Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of A Reinforcer On Behavior Maintained By A Second External Reinforcer, Jeanne Marie Lamere

Masters Theses

A number of studies has shown that providing extrinsic rewards for performing an "intrinsically interesting" task decreases an individual's subsequent interest in that task when the rewards are no longer available (e.g., Deci, 1971, 1972; Lepper, Greene, & Nisbett, 1973). Based on these results, many have argued that extrinsic rewards decrease an individual's "intrinsic motivation." A fundamental premise of this argument is that "extrinsic" and "intrinsic motivation" are functionally different, a distinction that is not supported by a behavioral analysis. This study examined whether similar subsequent decrements in task performance would be observed when a behavior is maintained by one …

Effect Of Therapist-Initiated Versus Self-Initiated Vestibular Stimulation On Vocalization In Children With Autism, Carol L. Maddox

Masters Theses

Therapist-initiated vestibular stimulation was compared to self-initiated stimulation to determine their relative effects on vocalization in children with autism. Vocalizations produced during table-top activities were also compared to those produced during vestibular stimulation. Two children with autism participated in the study. Vestibular stimulation was provided by a hammock swing. All vocalizations were recorded during a total of thirteen 15-minute test sessions.

Results indicated that in this study: (a) There was no significant difference in quantity of vocalizations produced during self-initiated versus therapist-initiated vestibular stimulation, and (b) there was a significant increase in vocalizations during vestibular stimulation as compared to during …

Burnout And Job Satisfaction: Their Relationship To Perceived Competence And Work Stress Among Undergraduate And Graduate Social Workers, David P. Himle, Srinika Jayaratne

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study investigated the effects of two types of social work competency on job satisfaction and burnout among undergraduate and graduate social workers. While previous research has suggested that perceived practice competence may increase job satisfaction and reduce burnout, the findings of this study suggest that there is a differential effect between various types of competence on these factors, especially among undergraduate workers. The findings did not support the contention that perceived practice competence was a primary cause of burnout reduction among graduate workers or undergraduate workers, when compared to other occupational stressors.

Testing The Underclass Concept By Surveying Attitudes And Behavior, Kathleen J. Pottick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recent interest in the problems of an underclass has highlighted deficiencies in the conceptual understanding of the term and empirical investigation into its dynamics. This research note describes the current definition of the concept and presents recent empirical tests of it. By presenting available survey data sets that can identify underclass attitudes, values and behavior, the note refines the deliberations on measurement. Two underclass groups, welfare recipients and criminals, are used to illustrate the methodology

How Work Experience Affects Personnel Selection, Donna T. Klein

Masters Theses

The literature concerning how work experience affects personnel selection for recent college graduates is reviewed and found to be unimpressive. This present study was designed to analyze employers' perceptions of work experience when considering recent college graduates for employment. A survey consisting of three resumes was reviewed by 56 small businesses (employing 100 or fewer people). The three resumes differed with respect to one of the part-time jobs: an internship, work related to field of study, or non-related work experience. The results showed that an internship was consistently rated better at the 0.05 level over related/nonintern and non-related work experiences. …

A Comparison Of A Topography-Based Language System And A Selection-Based Language System, Carl Sundberg

Masters Theses

This study examined whether it was easier for developmentally disabled individuals to acquire a topography-based or a selection-based language system. Four moderately and mildly mentally retarded adults served as subjects. Each of the subjects was taught to tact an object by either pointing to its corresponding symbol (with the selection-based paradigm) or making the corresponding sign (with the topography-based system). They were then taught an intraverbal relation by either selecting the symbol, or making the sign which corresponded to an auditory stimulus. Finally, the subjects were tested for the emergence of stimulus equivalence classes. Each subject was trained and tested …

Promoting Voting Behavior Among Low Income Black Voters Using Reminder Letters: An Experimental Investigation, William Kelly Canady, Bruce A. Thyer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A controlled experimental design applied in a field setting was used to determine the effectiveness of a bipartisan mailed letter reminding registered low income black voters to participate in the 1988 Presidential election. Each member of three groups of approximately 85 voters received either one, two or three such reminder letters shortly before the election. A fourth, control group of voters did not receive any letters. Statistical analysis revealed that the reminder letters appeared to have no effect on voting behavior.

