Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of John Foster Dulles And Henry A. Kissinger And The Impact Their Personalities Had On The Formulation Of American Foreign Policy, Denis Joseph Sullivan

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the impact of personality on the making of American foreign policy. John Foster Dulles and Henry A. Kissinger dominated the American foreign policy process. Their performance allows the political analyst to study the relationship between personality and policy-making.

What follows is a study of John Foster Dulles and Henry Kissinger, their personal background and development, and especially the problems they faced as presidential advisors. Both men were challenged by wars in the Middle East. These Middle East conflicts are here presented as case studies and they reveal how each of these figures met the test. Efforts are …

The Applicability Of The "Best Books For Young Adults" List As A Book Selection Tool In Public High Schools In A Three County Area, Ricki Hemenway Chowning

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to gather statistical evidence to determine attitudes toward the "Best Books for Young Adults" booklist as a positive selection tool for book selectors in public high schools in a three county area. The survey method was used to investigate attitudes towards the list and specific collection holdings of titles recommended by the "Best Books for Young Adults." Data were collected through questionnaires to book selectors in twenty-five high schools in Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties. Results of the survey indicate that book selectors are ambivalent toward the list, and that selection patterns correlated slightly …

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 …

An Analysis Of Residential Camp Site Structure !Or Two Early Archaic Assemblages From Rose Island (40mr44), Tennessee, Larry R. Kimball

Masters Theses

The site structure of two Early Archaic period assemblages is defined through spatial analysis of artifact and facility distributions at the Rose Island site (40MR44) in the lower Little Tennessee River valley. These assemblages derive from well controlled excavation of deeply buried alluvial deposits attributable to LeCroy (c. 6100-6500 B.C.) and St. Albans (c. 6600-7000 B.C.) temporal units. Spatial patterning is detected using multivariate statistical analysis of formal implement, instant tool, and debitage categories. The observed spatial patterns are interpreted through a comparison with expected spatial patterns generated from an a priori model of hunter-gatherer residential camp activity structure. The …

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.

Distributive Fairness: An Exploration Of Male-Female Differences In Allocation Behavior, Daryl G. Kelley

Masters Theses

Previous research has shown that males and females follow different strategies in allocating rewards for unequal performance on a team task: Males tend to utilize an exploitive allocation strategy, while females tend to be more accommodating in their, allocations. Research has also shown that allocation strategies may differ depending on whether the allocation of rewards is to be made public or is known only to the allocator. Public reward allocations of males tend to be more exploitive than females, while this difference is reversed for private allocations. The present study sought to replicate and extend previous studies, using a factorial …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

A Study Of The Library Knowledge Of A Sample Of Freshmen Students Enrolled At The University Of Puerto Rico For The School Year 1980-81, Sarai Rodriguez De Perez

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to collect data that could help assess the library needs of a sample of college freshman enrolled at the University of Puerto Rico for the school year 1980-81.

Data were collected by means of a 50 item library test and 8 survey type questions.

As indicated by the test scores and by the students' answers to the survey questions: library instruction is needed in six of the seven subject areas covered by the library test and in a ll the subject areas specified by the questionnaire; library instruction is needed by 75% of the …

Intimacy In Context: A Theory Of Interpersonal Relationships, Sara Mirjam Terian

Masters Theses

To define intimacy, interpersonal relationships are divided into four major categories that encompass the whole range of interpersonal behavior: strangers, acquaintances, friends, and intimates. These are seen as progressive stages, defined by the individual's subjective, affective orientation, and discernable by behavioral indicators. Strangers are divided into total, encountered, and familiar strangers, acquaintances into mere and friendly acquaintances, and friends into Just friends, casual friends, and close friends. The process culminates in intimacy which is divided into three aspects: psychological, the necessary aspect, biological, and ideological. Total intimacy is the presence of all three. This framework has explanatory and predictive value, …

An Analysis Of The Behavioral Consequences Of An Attendance Bonus Program, David William Smith

Masters Theses

Absenteeism is one of the most expensive and complex problems faced by management. Previous efforts to ameliorate attendance problems have focused on demographical analysis of absent workers, providing information of little value in designing remedial programs. The current project is an analysis of an Attendance Bonus Program in terms of contingencies of reinforcement. Six hundred union employees of a manufacturing plant served as subjects, with two comparison plants of 100 and 600 employees as comparative populations. Analysis of the prevailing contingencies identified a number of deficiencies. Attendance reinforcement aspects were appropriate, but a response criterion needs to be established. The …

