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The Negative Effects Of Divorce On The Behavior Of Children, David Hawkins, Karen Lloyd

Dissertations and Theses

Our study is concerned with the effects of filing for divorce on the behavior of children. We are interested in the adjustment of the child to the changes which occur during separation and divorce, and we maintain the attitude that the lives of children are affected in some way when a marriage or family unit dissolves. A generally accepted belief is that divorce produces negative consequences in the lives of children as shown in their behavior. However, recently a number of studies have suggested that divorce need not be a negative experience, at least to the degree most people feel …

Residential Treatment Of Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents, Rosemary Brown Sutherland

Dissertations and Theses

This study was requested by Dr. Ira B. Korman, Administrator, Woodland Park Mental Health Center. Woodland Park Mental Health Center currently provides a program of short-term evaluation and crisis care for adolescents. The staff there find it is difficult to locate suitable out-of-home placements for certain of their adolescent patients concluding hospitalization. Their concern for this group of hard-to-place patients has led to this inquiry, the purposes of which are to (1) assess need, (2) design a residential program, and (3) consider the feasibility of its implementation.

Relationships Between Sex Role, Empathy And Anxiety, Charles M. Fantz

Dissertations and Theses

Recently Sandra Bem, a psychologist at Stanford University has written about the importance of developing a conception of mental health which is free from culturally imposed definitions of masculinity and femininity. She believes that defining certain behaviors as appropriate only for women and other behaviors as only appropriate for men is restricting and debilitating for both sexes. This sex-typing of behaviors has led to masculinity being associated with assertiveness and dominance, pragmatism, problem solving and task orientation, and a concern for one's individuality, whereas femininity is associated with emotional sensitivity and concern for the welfare of others, the seeking of …

Fingertip Skin Temperature As An Indicator Of Affect Arousal, Michael A. Glazer

Psychology ETDs

This experiment was concerned with investigating the effectiveness of fingertip skin temperature as an indicator of anxiety and affect arousal. All fingertip skin temperature data was divided into four levels; an anxiety fingertip skin temperature data level, a nonanxiety fingertip skin temperature data level, a decreasing approach to an anxiety level, and an increasing approach to a nonanxiety level. Fifteen subjects were divided into low, medium, and high anxiety groups based on their Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale Scores. The subjects were attached to the fingertip skin temperature apparatus and 40 minutes of verbal behavior per subject was recorded. The subjects …

Cognitive Manipulation Of Test Anxiety Through False Emotional Feedback And Modeling, John Russell Jacobson

Psychology ETDs

The effects of false emotional feedback and modeling on the cognitive manipulation of test anxiety were studied. A Composite Scale of Test Anxiety (Koenig, 1973) was administered to introductory psychology students. The distribution of scores was divided into thirds, and subjects were defined as either high, average, or low test-anxious. Forty-eight high and forty-eight low test-anxious subjects were then randomly chosen from subjects in the pretest population who had volunteered to participate in the actual experiment. They were assigned to each of four conditions (false emotional feedback, modeling, combined false emotional feedback and modeling, and control). There were 12 subjects …

A Functional Analysis Of The Effects Of A Token Economy Program On Attending Behavior In Children And Subsequent Test Performance, Kay Delores Lillig Cotter

Dissertations and Theses

Thirty children, 4 years 8 months to 6 years 7 months, enrolled in a privately operated day school, were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group over a one week period of baseline and a one week period of treatment. The experiment was designed to determine, if the implementation of a token economy program to decrease disruptive behavior in a classroom would result in improved academic performance. Both the children's and teacher's behavior were assessed. The findings were nonsignificant for all of the dependent measures for children's behavior. The only significant effect for teacher's behavior was …

Training Procedures For Conditional Sentence Reasoning, Susan L. Abbott

Psychology ETDs

An experiment tested the effectiveness of three training procedures on the ability of college subjects to solve complex conditional sentence reasoning problems. Each of these groups of subjects was given one of three brief training courses based on the major component skills of conditional sentence reasoning. These training procedures were (1) training in the relevance and application of falsification as an hypothesis testing strategy, (2) truth table training on conditional and biconditional rules, and (3) conversion training which demonstrated the fallacy of assuming the converse of a conditional streamer.

