duration of running times increased the length of time children would run, to twelve minutes, a clinically significant duration. In the second study, the use of package intervention that included a self-recording device and contingent tokens increased the accuracy with which preschoolers followed directions to run a specified number of laps. Tokens alone also increased the accuracy of lap running, but not …

Significance Evaluation And Research Potential Of Prehistoric Sites In Thunder Basin National Grassland, Wyoming, Christopher A. Cojeen

Masters Theses

Known and potential prehistoric archeological sites in Thunder Basin National Grassland in Wyoming are examined and problems involved in significance evaluation are discussed. Emphasis is placed upon the need to develop research strategies to contend with two frequently encountered site types -- lithic scatters and stone circles. Some archeologists (Frison 1978; Tibesar et al. 1987) have suggested that further research on these site types would contribute substantially to an understanding to an understanding of High Plains prehistory. In conclusion, a recent attempt to develop a conceptual basis for prehistoric study in Thunder Basin National Grassland is discussed, and some regional …

The Use Of Twilight Training In The Treatment Of Cigarette Smoking Behavior, John Joseph Seltenreich

Masters Theses

This study involved the application of a relatively new biofeedback training procedure known as twilight training to the treatment of cigarette smoking behavior. Twilight training is the facilitation of a state of low arousal, whereupon audio material designed to affect the health of the subject is presented. Two subjects received training, and the results showed no change in their frequency of smoking and no ability to enhance the twilight state with training. Although the amount of training received differed between the two subjects, there were no differences noted between them. Possible reasons for present results and probable changes for future …

On The Effects Of Mixed Fi-Dro And Mixed Ri-Rdro Schedules On Rats' Lever Pressing, Marcelo Jose Villareal

Masters Theses

Rats' lever pressing was studied in two experiments involving mixed schedules with equivalent interval and differential-reinforcementof- other-behavior components. It was observed that temporal stimuli controlled latency times when fixed temporal criteria were used, that this control weakened as temporal criteria were increased from 3 to 7 to 15 seconds, and that it was usually weak regarding interresponse times. The mean number of lever presses per trial was likely to increase in the process, although ulterior decreases were apparent for two of the seven subjects. When random temporal criteria (approximately averaging 8 seconds) replaced fixed ones, the response rate increased. Rapid …

The Effects Of Contingent Shock On Cigarette Smoking Behavior: An Attempt To Replicate, Marianne M. Narick

Masters Theses

This experiment attempted to replicate previously reported research (DeRicco, Brigham, and Garlington, 1977) which demonstrated smoking suppression using contingent shock. A multiple-baseline across subjects design was employed to assess experimental control. A heterogeneous group of five males and two females ranging in age from 19 to 61 years, participated in the experiment. Subjects attended 30 minute treatment sessions conducted 5 days per week, Monday thru Friday, where 25 shocks were delivered on an unpredictable, variable interval schedule contingent upon the subject lighting a cigarette, holding a burning cigarette and/or smoking a cigarette. Treatment continued for a minimum of 3 weeks …

The Effects Of Pre And Post-Performance Review Goal Setting On Subsequent Job Performance In A Human Services Setting, Christie L. Kleinhuizen

Masters Theses

Researchers investigating the effects, of performance appraisals and. goal setting techniques have focused on laboratory (rather than field) settings and/or have relied on self-report or anecdotal data to draw their conclusions. The major objectives of the present study were to examine the effects of 1) goal setting on actual job performance in a community organizational setting and 2) performance appraisals on both subsequent job performance and goals set. Two male and two female counselors in a residential treatment center served as subjects in the study which utilized a multiple baseline design. The performance of l8 repetitive administrative/custodial tasks were measured …

Political Leadership And National Development In The Republic Of Korea, Woo-Sung Koh

Masters Theses

This thesis has attempted quantitatively to establish a positive relationship between political leadership and national development in South Korea during the period from 1948 to 1982.

The major concepts used in this study are political leader (President or Prime Minister), task elite (Cabinet Minister), and national development (political stability and socio-economic development). The social background data of the South Korean cabinet ministers were obtained from newspapers, journal articles, and biographical dictionaries.

Since the inception of the Republic of Korea in 19^8, the various regimes have contributed to bring about South Korea's success with national development. However, their records have varied. …

The Detection Of Behavioral Effects In The F1 Generation Of Mice Treated During Spermatogenesis With Mitcmycin C And Ethyl-Nitrosourea, Bethel Elizabeth Imel

Masters Theses

Groups of 10, 8 and 6 HA(1CR) adult male mice were injected by a single intraperitoneal injection with 100 mg Ethyl-Nitrosourea, 2.5 mg Mitomcyin C or a saline Control. Treatment was administered in milligram per kilogram of body weight. Each male was mated to two untreated females during the fifth week after treatment. Progeny were evaluated by observations of reproduction, development, motor reflex, motor coordination and locomotor activity. Decreased weights were seen during the preweaning period among offspring from Mitomycin C treated males. The Mitomycin C group demonstrated consistent deficits in water escape performance. Mitomycin C progeny also exhibited one …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Among Rhetorical Sensitivity, Communication Apprehension, And Nonverbal Decoding Ability, Mary Aileen Palanca

Masters Theses

This study explored the potential relationship which might exist among rhetorical sensitivity, communication apprehension, and nonverbal decoding ability. Three measuring instruments, the Rhetorical Sensitivity Scale, the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, and the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity, were administered to 109 participants, 68 females and 41 males. Gender and age were examined to see what effect they might have on the potential relationship. No relationship was found among rhetorical sensitivity, communication apprehension, and nonverbal decoding ability. In addition, no relationship was found between gender and the three variables or between age and the three variables. However, it is important to …