Exchange Rules In The Mediation Of Social Welfare Work, Paula L. Dressel, Michelle Waters, Mike Sweat, Obie Clayton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article demonstrates the utility of the concept of exchange rules for understanding welfare worker agency in the mediation of workplace ideologies and behaviors. The exchange rules of complementarity, reciprocity, and beneficence are applied to the issues of service worker burnout, worker-client interactions, and labor issues to illustrate their conceptual and practical power. This analysis from an interactionist perspective complements the macro-level observations of the fundamental contradictions within the social welfare enterprise. It also suggests avenues for the mediation and alleviation of certain workplace dilemmas.

Generalization Of Promise-Do Correspondence Training With Respect To The Individual To Whom The Promise Is Made, Robert J. Latka

Masters Theses

This study used 3 subjects of normal (non-impaired) intelligence, 1 female and 2 males, between the ages of 10 and 13 years to study generalization of promise-do correspondence training effects. In a replicated AE design, contingent monetary reinforcers were used to establish promise-do correspondence in playing nonpreferred computer games. This study demonstrated that the effects of correspondence training procedures could be generalized to an alternative listener or individual to whom the promise was made. Generalization was less evident when there was no listener present. This study also provided some evidence that effects of promise-do correspondence training may not generalize to …

An Examination Of The Irrelevance Of The Term Neoconservative As Used In American Ideological Debates, Mark C. Stanczak

Masters Theses

This study compared, by analysis of their publications, various people who are considered to be part of the neoconservative movement in the United States. A definition was developed, and a sample of neoconservatives was examined to see if they adhered to the definition. The examination centered around these people's individual views, as published, on economics and the Welfare State; the scope of government in a society; the Cold War and its effect on community; religion; and stability, the state and social justice.

The analysis of their publications leads to the conclusion that there is no cohesive movement that can be …

Applying The Matching Law In A Sheltered Workshop, Kristin Elizabeth Skousgard

Masters Theses

This study assessed the validity of the matching law in an applied setting. It manipulated extraneous reinforcement and measured the rate of rocking in a 24-year-old developmentally disabled man. The resulting data were compared to that predicted by the matching law.

The results were important in three ways: (1) extraneous reinforcement systematically affected rocking in an applied setting in the manner predicted by the matching law, (2) a clinically undesirable behavior decreased in frequency, and (3) this decrease occurred in the absence of direct intervention on the target behavior. Thus, to a slight degree, scientific, practical and humanitarian goals were …

A Redefinition Of The Problem Of Homelessness Among Persons With A Chronic Mental Illness, Donald M. Linhorst

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Two definitions of the problem of homelessness among persons with a chronic mental illness are examined, along with their implied solutions and ramifications for policy. Homelessness among this group is first viewed as the result of deinstitutionalization, and secondly, as the outcome of a critical shortage of low-income housing. Solutions stemming from the deinstitutionalization definition of homelessness, reinstitutionalization or improvement in the mental health system, are seen as inadequate to deal with the problem of homelessness among the mentally ill. Instead, state departments of mental health are called upon to provide a leadership role in the development of affordable housing.

How Voluntary Agency Networks Fared In The 1980s, Margaret Gibelman, Harold W. Demone Jr.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Believing that the least government is the best government, the Reagan Administration favored, in both principle and practice, the transfer of functions to and fiscal independence of the private sector. This article provides a comparative analysis of the financial status of three major types of voluntary agency networks before and near the end of the Reagan era. Focusing on national voluntary health, child welfare league, and family service agencies, proportionate and absolute revenues, sources of income, and new income generating strategies are examined within the context of philanthropic trends and the compensatory role of state and local governments.

These agency …

Differential Perception And Adolescent Drinking In The United States: Preliminary Considerations, John B. Harms, James L. Wolk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper addresses adolescent drinking from a perspective very similar to Sutherland's differential association theory. Drinking occurs when positive perceptions of drinking outweigh or outnumber negative ones. Our research focuses on images of drinking communicated by rationalized sources organized specifically to shape perceptions of drinking. We call these organizations "agencies" and assess their impact on perceptions of drinking. It is our contention that the political economic context of the United States in which these agencies function is such that positive images of drinking outnumber and outweigh negative ones, and that this is an important factor contributing to adolescent drinking.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 17, No. 4 (December 1990)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Contents

• HOW VOLUNTARY AGENCY NETWORKS FARED IN THE 1980S - Margaret Gibelman and Harold W. Demone, Jr.
• DIFFERENTIAL PERCEPTION AND ADOLESCENT DRINKING IN THE UNITED STATES: PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS - John B. Harms and James L. Wolk
• A REDEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS AMONG PERSONS WITH A CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS - Donald M. Linhorst
• PARAPROFESSIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL IN SPAIN - Edward A. Brawley
• EXCHANGE RULES IN THE MEDIATION OF SOCIAL WELFARE WORK - Paula L. Dressel, Michelle Waters, Mike Sweat, and Obie Clayton
• BURNOUT AND JOB SATISFACTION: THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERCEIVED COMPETENCE AND WORK STRESS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE …

Paraprofessional Social Service Personnel In Spain, Edward Allan Brawley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study reveals the importance of front-line paraprofessional personnel in the rapidly expanding social services in Spain and identifies the functions they perform, the different kinds of training they receive, their opportunities for advancement, and several issues that must be addressed if they are to make their best contributions to Spain's social services.