The Control Response Duration By Correlated Probability Of Reinforcement, Reid R. Vandell

Psychology ETDs

The temporal flux of reinforcement probability is a prominent feature of many operant situations. Presumably, it is also a pervasive determinant of performance. The momentary probability of reinforcement or some derivative variable has been emphasized in many theoretical accounts of the performance engendered by operant schedules of reinforcement. The duration of a barpress specifies a more restricted class of behavioral and environmental events than doe the length of an interresponse time. Accordingly, it was conjectured that the quantitative details of the regulation of performance by momentary reinforcement likelihood would be revealed more readily if response durations were used as predictors …

Sequencing Processes In Observational Learning, Howard Gordon Shore

Psychology ETDs

Major theorists, who adhere to a dual-process hypothesis of mediation, state that imaginal codings encode behaviors, but verbal codings are solely responsible for sequential processing. To test if imaginal-verbal or verbal-imaginal associations are formed, thirty male Ss were shown one of two counter-balanced motion pictures. The films presented a paired-associate learning task with modeled actions and their verb equivalent as the stimuli and two-digit number as the response terms. There were four groups of words and actions. For the Same group, actions and their verb equivalents were both paired with the same number. For the Different and Inverted groups, the …

The Effects Of An Innovative Curriculum On The Attitudes Of "Educationally Disadvantaged" Freshman College Students, Julius William Wilkerson

Dissertations and Theses

Educational research literature suggests the expectations for success in college for youth from "educationally disadvantaged" backgrounds are tragically small. Reasons offered for this have included the lack of requisite academic preparation, lack of motivation, lack of appreciation for the value of a college education. The general purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative instructional technique in promoting the development of positive attitudes about self-worth, and academic achievement, for "disadvantaged" students. Specifically, this study attempted to identify the structure of attitudes of "educationally disadvantaged" students in the Portland State University support service program (Operation PLUS) about …

A Conditioning Model For The Mccollough Effect, Andreas D. Lord

Dissertations and Theses

A model based on the laws of classical conditioning is posed as an explanation for the McCollough Effect, an orientation-specific color aftereffect. This model stands as an alternative to the color-coded edge detector hypothesis. Background and relevant issues are presented. Two experiments were performed. The first demonstrated that an auditory stimulus causes the effect to appear stronger to some subjects, a disinhibiting effect. It was also shown that some subjects experience spontaneous recovery of the effect after it has been extinguished.

The second experiment demonstrated that the after-colors will generalize to lines of varying orientation, including 45°. Subjects adapted to …

Development Of An Observation Instrument To Assess Behavior, Scott Marshall Nay

Dissertations and Theses

The Vernon-Nay Category Instrument was developed as the result of an experimental project in an inner-city school. The effects of the reorganization of the administration of the school and the total staff participation in a workshop about human relations and communications were evaluated by the change of behavior of fifth- and sixth grade students in the classroom. The Flanders’ Interaction Analysis (assesses teacher-student verbal behavior) would measure change that occurred: however, the Vernon teachers wanted an assessment instrument that could, also, be used in the future, without professional assistance. The F.I.A. observation system was too complex for the staff's, unassisted, …

The Development Of Attitudes Toward Work Through "Career Education", Lonnie Fred Mcdonough Wheeler

Dissertations and Theses

Attitude measurement problems are discussed within the context of a contemporary movement in the field of education. A restricted definition of the alienation construct is suggested as a theoretical framework within which research in this area could be conducted. Construction and validation data on an instrument designed to measure attitudes toward work are reported. Pre and posttest scores (using the above measure as well as the Rotter I-E Scale) of two high school Career Education programs were compared. Neither program produced significant mean attitude change in terms of these measures. However, change detected by increase in the variance on the …

Added Cue Contribution To Discrimination Learning, David A. Governski

Psychology ETDs

The primary purpose of this experiment was to investigate the rate of discrimination learning in adding a cue to a designated reinforced stimulus as compared to adding a cue to a designated nonreinforced stimulus after prior nondifferential training had been given. It was predicted that the efficacy of adding a cue to either a positive or negative stimulus would depend on the type of nondifferential pretraining given. The results of the experiment demonstrated the following: first, after equal reinforcement pretraining, adding a cue to a designated nonreinforced stimulus facilitated subsequent discrimination learning more than adding a cue to a designated …

Moving Toward Integration: A Study Of Theory And Practice In Feminist Therapy, Susan Amelia Thomas

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis describes a study designed to explore the emerging field of feminist therapy. The goal was not to test the validity of feminist therapy, to probe the assumptions on which it is based, or to compare it to other forms of therapy but to characterize the theory and practice of feminist therapy as it now exists. Feminist therapy was seen as growing out of the cultural and historical context of the feminist movement, which includes a critique of society with emphasis on the particular psychological consequences for women, and a critique of psychotherapy, particularly Freudian psychotherapy, as oppressive to …

