Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Empirical Analysis Of The Effect Of The Need For Closure On Materiality Thresholds Of Auditors, Cynthia M. Daily

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to identify the strengths of a specific motivator for judgment and decision-making, referred to as “need for closure” and determine how the strength of that motivator affects materiality judgments of auditors.

The extent to which auditors seek and process information prior to forming a judgment can have important consequences in the conduct of an audit. In this regard, psychology researchers have identified a personality characteristic—a motive for judgment and decision making—that influences the decision making process. This motive, referred to as the need for closure, pertains to the desire of individuals to clear …

The Relationship Between Classroom Motivation And Academic Achievement In First And Third Graders, Sheri Coates Broussard

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between classroom motivation and academic achievement in first and third graders. The subjects included 122 first grade children and 129 third grade children from a mid-sized, southern city. The total sample was comprised of 251 children, 59% non-white and 57% female. The findings from the current study were consistent with the literature reviewed in that higher levels of mastery motivation and judgment motivation were found to be related to higher grades in third graders. It is important to note, however, that only higher levels of mastery motivation, not judgment motivation, …

Motivational Processes And Performance: The Role Of Global And Facet Personality Traits, James Haven Martin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The conscientiousness and neuroticism dimensions of the Five Factor Model (FFM) have been shown to be predictive of performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Paunonen & Ashton, 2001). This research examined three relatively unexplored issues, including (a) the impact of conscientiousness and neuroticism on motivational processes and performance; (b) the criterion-related validity of facet measures of conscientiousness and neuroticism as predictors of motivation and performance; and (c) whether conscientiousness, neuroticism, and their facets impact changes in motivational processes between performance episodes. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 220) completed measures of self-set goals and self-efficacy beliefs on two occasions, prior to the …

The Influences Of Parenting Styles On Children's Classroom Motivation, Kathryn Elizabeth Cramer

LSU Master's Theses

This study was part of a larger, longitudinal project investigating the relationships between family stress processes and children's development. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative parenting styles and children's classroom motivation as measured by child interviews and teacher perceptions. The population of this study included 281 first and third grade students and their parents in a mid-sized Southern city. Parenting styles data for this study were collected via mailed questionnaires consisting of the Primary Caregivers Practices Report (Robinson et al., 1995) and questions used to obtain demographic information. Motivation data …

Who's Not Dieting In America And Who Should Be? Results From The 1994-1996 Diet And Health Knowledge Survey (Dhks 1994-1996), Emily York-Crowe

LSU Master's Theses

The rising rates of obesity and overweight are contributing to higher costs for the individual and the nation, both medically and financially. There is a greater need for education and other preventive measures, but in order to tailor such programs effectively to the individuals most in need, it is important to examine the current trends, knowledge, and practices of adults in the United States. Previous research has examined the prevalence rates and practices of specific populations and individuals in limited geographical locations but, due to obvious constraints, few nationally representative samples have been examined. This study analyzed the results of …

Time As Motivation: Selected Theories As Compared To Modern Revelation, Jill Judkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes that human beings by virtue of living in each new present moment are motivated to develop strategies to secure the best possible outcome in their lived experience. A personal account of the phenomenological experience of time is presented and a brief history is given. The implications associated with being thrown into the present moment make apparent the weaknesses of the current assumptions that the slices of the present moment form a continuity of past and future and create a coherent synthesis of life. The assumption that human beings are intentional, goal-directed, and prone to seek meaning in …