Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rule-Governed Behavior In Preschool Children, Cassandra Ann Braam

Masters Theses

The control exerted by different types of rules on the behavior of preschool children was determined. Using a variation of a multielement design, four topographically similar rules were presented to seven four-year-old children. The rules varied in the deadlines and delay of consequences (rewards) specified. The results showed that: (a) requests or mands specifying only response requirements generally exerted poor control; (b) rules specifying an immediate deadline and an immediate reward exerted strong control; (c) rules specifying deadlines and a one-week delay of the reward exerted good control; and (d) rules specifying no deadlines for completion and a one-week delay …

A Comparison Of Similar Versus Dissimilar Competing Response Practice In The Treatment Of Muscle Tics, Ellen L. Sharenow

Masters Theses

Miltenberger, Fuqua, and McKinley (1985) reported that the competing response component of the habit reversal treatment package (Azrin & Nunn, 1973) when presented alone was as effective as the entire habit reversal procedure in suppressing muscle tics. In a related study, Miltenberger and Fuqua (1 9 8 5 , in press) reported that the performance of the competing response contingent on the occurrence of a variety of nervous habits resulted in greater response suppression than the non-contingent performance of the competing response. In an effort to determine whether the topography of the competing response was important to the reported effects, …

The Depo-Provera Controversy: A Sociological Analysis, Pamela A. Hayman

Masters Theses

This study is a sociological analysis of the Depo- Provera Controversy. The strong programme in the sociology of science was the method employed for examining the social and political dimensions of the decision-making process underlying science and technology as it relates to the approval of Depo-Provera as a contraceptive in the United States. The data were consistent with the social constructionist perspective, rather than the positivistic view of science. In almost every instance, scientific conclusions followed alignment rather than arising from objective, universalistic analysis. Upjohn scientists and family planners concluded that Depo-Provera was safe and advocated its use; feminists and …

Instructional Control Of Leniency In Self-Appraisals, Maria Barnum Nelson

Masters Theses

Self- and supervisor ratings were obtained on four classifications of non-teaching public school employees across two instructional conditions. Self-ratings showed more leniency in the condition where employees were instructed not to meet with the supervisor to discuss the ratings; self-ratings showed less leniency in the condition where employees were instructed to meet with the supervisor to discuss the ratings. Despite foreknowledge of the research question and instructional conditions, supervisors showed a tendency to rate employees differentially according to the instructional conditions. The results of the analyses demonstrate the potency of instructional control on rating behavior by employees and supervisors. Questions …

Tamoxifen Effects Upon Body Weight, Water Intake, And Several Behaviors, And Tamoxifen’S Unconditioned Stimulus Properties In The Conditioned Taste Aversion Paradigm, Steven J. Anderson

Masters Theses

The antiestrogen tamoxifen citrate (Stuart Pharmaceuticals) is indicated for treatment of breast cancer. Tamoxifen (TMX) is frequently employed because of demonstrated effectiveness in tumor reduction and a low incidence of debilitating side effects compared to similar agents. Even though side effects are uncommon with use of TMX, medical and behavioral sequalae have been noted. The present , . study investigated several behaviors in female rats administered TMX in two separate studies. In the first investigation, the effects of 25 daily treatments of TMX upon body weight, water intake, and several behaviors were assayed. In the second study, aversion to a …

One County's Experience With Community Corrections: An Assessment Of The Harm, Charles C. Crider

Masters Theses

Most correctional systems include pre-parole community placements. This study followed 114 inmates released to halfway house placement in one Michigan county over six years to determine the harm these inmates inflicted on the host community through new crime during halfway house placement and for three years following parole. Their criminal behavior was compared to statistical expectancies of criminal behavior for similar risk parolees. In a second analysis, the volume and seriousness of their criminal behavior was compared with non-comparable parolee controls. In both analyses, the extent and seriousness of crime by experimentals were comparable to that of controls. Criminal activity …