Sex Differential Responding In Preschool Teachers: A Foundation For A Functional Analysis, Joanne Kimak

Masters Theses

This observational study investigated whether there was consistent sex differential treatment of children by preschool teachers. It measured the antecedents and consequences of responses made by children to certain problematic situations often present in free-play situations. The subjects were five paraprofessional teachers in a university affiliated preschool. In five classrooms, observers recorded the occurrence of aggression, accident, and object problems, the Various children's responses to these problems, and the teacher response to the children. The data were analyzed to determine if the teachers were responding differentially on the basis of the sex of the child and if there were sex …

The Effects Of Intermittent Schedules Of Reinforcement On The Generation Of Adjunctive Behavior In Humans, Kenneth L. Hearn

Masters Theses

The primary goals of this study were: (1) to determine if interim behaviors occur with humans responding under intermittent schedules of reinforcement; -and, (2) if interim behaviors do occur, to compare the characteristics of those behaviors with the characteristics of adjunctive behavior in nonhumans. Two developmentally disabled males, ages 15 and 19, served as subjects. The subjects pressed a white panel for food, tokens and plastic objects under several schedules of reinforcement. The response rate on the white panel and the duration of interim behaviors that occurred during the inter-reinforcement intervals was measured using standard electro-mechanical equipment. All behaviors were …

Pastoral Production Systems In Eastern Africa: A Comparative Analysis, Stephen Speranza

Masters Theses

This thesis aims at examining variations in pastoral production systems of some Eastern African pastoral societies. It explores interactive models for such variations which focus on specific ecological, socioeconomic and social-structural factors of pastoral production per se. These models highlight some of the factors which create differing degrees of homogeneity or heterogeneity among Eastern African pastoral societies in general.

This problem is of intrinsic interest in anthropology because of the general lack of consensus as to the major factors related to pastoral variations in Eastern Africa or more importantly, in determining which factors are directly responsible for influencing modes of …

A Study Of The Differences In And The Interrelationships Between Self-Concept, Personality Constructs, Irrationality And Social Anxiety In Two Different Populations Of Alcoholics, David D. Smith

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in self-concept, physical self-concept, personality constructs, irrationality and social anxiety in two populations of alcoholics differing in length of sobriety. The interrelationships between the aforementioned variables were also examined. Multivariate analysis of individual test means was unable to demonstrate a difference between groups. Discriminative analysis found Identity and Physical Self subscales from the Tennessee Self Concept Scale were able to discriminate between groups. The Hysteria scale from the MMPI was found to have discriminative value. Scales from the Irrational Belief Test, Body Characteristic Scale, and the social anxiety tests were …

The Political Philosophy Of John Rawls: An Examination Of His View Of Man And Social Stability In The Just Society, Calvin Jay Mouw

Masters Theses

The thesis constitutes a critical examination of Rawl's psychological assumptions in A Theory of Justice. Rawl's psychological theory, derived from Rousseau and Kohlberg and characterized by his "Sense of Justice", depends upon overly altruistic assumptions about man's nature. These assumptions, along with resultant high levels of public motivation, lead to a high degree of social instability. Rawls fails to address this instability adequately.

The alternative model developed in this thesis takes as given the demonstrated ability of human beings to cooperate with one another and bases this capacity, in the tradition of Hume, on a mechanism of sympathy which brings …

A Staff Training Program To Change Target Behaviors: Acquisition, Transfer, And Effects Of Behavior Management Training With Paraprofessionals, Patricia D. Foster

Masters Theses

This study assessed the direct and transferred effects of a training package consisting of written rules, modeling, role playing, and vocal verbal feedback on the behavior management skills of three paraprofessional staff and evaluated the resulting impact o f these techniques on the maladaptive behaviors of severely multiply impaired adults. A multiple baseline across three instructional situation types (a transition period in which staff were not assigned to a particular pupil, a group instructional session in which one staff was assigned to three pupils, and an individual instructional session in which each staff was assigned to one pupil) was utilized. …

Jesuit Rings From Fort Michilimackinac And Other European Contact Sues, Judith Ann Hauser

Masters Theses

An in-depth search of historical documentation and archaeological references indicates that there exists very little information on Jesuit rings. The primary references were statements in the Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents which strongly suggest that Jesuit rings were used as religious items by missionaries in the area known as New France.

Cleland (1972) hypothesizes that changes in the design, quality, and production of the rings over a 60 year period Indicate that the rings were used as trade items. .Very little has been published on this subject but there is some support for this hypothesis.

The largest number of rings …

The Lasalle Ossuary: An Osteological Analysis, Cheryl Lee Puskarich

Masters Theses

An ossuary consisting of 53 individuals from the single component, Late Woodland Wolf Phase site of LaSalle in northern Ohio is analyzed with respect to paleodemography, paleopathology, and metric and non-metric variants. Because of the small sample size, a limited amount of paleodemografrhic information was obtainable. It was determined, however, that approximately 32 adults and 21 subadults were present. Of the 21 sexable mature specimens, 61.9% (13) were ascertained to be males, while 38.1% (8) were classified as females employing the femoral shaft circumference technique of Black. Postcranial lesions most frequently observed were diagnosed as resulting from trauma (fractures and …