Digital Commons Network^™

An Assessment Of The Self-Actualizing Education Program, Kathleen Pope

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Elementary school teachers enrolled in the Self-Actualizing Education training course were tested prior to and following the ten-week in-service course to measure to what extent teachers improved interpersonal communication skills in discussions with students. Teachers' positive responses (e.g., listening, owning personal feelings, offering choices to students), teachers' negative responses (e.g., judging, lecturing, rescuing), teacher talk vs. student talk, and the frequency of student misbehaviors were considered. Audio tape recordings were made of teachers as they dealt with student problems in a group discussion and in an individual discussion. Also, student misbehaviors were recorded during a 15-minute observation time.

The data …

Variables Associated With Fluctuations In Response Time On The Rorschach Test, Dean L. Gregg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A sample of 61 subjects from an introductory psychology class was administered a battery of psychological tests, among them the Rorschach and the MMPI.

The purpose was to determine the behavioral correlates, if any, of the two Rorschach variables, Mean Reaction Time, and Fluctuation in Time of First Response. This was accomplished by using multivariate statistical techniques, i.e. a factor analysis followed by a stepwise multiple regression.

The results were ambiguous. While not statistically significant, they suggest that the MMPI variables of Social Introversion and Psychopathic Deviant are more closely related to the two dependent variables than previous literature would …

Influence Of Clinicians' And Clients' Religion On Diagnosis Of Mental Illness, Robert Dombey Wadsworth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Theorists propose that because psychodiagnosis is not a completely objective procedure, it is influenced by sociocultural values. It was hypothesized that religion might be one aspect of sociocultural values which influences psychodiagnosis. The present study sought to determine, by using a clinical analogue design, whether psychologists' formal diagnoses of clients are biased by their present religious affiliations and activity levels, their religious upbringing (assessed by their fathers' and mothers' religious affiliations and activity levels), the clients' religious affiliations and activity levels, or interactions between psychologist and client religious variables. Questionnaires were sent to 228 psychologists licensed to practice in Utah, …

Factors Affecting The Conditioned Reinforcing Strength Of Stimuli In Differential Reinforcement Of Other Behavior And Fixed-Time Schedules, Alexander M. Myers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two experiments were conducted in an attempt to provide a direct, response-independent test of the delay-reduction hypothesis of conditioned reinforcement. In both experiments, pigeons made observing responses, by pressing a treadle, for stimuli associated with the schedule component in effect. The consequences of an observing response were varied; an observing response produced: a) either the stimulus associated with the shorter component or the stimulus associated with the longer component depending on the schedule component in effect; b) the stimulus associated with the short component only; c) the stimulus associated with the long component only; or, d) neigher stimulus (no consequence). …

Bait Shyness And Neophobia In Several Species Of Osteichthyes: An Extension Of Taste Aversion Studies To The Superclass Pices, Brent W. Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three experiments were conducted with five species of tropical fish to investigate the phenomena of taste aversion and food neophobia. In addition, an experiment determined specifically if position in the tank could acquire conditioned aversive properties.

In Experiment 1 , four habituated fish were fed novel meat-flavored pellets on the treatment day. Six were made ill within 30, 60, or 90 minutes (2 subjects each) by intragastric administration of syrup or Epicac. The following day all were fed familiar commercial pellets. On the second day after treatment, all were offered the meat-flavored pellets. Results showed longer latencies, more tasting, and …

A Study Of Variables Which Are Associated With Successful And Unsuccessful Furloughed Prison Inmates, Sharon Goodwill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two types of variables which might be differentially associated with the performances of prison inmates while on furloughs were studied. They were, 1) demographic data in the central files of inmates known to have been successful or unsuccessful on furlough, and 2) personality test data taken on groups of inmates who could be expected to be either successful or unsuccessful on furlough, given the demographic data in the central files which is found to discriminate between the two groups.

Demographic data was gathered from the files of adult male felons housed in correctional institutions in the following states: Virginia, Pennsylvania, …

Generalization Characteristics Of Form Diversity And Novel Form Production Among Preschool Children, Craig B. Boswell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The blockbuilding, Lego construction, pen drawing, and painting of four preschool children were analyzed in terms of the construction of form diversity and new form production. Social descriptive reinforcement, contingent on the production of any form not previously constructed within the current session and overt modeling of forms never seen produced during the study, increased form diversity scores per session and new form production (forms never seen before in the child's total prior sequence of blockbuilding sessions).