Exteroceptive Influence On A Marihuana Induced Conditioned Taste Aversion, Albert William Greenwood

Dissertations and Theses

Forty-five male, Sprague Dawley rats were used to determine if external stimuli could influence the length of a conditioned taste aversion. Animals were given a novel taste (sucrose), and then injected with one of three different substances, marihuana, LiCI, or saline. The animals were then placed into either a stimulation condition, a non-stimulation condition, or returned to the home cage. The stimulation condition contained aversive stimuli in the form of bright, flashing lights and loud noises. The other conditions had no aversive stimulation. It was expected that the animals receiving injections of marihuana would have an increase in their responsiveness …

Measurement Of Dimensional Stimulus Control: Steady-State Generalization Testing, David K. Billings

Psychology ETDs

A procedure for steady-state generalization testing was developed and evaluated. Following a suggestion made by Farmer and Schoenfeld (1966), generalization gradients were constructed from responses occurring in the presence of test stimuli interpolated on a fixed interval schedule of reinforcement. Given appropriate modifications, the procedure was successful in maintaining generalization gradients for individual subjects. Evaluation of the steady-state procedure necessitated the adoption of a generic function. A search was conducted for a polynomial to approximate the response functions obtained for one of two groups of pigeons during one phase of the experiment. An initial ANOVA of the trend of orthogonal …

Social Influences On Individual Performance, Robert C. Paul

Psychology ETDs

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of various social pairing conditions on the performance of individual rats, and the extent to which single subject principles would account for the results. Thirty-two male hooded rats were used as subjects. Twelve rats were deprived of water and individually trained to press the left lever of a two lever operant box and twelve rats were deprived of food and trained to press the right lever of the same box for pellets. During the individual training sessions one of the remaining eight naive, satiated rats was placed in the chamber …

Alternative Methods For The Analysis Of Curves, Randi Christine Martin

Dissertations and Theses

The interpretation of data from psychological experiments often involves the analysis and comparison of curves, like the electrocardiogram, spectral sensitivity, or dose-response curves. Existing statistical techniques are often inadequate for making this type of analysis. This thesis presents alternative methods for handling the data comprising curves and discusses the advantages of these techniques against those of existing methods.

Four types of analysis are discussed:

1. finding a confidence band around one curve,
2. finding a confidence band around the difference between two curves, or making an overall comparison between two curves,
3. decomposing a curve into its components,
4. making a component by component …

Social Workers In The Community Mental Health Field A Delphi Forecast Of Training Priorities, William Boyce Thomas, Mark L. Clay

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis describes an exploratory research project initiated to facilitate curriculum planning for and evaluation of a social work training program in the field of community mental health. The literature concerning community mental health, the historical relationship of social work to this field, and current issues in social work manpower and education was reviewed as part of the thesis project. On the basis of the review, a study was undertaken to determine appropriate priorities for training Master ' s level social worker’s specializing in this field of practice. The researcher's decided that these priorities would be determined in terms of …

Sex As An Extralegal Factor In Judicial Decision-Making, Sarah K. Gaughan

Psychology ETDs

Previous studies, most of which have been sociological, have shown the influence of extralegal factors on judicial decision­making. The present experimental study was conducted to determine the specific effects of sex of the offender and sex of the judge on sentencing. Sixteen fictional cases of both juvenile and adult offenders were given to graduating law students. The cases were counterbalanced by sex, and contained both serious and minor crimes. The subjects then assigned sentences from a list of six alternatives. At the conclusion of the experiment the students were asked to guess what the independent variable might have been and …

Objective Strategy Assessment In Reception Paradigm Concept Identification, Elliot Jay Rapoport

Psychology ETDs

The ability of the Fink (1972) dimension selection technique to assess reception strategies was tested using an affirmational concept learning task involving a reversal shift. The Fink technique employs a distributed stimulus set composed of three binary dimensions and a procedure which requires the subject to make an overt response in order to sample each dimension. The subjects’ dimension selection responses were categorized into the reception strategies of wholism and partism and were found to be moderately predictive or performance. The reversal shift data were found to provide confirmation for the assertion that, in the presence of objectively determined terminal …

Utah And School Age Parents, Willa C. Hurd

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Background. As Dean of Women in a small high school for the past three years, I have been frustrated because of the fact that there was no program for married and/or pregnant students that would educationally aid them.