A Bormannean Fantasy Theme Analysis Of “The Big Book" Of Alcoholics Anonymous, Leigh Arden Ford

Masters Theses

Utilizing Bormannean fantasy theme analysis, this study examined the rhetoric of "The Big Book", the basic text of Alcoholics Anonymous. Three dominant rhetorical visions were found corresponding to Cragan and Shield's conception of rhetorical visions as social, pragmatic and righteous at the metalevel. These rhetorical visions were labeled The Rich Man, Poor Man Vision (social), The Greater Power Vision (righteous), and The Solution Vision (pragmatic). The accompanying fantasy themes of dramatis personae, setting, plotline and sanctioning agent were delineated. The implications of this study for substance abuse therapists and AA members were examined and further research was suggested.

An Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between Moral Development And Communication In Small Groups, Beth Hartman Ellis

Masters Theses

This study explored the differences in communication between groups comprised of persons in different stages of moral development. Hypotheses were developed related to the task dimension and the process dimension of group discussions. These hypotheses were based on the appropriateness of the content of the communication in the groups to stages with in Kohlberg's theory of moral development. Trends in the direction of the hypotheses were found in analyses of utterances of the individuals in the group.

Investigating The Economic Impact Of Increasing Agricultural Production In A Peri-Urban Environment, Ronald L. Marbeiter

Masters Theses

The intention of this study is to investigate the economic impact of increasing agricultural production in a peri-urban environment. The Rural Development Area Program (RDAP) in Swaziland is aimed at increasing rural income through improved agricultural practices. The mathematical technique of linear programming is applied to two distinct farmer categories, i.e., cattle owners and non-cattle owners, in order to ascertain information pertaining to the inability of expanding crop production in an area which offers higher renumeration in the urban sector.

Both farm categories have ample labor to expand agricultural production, but the non-cattle owners have limited access to land and …

Reinforcement Increases The Strength Of An Elicited Response, Michael D. Peters

Dissertations

A response initially produced by noncontigent fixed-time delivery of brief electric shock was strengthened by reinforcement. Following the fixed-time shock baseline condition, response contingent shock absence (avoidance) was programmed for the lower probability of two response options for one group of squirrel monkeys. For the other group the interposed history was variable-interval food reinforcement. When responding was reliably maintained reinforcement was discontinued and a return made to fixed-time shock conditions as programmed prior to reinforcement. Upon a return to original conditions, rates were substantially elevated over baseline with the elevation sustained for many sessions. The avoidance group showed the most …

Predicting Agency Survival As A Function Of Constituency Support In The Michigan Mental Health System, R. Dee L. Woell

Dissertations

Two public facilities for the mentally ill, Michigan Institute for Mental Health and Lafayette Clinic were examined, using a framework provided by Douglas R. Boulter (1983). The basic research question was, why did Lafayette Clinic survive while Michigan Institute did not?

The following research propositions were explored: (1) Organizations that receive strong constituency and media support are more likely to survive than those which do not; (2) Program success or failure is dependent on the decision-maker's perception of the sum of public support; (3) The media serves both as a carrier of opinion and as an influential actor in its …

The Intuitive Dimension Of The Therapist's Consciousness: A New Paradigm, Bonnie Marie Truax

Dissertations

The major purpose of this study was the examination of the incidence and nature of the intuitions of therapists. A secondary purpose was to create and evaluate an alternative approach to the study of human subjective experience. The research was completed in three phases.

Phase 1 involved creating a paradigm about intuition based on historical perspectives and viewpoints. Sixteen basic theoretical constructs about intuition were developed following an extensive synthesis and integration of philosophic and psychological literature.

In Phase 2, the paradigm was evaluated using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis, which allows for the continual emergence of new …

The Implementation Of Deterrence: A Multi-Approach Assessment Of The Impact Of Recent Changes In Anti-Drunk Driving Legislation On Reducing Alcohol-Involved Fatalities, Josef R. Soper

Dissertations

The objective of this study is to determine if anti-drunk driving legislation, enacted between January 1979 and December 1983, has significantly reduced the number of alcohol-involved traffic fatalities.