The results indicated that after training, form diversity scores generalized to topographically similar and dissimilar media of expression. New form production generalized to …

The Impact Of Television On Mother-Child Interaction And Play, Eva L. Essa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Television is a pervasive influence in today's family life. The number of hours family members, particularly young children, spend watching TV must replace some other functions in the viewer's lives. Since one of the primary tasks of families with young children is the socialization of their youngsters, one might assume that TV interferes to some extent with this process. Among aspects of the socialization process are the need for the child to observe and interact frequently with role models, to obtain ample feedback on the appropriateness of his behavior, and to have many opportunities to test out what he has …

The Role Of Relaxation And Systematic Desensitization In The Efficacy Of Assertiveness Training, Larry J. Carlson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of anxiety management techniques (cue-controlled relaxation, systematic desensitization) as components of an assertiveness training program.

Volunteers from Utah State University and the surrounding community were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups and a control group which were used in a pre-post change comparison design. Treatment groups consisted of: (1) cue-controlled relaxation plus assertiveness training, (2) systematic desensitization plus assertiveness training, and (3) assertiveness training extended. The control group was a delayed treatment control. All subjects were administered pre-tests with the following instruments: two self report inventories (the College …

The Development Of A Video Tape Procedure To Train Awareness Of Behavioral Cues Of Anxiety, Brian Lee Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the present investigation was two-fold: (1) to develop a training procedure which might be helpful in trying to teach beginning counselors how to recognize levels of anxiety by observing silent, nonverbal behavior of clients in association with EMG feedback, and (2) to assess the effectiveness of this procedure by using it to train a group of graduate psychology students. Graduate trainees exposed to the training procedure were compared with a control group of students to determine whether the training procedure effectively taught the skill.

Using the split image capabilities of a videotape recorder, video tapes were made …

Eight To Twelve Hertz Occipital Eeg Training With Moderate And Severely Retarded Epileptic Individuals, Eric H. Rudrud

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of EEG biofeedback procedures in reducing seizure activity in patients who have not achieved remission through drug therapy. However, results indicate a lack of correlation between changes in seizure activity and the EEG parameters trained. Recent research has suggested that occipital alpha activity may be modified indirectly as a function of the EEG biofeedback training procedures. The present study sought to determine the effects of directly conditioning occipital alpha on seizure activity.

Three retarded epileptic individuals, who had not achieved complete remission from seizures through drug therapy, were provided with 8-12 Hz …

A Validity Study: Relationship Between The Self Inventory Scale, The California Psychological Inventory, And The Adjective Check List, David Newbold

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The specific objective of this research was to begin assessment of construct validity of the Self Inventory Scale.

Subjects were 100 Utah State University students, living in university dormitories, chosen at random.

Subjects were administered the Self Inventory Scale and the California Psychological Inventory. Subjects submitted names of peers, one of whom was asked to complete an Adjective Check List describing the subject.

CPI subscale scores were correlated with Self Inventory Scale subscale scores, to determine the relationship between underlying constructs. Sixty-four of the 126 correlations computed were significant at the .01 significance level. Similarity of construct and configurational analysis …

The Temporal Distribution Of Short-Duration Keypecks In Variable-Interval Schedules Of Reinforcement, Joseph G. Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An experiment was conducted in order to determine the duration of pigeons' keypecks during three separate variable-interval schedules of reinforcement. Pigeons were exposed to variable interval (VI) 30 sec, VI 60 sec and VI 120 sec schedules of reinforcement for twenty sessions each. Response durations were analyzed in terms of VI schedule, location in time during the inter-reinforcement interval and any pattern of short and long duration pecks. Mean duration of response was reliably different for three out of four birds for VI 30 sec and VI 120 sec schedules of reinforcement. The VI 30 sec schedules produced longer durations. …

The Use Of Self-Control Procedures With Pre~Adolescents Classified As Educable Mentally Retarded, Lizabeth A. Mcgill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effectiveness of self-recording and self-reinforcement procedures implemented in the classroom setting with six pre-adolescent children classified as Educable Mentally Retarded was determined relative to changes in on-task behavior. A multiple baseline design was used and each subject was exposed to both a self-recording procedure and a self-reinforcement procedure. After an initial baseline period, three subjects were exposed to self-recording first, and three subjects went through self-reinforcement first. Contingent reinforcement was not provided for accuracy in either self-recording or self-reinforcement patterns. Observations were conducted to investigate generalization effects of each procedure, and two weeks of follow-up observations were conducted to …

The Relationship Between Goal Attainment And Self Concept For Assertive Training Groups, Lori Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between self-concept and goal attainment for assertive training groups. To determine if self-concept is related to the extent to which one's goals are attained was of major interest. Another purpose was to determine if self-concept measures increase as a result of participation in group assertive training.