Choice As A Dependent Measure In Autoshaping: Sensitivity To Frequency And Duration Of Food Presentation, Mitchell Jon Picker

Masters Theses

Previous investigations have shown that rate, latency, and percentage of trials with at least one response are somewhat insensitive measures of the strength of autoshaped responding. In two experiments, nine pigeons were exposed to an autoshaping procedure in which the successive presentation of three stimuli were followed by food on either 100%, 50%, or 0% of the trials. Choice testing involved the simultaneous presentation of the three stimuli. In Experiment I, all pigeons consistently directed their initial choice responses and the majority of subsequent responses to the stimulus always followed by food. In Experiment II, rate, latency, and percentage of …

Politics And Medicine In The Estrogen Replacement Controversy: A Comparative Analysis Of The United States And Great Britain, Frances B. Mccrea

Masters Theses

This thesis investigated social and medical aspects of the Estrogen Replacement Controversy (ERT) in the United States and Great Britain. American researchers claim that ERT, a treatment for menopausal and postmenopausal problems, substantially increases the risk of endometrial cancer; British researchers minimize the risk and instead emphasize benefits of the treatment. Whereas British medical practitioners are reluctant to prescribe ERT, their American counterparts widely prescribe the treatment. American feminists and consumer groups strongly oppose ERT; similar groups in Britain demand the treatment. Whereas the British government has not regulated the drug, in America, increasing restrictions have been placed on ERT. …

Factors Influencing Termination Status Of Clients In The Kalamazoo County Juvenile Court Volunteer Probation Program: November 1969-June 1973, Christine Clare Iavelli

Masters Theses

This study was designed to identify the factors which were associated with the juveniles and their volunteers within the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Court Volunteer Probation Program from November 1969 through June 1973 resulting in a successful or unsuccessful termination of informal probation. Data on 317 juveniles and their volunteers were compiled and analyzed. A bivariate test was conducted to determine the relationship of ten independent variables for the juveniles and six independent variables for the volunteers to the dependent variable, the probationer's termination status. Those independent variables considered to be significantly related to the dependent variable were retained and tested …

The Effect Of Active-Participation With Feedback In A Videotape, Discrimination-Training Program, Stephen M. Brewer

Masters Theses

With the use of a multiple-baseline design, the present experiment examined the effect of three training conditions on the acquisition of tutoring techniques in four volunteer college students. The three training conditions were: (1) Guidelines, subjects read and were tested over a manuscript; (2) Passive-Participation Without Feedback, subjects viewed 15 vignettes of a model's correct and incorrect use of tutoring techniques without receiving feedback on the model's behavior; and (3) Active-Participation With Feedback, subjects actively scored and received feedback on the same videotaped model's use of tutoring techniques. Subjects participated in one of the training conditions once at the beginning …

Formulation Of The Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Second Edition For Indonesian National Library Cataloguing: An Analytical Study, Wirawan Wirawan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to find out the problems which would be met and their solutions if the Indonesian National Library applied the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, second edition (AACR2).

Comparison between AACR2 rules and those of its predecessor's as well as international cataloguing and cataloguing practice in Indonesia was conducted. AACR2 rules were analyzed and examples of their application were shown.

The findings indicated that the translation of the terms used in AACR2 to Indonesian language and the choice of the option rules would become the main problem. But it was predicted that the Indonesian people would easily …

Response Latency: A Function Of Within-Session Differences In Intertrial Interval, Training History, Cue Condition, And Ratio Requirement, James Bryant Nuzzo

Masters Theses

Skinner has suggested that latency does not vary in an orderly manner and short latencies result from the development of effective waiting behavior not specified by the experimental contingencies. Recent experimentation has found latency to vary as a function of a within-session difference in parameters of reinforcement correlated with two components of a discrete-trial multiple schedule. Also found was the attenuation of within-session differences in latencies with the change in intertrial interval (ITI) from 5 seconds to 20 seconds. This suggests that the ITI may be variable which controls latency. This study investigated the effect on latency of within-session differences …

The Nixon Doctrine: Its Application In The Arabian Gulf, Abdulwahed Al-Mawlawi

Masters Theses

Western Europe and Japan have been heavily dependent on Arabian Gulf oil; the United States' dependency is growing. Hence, the "security" of this region and consequently the securing of the oil flow has become a major strategic issue to the Western and particularly the U. s. policy makers. To the U. s., the British "withdrawal" from the Gulf in 1971 created a strategic "vacuum". Aggressive arms sales to the region and the "policeman" role of the Shah of Iran in the Gulf served as the main U.S. instruments of filling this vacuum. This was a direct application of the "Nixon …