At the macro-level, 60 consecutive months of alcohol-involved fatality data were requested from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Sixteen states supplied the requested data. The Box-Jenkins technique for interrupted time-series analysis was used to determine if a change in the state's drunk driving law impacted the frequency of alcohol-involved fatalities in that state. Results are discussed in relation to the statewide impact of anti-drunk driver legislation.

At the micro-level, …

Behavioral Toxicology Of A Glucocorticoid: Analysis Of Selected Behavioral And Physiological Effects Of Repeated Prednisolone Treatment, Robert G. Sewell

Dissertations

Glucocorticoids are used medicinally for numerous chronic ailments. While dramatically effective, glucocorticoid treatment is replete with psychiatric complications. The behavioral toxicology of glucocorticoids, however, remains relatively unexplored. Therefore, 13 laboratory studies were performed to analyze the influence of prednisolone, a representative glucocorticoid, upon varied behavioral and physiological endpoints in rats. Experiments 1-3 showed prednisolone to produce marked hypodipsia, body weight loss, selective adrenal gland atrophy, hyperactivity, hyperalgesia, altered grasping responses, hyperglycemia, enhanced predation, and conditioned taste aversion. Most of these findings were directly dependent upon dose, and where explored, number of treatments. The remaining ten studies examined both acute and …

The Effect Of Task Responsibilities On Assistant Principals' Roles, Sandra B. Sirotti

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that increased responsibilities had on the assistant principal's role. Because of increased responsibilities, it was believed that the assistant principals had been forced to become more task and less person oriented as a result of inadequate time to deal with both tasks and people. The study was designed to ascertain whether there had been growth in task responsibilities and, if so, whether the growth had caused the role to become more task than person oriented.

The sample consisted of 400 Michigan assistant principals. From this sample, 67% of the administrators …

The Use Of Job Aids As An Alternative To Training New Employees, William D. Powers

Masters Theses

Lack of knowledge required to perform a job, has often been dealt with by implementing some sort of training program. However, some businesses cannot afford to implement training. This study tested the effectiveness of using job aides as an alternative to training two new employees at a small business which had no training program. Step-by-step instructional aids were developed for rebuilding Series 40 MT Delco starters and Series 10 SI Delco alternators. A multiple-base-line between subjects design, with an ABABAB reversal, was used.

The data showed the average time required by the new employees to rebuild Series 40 MT Delco …

The Nature Of The British Fairies Of Medieval And Folk Literature An Annotated Bibliography 1900-1983, Constance Reik

Masters Theses

This thesis fills the need for a bibliography of works on the British fairies.

It is essentially an annotated bibliography with an introduction which will help illuminate the fairies of the ancient and medieval literature (through Shakespeare) and the folk literature of Britain. The annotations are extensive are both descriptive and evaluative.

The bibliography includes publications written in English, from 1900 to 1983, which describe and discuss the characteristics and origins of the British fairies. It is divided into seven chapters: Literary Fairies, British Fairies, English Fairies, Welsh and Manx Fairies, Scottish Fairies, Irish Fairies, and Origins of Fairies.

The …

Effect Of Fixed-Ratio Size On Response-Latencies Produced By Other Variables, Albert Edward Neal

Masters Theses

Using a discrete-trial, two-component multiple schedule, pigeons were required to complete a fixed-ratio in the presence of stimuli correlated with different probabilities of reinforcement (Experiment 1), or different amounts of reinforcement (Experiment 2). The amount of separation of graphed median latencies to the onset of the two stimulus conditions as a function of the different reinforcement conditions was investigated in relation to various fixed-ratio values. It was found that previous researchers had chosen an optimal fixedratio size; larger ratios produced greater separation between median latencies, but at the expense of increased session-to-session variability, while smaller ratios failed to produce median …