Do Respondents Who Pen Comments Onto Mail Surveys Differ From Other Respondents? A Research Note On The Human Services Job Satisfaction Literature, R. L. Mcneely

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A current study has criticized the human services job satisfaction literature for relying solely on information obtained by "closed-ended" questionnaires. Stating that these studies may not accurately reflect the actual conditions under which public welfare employees function, the authors base their criticisms on an analysis of the extemporaneous comments of subjects participating in a national study. Nonetheless, whether or not those who pen comments are representative of the broader population of human service workers remains an open question. The study reported in this article sought to shed light on this issue by comparing respondents who commented versus those who did …

Response By Ralph Segalman To Isidore Walliman's Review Of The Swiss Way Of Welfare Which Appeared In Volume Xv, Number 2 (June, 1988), Ralph Segalman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

I find the Walliman review deeply faulted in many ways.

Volunteer Opportunities In The Criminal Justice Area, Susan Pritchard

Honors Theses

The popularity of volunteerism and community service is quickly growing. Not only is volunteerism more prevalent in communities, there is also an increased number of college students making volunteer work, not only part of their lives, but part of their education. In this paper the author will 1) examine the possibilities of, 2) the involvement in, and 3) the necessity for volunteer work in the criminal justice area for criminal justice majors at Western Michigan University.

Applications Of The Tap Te Chino Of Lao Tzu To Psychotherapy Theory And Technique, Thomas E. Hranilovich

Dissertations

Existing paradigms in psychology are almost exclusively founded upon the hypothetico-deductive scientific tradition. As a consequence, prevalent psychotherapy theories and techniques are also founded upon this tradition. In recent years the realization has been growing, even among its adherents, that the hypothetico-deductive method is not the only avenue to knowledge about the nature of existence. An alternate avenue is provided by the mystic tradition, as exemplified by Zen Buddhism, Hesychasm, Indian and Tibetan Yoga, Sufism, Christian mysticism, Hindu mysticism, Jewish mysticism, and Taoism. This study is an examination of the central beliefs of tao chia, or the Taoist school, and …

Within-Subject And Between-Subjects Evaluation Of The Effects Of Hallucinogenic Drugs In Pigeons Responding Under Two Variations Of A Fixed-Consecutive-Number Schedule, Rodney D. Clark

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was twofold: To determine the effects of LSD (0.03 - 1.0 mg/kg), mescaline (0.3 - 5.6 mg/kg), and DMT (0.3 - 3.0 mg/kg) on the performance of pigeons under two variants on an FCN schedule and to determine whether these effects differed substantially as a result of experimental design (i.e., within subject or between-subjects). Under this schedule, food was delivered whenever subjects responded between eight and 12 times on one response key (work key), then responded once on a second key (reinforcement key). Under one version, (FCN-S^D), an external discriminative stimulus was correlated with …

Stimulus-Specific And Stimulus-Nonspecific Reinforcement: Effects On Tact Training With Severely Mentally Impaired Young Adults, Steven J . Braam

Dissertations

The effects of specific or similar physical properties between discriminative stimuli and reinforcers in tact training were studied. Stimulus-specific reinforcement and stimulus-nonspecific reinforcement conditions were compared using a matched-groups design. When subjects correctly tacted in the former condition, the experimenter gave reinforcers with identical physical properties to the training stimuli. When subjects correctly tacted in the latter condition, the experimenter delivered reinforcers with different physical properties from the nonverbal training stimulus.