Night high school courses are not, in my opinion, "equal education; " I felt the need for a definite program. The school district is both legally and morally responsible to provide educational opportunities to these students .

Justification. In 1970 an estimated 200,000 American girls under 18 gave birth. Nearly two-thirds of the girls had married by the time of delivery (Pregnant …

Staffing The College Counseling Center To Meet The Needs Of Minority And Female Students, Christine Rickly

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study assessed Utah State University students perceptions of the U.S.U. Counseling Center with regard to meeting students' counseling needs. The study focused on racial background and sex of counselors as significant variables. A written questionnaire was mailed to 420 students. Fifty-three percent of the questionnaires were returned.

The students' impressions of the Counseling Center were generally positive. Caucasian females were more satisfied than Caucasian males. Minority students were least satisfied. Students who had not used the center most often indicated they had no need. Many students lacked information concerning the services and availability of staff of different sex and/ …

Performance On An Anagram Task As A Function Of Experimenter Status And Subject Dogmatism, Michele Ballering

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of experimenter status and subject dogmatism on anagram solving. The subjects were 90 college students. Only those subjects scoring in the upper or lower thirds on the Dogmatism Scale were utilized. The same experimenter was described as being of either high or low status in each class. In the low status condition, the experimenter was introduced as a student making up an incomplete, while in the high status condition, the experimenter was introduced as a Doctoral student doing research for a Federal Grant Agency. Therefore, four experimental groups were formed …

The Effects Of Different Time Arrangements On A Segment Of Individual Psychotherapy Sessions, Dan C. Yergensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether different time arrangements for individual psychotherapy vary in effectiveness for the therapeutic process. The following time arrangements were compared against each other: Treatment I, 1/2 hour sessions twice per week; Treatment II, 1 hour sessions once per week; and Treatment III, 2 hour sessions every other week.

Twenty-one subjects and seven therapists were selected from six mental health facilities in Utah and Idaho for this project. All therapists participating had at least 2 years experience as psychotherapists. All subjects were randomly assigned to one of the three treatments. Each therapist received …

Development And Validation Of An Instructional Program To Teach Observational And Recording Skills In Behavior Modification, Gerald D. Hecker, Darlene L. Adams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A multimedia program for teaching observational and recording skills was developed and validated using a modified research and development model. The program consisted of two slide carousels (192 slides) with accompanying cassette tape and workbook and three super-sound 8 mm cassettes with accompanying manual and monitor's guide. These materials are available through the Instructional Media Center of the Exceptional Child Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. The model employed two phases to determine program effectiveness. Phase I was concerned with the development and formative evaluation of program materials and procedures. In Phase II the program was validated under field conditions. …

The Relationship Between A Measure Of Dogmatism And Retention Of Rogerian And Skinnerian Concepts, Richard A. Carpenter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study attempted to investigate the relationship between a subject's degree of dogmatism and his attitudes towards the different theoretical positions held by B. F. Skinner and Carl Rogers regarding the control of man. This study utilized selective retention as an indicator of subjects' attitudes. No significant difference was found between Skinner's and Rogers' on their retention of high, medium, and low dogmatism groups. There was also a non-significant correlation between subjects' scores on the retention of Sinner's and Rogers' concept and subjects' dogmatism scores.

A Comparison Of Second Grade Children's Learning Curves On School Tasks With Their Respective Performances On The "Black Box Test Of Learning Ability", Robert Stephen Knox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the usefulness of the Black Box Test of Learning Ability as an indicator of children's performance on math and writing tasks. Twelve second grade students, seven to eight years of age, demonstrated naivete on both tasks and were subsequently individually administered the learning test. The subjects were divided into two groups, and each group received a different task presentation order. Composite scores were derived for all subjects and tasks, and individual learning curves were compared.

The combined Black Test score produced a significantly high correlate to math (rho = .733) and writing (rho = .841) than either …

The Effect Of Interpersonal Trust, S̲ Naivete, And The Use Of Deception Upon S̲ Perceived Demand Awareness, Robert George De Laney

Master's Theses

The present experiment was designed to study the effect of the variables of naivete concerning psychological experimenta­ tion, the use of deception, and level of trust on a S's ability to become demand aware. It was hypothesized tha t the demand awareness of high and low trust s would be differentially affected by their level of knowledge about psychological experi­ menta tion, and by the type of explanation given to them (none, honest, deceptive) as to the purpose of the experiment. Non­ significant results indica ted no support for this hypothesis. Difficulties with the subjective aspect of the demand awareness …