The Prehistory Of The Birch Run Road Site, Saginaw County, Michigan, Caven P. Clark

Masters Theses

The Birch Run Road site (20SA393), located in the archaeologic ally complex Saginaw Valley, was partially impacted by the extension of Birch Run Road across the Flint River. In many respects typical of Saginaw Valley sites as a whole, the Birch Run Road site produced artifacts attributable to the Early Archaic, Late Archaic, Late Woodland and historic periods. The prehistoric occupations are evaluated with special attention to the context and form of lithic raw materials, and use of projectile points in determining temporal placement. The Late Woodland component, ca. A.D. 800-1100, represents the most intensive occupation of the site. Physical …

Robbery: Toward A Multidimensional Approach, Dick Taver'shima Andzenge

Masters Theses

This study identifies some major factors related to robbery, categorizes them, and attempts to assess their interrelatedness. The major purpose of the study is to explore how these factors can be studied more effectively in an attempt to explain the crime. Data on randomly selected convicted robbery cases in the Kalamazoo County during 1979-1983 were compiled and analyzed.

The study shows that factors related to robbery fall into four categories. These are: (a) social factors, (b) Individual offender characteristics, (c) situational factors, and (d) push factors (or motivational factors). The results of the analyses showed that these factors are closely …

A Cinematographical Analysis Of The Execution Of Three Types Of Pitches Using The Windmill Style Softball Delivery, Bonni L. Kinne

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to identify the specific kinematic and kinetic variables associated with a successful fast ball, drop ball, and rise ball using the windmill style softball delivery. The subjects chosen for the investigation were female pitchers who participated in the Women's National Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament held in Buffalo, New York from August 17, 1984 to August 24, 1984.

After analyzing the data obtained from these subjects, the investigator concluded that: (a) there is a great deal of variability between the fast ball pitching mechanics of elite windmill style softball pitchers; (b) the success of a drop …

The Effect Of Word Abbreviation On Decoding Speed And Accuracy, Frances Piccione

Masters Theses

An experiment was conducted to verify the existence and determine the magnitude of the human response latency differential between words and their abbreviations in a decoding task. Forty-eight Naval Officer Candidates learned a set of abbreviations obtained from operational aircraft cockpits. Abbreviations and corresponding words were divided into easy and hard difficulty levels. Subjects responded by saying the correct whole-word for both stimulus types. Response times measured by a voice key revealed a mean of 0.534 seconds for words and 0.662 seconds for abbreviations. An analysis of variance produced significant main effects (p < .05) for stimulus types and difficulty levels; the interaction effect was not significant. Also, t-tests for correlated scores revealed significant differences (p < .05) between difficulty levels within stimulus types.

Applied Undergraduate Training In Psychology And Career Choice, Nancy S. Hinga-Wright

Masters Theses

The present investigation evaluated the relation between additional undergraduate practical training in psychology (other than standard course credit) and the graduate school or career choice of graduates with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Based on data from questionnaires and university student records, the results indicated a positive, significant relation between graduate school choice and subsequent career choice, although there was no significant relation between additional applied training and career choice. The results also showed no significant relation between grade point average and career choice, and sex and career choice. The conclusions suggested several outside variables that may influence students' decisions …

The Effects Of Teacher Directed Small Group Instruction On Quality And Control Of Behavioral Contracts In A Large Study Section Of High School Students, Laurie A. Thompson-Montgomery

Masters Theses

Individualized education has been described as the ideal teaching methodology. The purpose of the present study was to individualize teaching procedure through the use of behavioral contracts in a high school guided study class. The goal of the teacher-directed, small group instruction was to teach students the components of a specific contract task. Following this instruction, all students' contracts improved in the percent meeting content criteria. In addition to improvement in contract content, student on-task behavior also increased. Further, the number of student assignments completed on contract which were received by teachers increased after training. It appears that the use …