The subjects demonstrated no overall differences in learning trials. Only one subject, trained with stimulus- specific reinforcement learned tacts in consistently fewer trials than his counterpart trained with stimulus-nonspecific …

The Effects Of Relapse Prevention Training On Exercise Adherence, Sandra Beaty

Dissertations

Behavioral techniques have proven effective in the acquisition and maintenance of new behaviors. However, health related behaviors, such as exercise, pose a special problem for the field of behavior change in that they require long-term lifestyle changes. This study assessed the effectiveness of relapse prevention training on exercise adherence within the framework of a formal exercise program. There were 20 subjects in the experimental group and 20 subjects in the control group. Both groups met for three, one-hour sessions weekly for eight consecutive weeks. Exercise class attendance was recorded by the instructor. In addition, the Physical Activity Index (PAI, n.d., …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Biofeedback Assisted Treatment On The Reduction Of Stress Among African-American And White Employees, Ollie O. Barnes Iii

Dissertations

Seventy-four employees at an internationally based Fortune 500 corporation participated in a comparative biofeedback study. The study was designed to determine whether there is a difference in the way African-Americans and white Americans respond to biofeedback-assisted stress management treatment. The study also serves as a springboard for increasing the quantity of empirical literature in the area of biofeedback in general and biofeedback using African-Americans as subjects, in particular. The researcher randomly assigned the employees to one of three groups (biofeedback, traditional, control). Each subject was assessed on six variables: state anxiety, trait anxiety, heart rate, skin temperature, blood pulse height, …

The Effects Of Accountability Procedures On The Productivity Of Academic Performance Contractors In An Academic Support Program, Brian Delano Yancey

Dissertations

The purpose of the research was to evaluate the effects of accountability procedures on the productivity of performance managers in an academic support program. The contractors were responsible for supporting the academic performance of high-risk students enrolled in a one-credit-hour self-management course. The contractors awarded students points that counted toward their self-management course grade when the students produced assignments of value in their content courses. Prior research had shown that students sometimes performed poorly in the self-management course and that the contractors were often unsuccessful in helping these students improve their grades. Consequently, the experimenter speculated that the amount of …

Gatherings (No. 2) Fall 1990, Firends Of The University Libraries

Gatherings: Friends of the University Libraries Newsletter

Complete second issue of Gatherings. Editor: William K. Smith.

A Critique Of Family Case Workers 1900-1930: Women Working With Women, Beverly A. Stadum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Case records from a charity organization/family case work agency in the early century provide means for evaluating the interaction of nascent social workers with female heads of poor households receiving relief 1900-1930. Class differences and social control appear in retrospect as defining certain elements of this activity; although social workers provided needed material resources, positive impact on poor women's lives was limiited by workers' lack of knowledge and unquestioning commitment to traditional values. Casework, however, is shown as a complex process with concerned leaders in social work trying to shape professional behavior and recipient families engaged in their own problem …

Illness Career Descent And The Descending Hierarchy: The Organizational Structure Of A Retirement Facility, Bradley J. Fisher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Illness career descent is a process involving the downward trajectory of chronic illness and the residents' downward movement through the organizational structure of the retirement facility. This structure can be conceptualized as a "descending" hierarchy where residents experience downward mobility through successively lower statuses. These conceptualizations are grounded in three years of participant observation and interviews with over 150 residents at a multilevel care retirement facility. Downward mobility, within the facility, entails relocation to more regimented and stigmatized residency situations. The individual's goal is to slow down the pace of this illness career timetable. Descending hierarchical structures within facilities for …

Permanency Planning And The Child Abuse Prevention And Treatment Act: The Paradox Of Child Welfare Policy, Mary Ann Jimenez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 and the Adoptions Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 have imposed conflicting mandates on the public child welfare system. CAPTA places the moral weight of the federal government behind professional intervention with troubled families, while the Adoptions Assistance Act was designed to protect the autonomy of families. As these policies currently stand, the goal of protection of vulnerable children is seriously undermined.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 17, No. 3 (September 1990)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Contents

• PERCEIVED STRESS, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SURVIVAL: NORTH CAROLINA FARM OPERATORS AND THE FARM CRISIS - Michael D. Schulman and Paula S. Armstrong
• CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT REFORM: CAN IT REDUCE THE WELFARE DEPENDENCY OF FAMILIES OF NEVER-MARRIED MOTHERS? - Ann Nichols-Casebolt and Marieka Klawitter
• PERMANENCY PLANNING AND THE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ACT: THE PARADOX OF CHILD WELFARE POLICY - Mary Ann Jimenez
• A CRITIQUE OF FAMILY CASEWORKERS 1900-1930: WOMEN WORKING WITH WOMEN - Beverly A. Stadum
• GENDER, EMPLOYMENT AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING - David C. Congdon
• ILLNESS CAREER DESCENT AND THE DESCENDING HIERARCHY: THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF A RETIREMENT …