The Effects Of Performance Appraisal On Staff Performance, Steven S. Armstrong

Masters Theses

Performance appraisals are increasing in numbers, but their effectiveness has little empirical validation. A major objective of the present study was to examine the effects of performance appraisals on the actual performance of supervisees. In addition, it assessed the effect of qualitative, rather than quantitative statements by supervisors. Five staff members participated in this study while working as teaching assistants. Ten dependent variables were observed and recorded per individual, after which the experimenter reviewed the baseline data and targeted six dependent variables for change, based on their low frequencies. The independent variable consisted of a performance appraisal which was a …

A Functional Analysis Of Response Contingent Full Physical Guidance, Richard J. Jackle

Masters Theses

Two experiments were conducted in this study of effects of full physical guidance (folding the subjects' hands) that was made contingent on a mechanically defined leg movement response. Two severely mentally impaired adolescents served as subjects. Experiment I compared the effects of baseline and contingent full physical guidance procedures upon the leg movement response. Experiment I I compared the effects of several procedures incorporating full physical guidance to ones which developed operant baselines of leg movement responses. The results Indicated that full physical guidance functioned as an evocative stimulus for Subject 1 and as mild reinforcement for Subject 2.

The Effects Of Written Instructions And Videotape Modeling On The Quality Of Performance Feedback Provided For Subordinates, Ileana Habsburg-Snyder

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of instructions and modeling in training supervisors to provide performance feedback to their subordinates. Four part-time supervisors served as subjects. An across subjects multiple-baseline design was used which employed a baseline phase, an instructions phase and a modeling phase. Data were collected on the percentage of component behaviors performed during roleplay test sessions and actual performance reviews. Modeling and instructions were found to be equally effective in training, however, a sequential presentation of both methods increased performance substantially. The effects of transfer of training were also examined. The results suggest that …

Assimilation Of Korean College Students, Jei Hyun Yoo

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine four of Gordon's seven types of assimilation (cultural, structural, marital and identificational) among Korean college students.

Data were gathered from a combination of 23 interviews (14 males and 9 females) at Western Michigan University and 104 mail questionnaires (63 males and 41 females) from the University of Michigan.

The degree of assimilation was positively related to the length of residence in the United States, SES of parents and age. No evidence was found to suggest that one sex was more highly assimilated into American society than the other. By utilizing path analysis, …

Dermatoglyphic Variability In Armenian Fingertips And Palms: A Directional Asymmetry Approach To Identify Developmental Stress, Cleone Hart Hawkinson

Masters Theses

The dermatoglyphic variability of the fingertips and palms of an Armenian sample was investigated. The sample consisted of 228 stressed and unstressed individuals. Prenatal stress due to severe physical and nutritional deprivation was not recorded in the developing dermal ridge system in the form of increased directional asymmetry or variation in ridge breadth. No intergenerational effect of stress on the dermal ridge system was identified. A new palmar variable, b-c ridge breadth, was developed and incorporated into the analysis.

The A-B Dermatoglyphic Ridge Breadth: An Indication Of Developmental Significance, Anne Hawkins Prisock

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was threefold: to present a-b ridge breadth data on various populations; to synthesize factors influencing the a-b ridge breadth; and to suggest areas of developmental significance which are important in the a-b ridge breadth determination. The a-b ridge breadths of ten sample groups representing Whites, Blacks, Amerindians, and Indians were collected and determined.

The mean a-b ridge breadths were determined for each of the ten sample populations. These a-b ridge breadths were compared with previously published a-b ridge breadth data. The primary procedure used in data analysis was analysis of variance (ANOVA). The groups were …

The Effects Of Individual Verbal Training Versus Group Verbal Training Upon Preschooler's Corresponding Snack Selection, John W. Hoedl

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare group correspondence training with individual correspondence training. Groups of individually-trained and group-trained preschoolers were observed for their selection of specific snack items (fruit). First, they were trained to say they would select fruit. Then, social reinforcers were used to attempt to reinforce correspondence. Next, tangible reinforcers were contingent upon correspondence. The Group-Trained Tangible Reinforcement Phase proved the most successful and was replicated across the other groups.

Job Satisfaction Of Working Black Women And The Relationship Of Social Awareness To Job Satisfaction, Lillian Denise Nunley

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.