Use Of A Supervisory Safety Checklist And Safety Meetings To Reduce And Prevent Hazardous Safety Conditions In An Automotive Plant, Todd Alan Brighton

Masters Theses

Hazardous safety conditions and incidents were operationally defined for an assembly division at an automotive plant. The conditions were observed and recorded on two different employee shifts for an 11 week period. The experimental design used had three distinct phases. In the first phase baseline data were recorded on the number of hazardous safety conditions by two safety observers. In the second phase two shift supervisors used the safety checklist to record hazardous safety conditions. In the last phase data were taken but the supervisory safety checklist was not used. The data from all observations were discussed in safety meetings …

The Effects Of Self-Evaluation Procedures On The Numbers And Accuracy Of Alphabet Letter Writing Behavior Of Preschool Children, Kevin R. Coleman

Masters Theses

This study assessed the effects of self-evaluation procedures on the rate and accuracy of alphabet letter writing. Three preschoolers served as subjects. During Phase I, students were given instructions, and the experimenter modeled accurate letter writing. During Phase II, instructions and modeling were again presented. Additionally, the students were given a rule statement that instructed them to use a stamper and a stamp pad to stamp their paper after first writing each of a row of four letters. The results indicated that the introduction of self-evaluation procedures was associated with immediate increases in frequency of attempts, but a decrease in …

Validation And Validity Generalization Of Placement Exercises Used In The Selection Of Clerical Employees, Keith Edward Mitchell

Masters Theses

A follow-up study was conducted to determine the predictive validity of a group of job-related Placement Exercises used in the selection of clerical employees for a northeastern utility company. The present study was also to determine if the obtained validities could be generalized to similar organizational settings.

The subjects included in this study were 98 clerical employees working in the job classifications of Junior Clerk, Clerk, Intermediate Clerk, and Secretary-Stenographer. The obtained results supported the hypothesis that a positive and significant relationship existed between performance on the Placement Exercises and supervisory ratings of employee job performance. After applying the results …

Beyond Contingency Theory: Environment, Structure, And Administrator's Coping Ability In The Public Sector, Shyu-Tu Lee

Dissertations

In the last two decades, organizational-environment contingency theory has attracted much attention. A great deal of research has been done on investigating the impact of environment on organizations, suggesting the appropriate design of organizational structure. In recent years, organizational theorists have moved to investigate proactive approaches to organizational environments.

Most empirical studies, however, have been conducted in the private sector. In order to transfer the knowledge to the public sector, it is necessary to investigate whether public organizations are also subjected to environmental influence and how public administrators interact with the environment.

This study investigated the following three questions: (1) …

Scientific-Technological Dependency And Uneven Development: The Case Of Iran, Abdullah Mehdipour

Dissertations

With the decline of various forms of military and economic power of the more industrialized countries (MICs) as the primary control structure for maintaining the dominance/dependence relationships with the less industrialized countries (LICs) in the international political and economic system, science and technology has emerged as a significant means for sustaining international status quo.

The problem of the study was stated in two questions. First, why and how Iran (an LIC) became dependent on more industrialized countries' science and technology. Second, what effect(s) did Iran's scientific-technological dependency have on its social structure, and what is the more appropriate strategy for …

Organizational Deviance In The Direct Selling Industry: A Case Study Of The Amway Corporation, Carol Lynn Juth-Gavasso

Dissertations

Drawing upon the literatures of organizational theory, sociology, criminology, and entrepreneurship, the intent of this study was to develop a theoretical model which would explain the creation and maintenance of organizational deviance in a direct selling organization. Based upon the work of Cole, Finney and Lesieur, Hughes, Gross, and Vaughan the utility of the model is illustrated with data gathered on the Amway Corporation, a multilevel direct selling organization. The model takes into consideration (1) the environment of the organization; (2) the goals of the organization; (3) the structure of the organization; and (4) the pressures, constraints, and controls which …