Subjects were 67 volunteers, students from Utah State University, and Cache Valley, Utah, community members.

Subjects were administered as pretests and posttests the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and the Goal Attainment Scaling procedures including the Behavioral Monitoring Progress Record.

Three groups were formed: 1) …

Personality Variables & Sex-Role Classifications Of "Total Woman" Participants, Lou Brown

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The "Total Woman" philosophy and previous research concerning the development of sex-roles, androgyny, how women view themselves and personality differences in group members were reviewed. Since no previous research on the personality variables and the sex-role classification of "Total Woman" participants had been reported, an exploratory study was undertaken. In order to assess personality variables the Personality Research Form-E was administered to 67 "Total Woman" participants from two southern cities. The "Total Woman" subjects were found to have a significantly higher need for Harmavoidance and a significantly lower need for Autonomy, Change, Play and Understanding than the norm group. The …

An Analysis Of Behavior Acquisition And Maintenance With Conditioned Reinforcers Developed Through Pairing, Marion M. Walton Jr.

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Television Advertising And Children, Vince Delange

Honors Theses

Thesis begins by examining the learning and cognitive processes and development of children, followed by a history of advertising to children, then explores the traditional concerns with advertising to children. The author discusses research findings and makes recommendations regarding advertising to children.

Reduction Of Lunchroom Noise And Other Behaviors Using Feedback And Group Contingent Reinforcement, Lottie Nell Larowe

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Reduction of noise levels in an elementary school lunchroom was examined as a function of feedback and feedback plus reinforcement using group contingency procedures. Feedback consisted of signals from a traffic light with green indicating acceptable levels, yellow indicating slightly higher levels and red indicating unacceptable levels. Other behaviors, running, hitting, pushing and kicking, were measured incidentally. Results indicate that feedback plus reinforcement was effective in reducing noise levels. Feedback alone was also effective, but to a lesser degree. No response - response relationship was found to exist between noise level and the other behaviors.

The Role Of Need Assessment In The Community Mental Health System, William K. Redmon

Masters Theses

Introduction

The general purpose of the present paper is to analyze community mental health services in Michigan with respect to the responsiveness of the system to the target community. In order to accomplish this goal, several variables must be considered.

First, historical precedents of the current mental health system will be examined to determine the responsibilities of the system to the citizenry. Both legislative mandates and informal recommendations will be reviewed. Second, the methodologies available for community need assessment and citizen-system communication will be summarized in terms of their utility for increasing citizen control of service planning. Third, an actual …

Modification Of Verbal Deficits Of Rural Teachers, Elizabeth Zissu

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Symbolic Interaction And Social Planning: Perspectives From The Early Years, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The principal thesis of this paper is that the inadequacies of recent efforts at social planning are essential failures of theory, rather than failures of practice. Economic, land use and social welfare planners it is suggested have all shared a common unwillingness or inability to abandon commitments to an essentially utilitarian rhetoric of reasoned behavior, wherein means are matched with ends, persons are viewed as essentially self-interested and goal-directed rational problem solvers operating on schedules of goal attainment known or predictable by the planners. Symbolic interaction theory has resources to revitalize planning theory. Selected publications by John Dewey, G.H. Mead, …

The Effects Of Television On Children's Behavior, Attitude, And Moral Judgment, Lauri Reinhardt

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Physical Attractiveness And Sex On Teachers' Evaluations Of Children's Essays, George Joseph Bluth

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Personal Space Assessment Of The Development Of Racial Attitudes In Integrated And Segregated Schools, Diana Speelman

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Creativity; A Description Of Creative People, The Creative Process, Self-Actualization And Creativity, Jerry C. Martin

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Halo Reduction Training On Individuals Varying In Cognitive Complexity, Kanchan S. Dandage

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The effects of training in halo reduction on cognitively complex and noncomplex individuals were studied. Three main hypotheses were tested: 1) There would be a significant negative relationship between cognitive complexity and halo. 2) Training would significantly reduce halo. 3) Training would significantly reduce the amount of halo in the ratings of cognitively noncomplex individuals, but not in the ratings of complex individuals. Forty undergraduate students were given a cognitive complexity test, and high and low complexity groups were identified. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the Training or the No-Training condition. The training groups participated in a lecture-discussion session …

Perceived Velocity Of Apparent Movement: Evidence For A Distance/Time Rule, Kathleen Ann Carlson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Addiction And Power: An Investigation Of Some Motivational Theories With Heroin Addicts, Alcoholics, And Medical Patients, Michael E. Carney

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Race Of Examiner On A Projective Test, Oliver W. Slaughter

Dissertations

No abstract provided.