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The Effects Of A Sympathiomimetric Stressor On The Protestant Ethic Effect In Rats, Peter Mirabelle

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In an experiment which investigated the effects of stress on the Protestant Ethic Effect (PEE) 12 Wistar rats were trained for 20 days to barpress for their total water intake. Following training the rats were divided into two groups and were allowed to choose between barpressing for a 10% sucrose solution and consuming a freely available sucrose solution under either stress or nonstress conditions. Stress was defined as a .01 cc per 36g body weight injection of norepinephrine. The stress and nonstress conditions were counterbalanced during the choice session. Regardless of stress order both groups preferred the free over the …

Development Of The God Concept In Children: An Exploratory Study, Dennis Feeley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A study was designed to explore the developmental relationship between early childhood concepts of parent and more adult concepts of God. It attempted to identify the age at which absolute attributes such as omnipotence and ubiquity are taken away from parents and assigned to God. Based on both the theories of Freud and Piaget it was predicted that the transition will occur between the ages of four and eight. Forty children were administered an interview questionnaire and two short stories all of which depicted an attribute or characteristic which is traditionally viewed as being associated with God. Both techniques were …

Retention As A Function Of Transfer Paradign And Introversion-Extroversion, Glenna F. Hasslacher

Master's Theses

In an effort to investigate the effects of personality on paired-associate learning, sixty students from the Univer­ sity of Richmond were separated into three groups of extro­ vert, control, and introvert, on the basis of the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). Five Ss from each group were randomly assigned to four paired-associate learning conditions (A-Br, A-C, C-B, C-D) and required to learn an A-B and a second paired-associate learning list to a criterion of one perfect score. Subjects were required to return to the lab after 24 hours for a retention test of both the second list and the original A-B …

Reduction Of Self-Injurious Behaviors In Retardates Using A Spray Mist, Michael F. Dorsey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Stimulus Properties Of Population Density, Robert Alan Schauerhamer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Simulator Training On The Acquisition And Generalization Of Pedestrian Skills In Retarded Persons, Terry J. Page

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Self-Actualization In Male Participants In A Group Conducted By Female Leaders, Diane R. Follingstad, Peter R. Kilmann, Elizabeth A. Robinson

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Massed And Disturbed Practice On Reading Comprehension For High And Low Anxious College Students, Robert C. Kanoy

Master's Theses

Thirty-si x mal e and femal e col lege students selected from a data bank of 335 students were ested for readi ng comprehensi on. Students were of average schol asti c apti tude wi th ei ther an extreme hi gh or extreme l ow score on the TMAS. The learni ng task , whi ch served as the test for readi ng comprehensi on, was presented to each student under ei ther massed or di stri buted practi ce at a control led rate of speed. The number of correct responses to a multiple choice test served as …

Situational Determinants Of A Crying Response: Their Interrelations With Cognitive Structure And Level Of Sex-Role Identification, Richard Paul Votta

Student Work

An attempt was made to assess the relationships between an individual's level of sex-role identification, degree of cognitive complexity or simplicity, and reported crying behavior. One hundred sixty six students from an introductory sociology class at the University of Nebraska at Omaha were administered three scales: the Bern Sex Role Inventory to assess their level of sex-role identification; the Millimet Rep Test (Version 1) to assess the degree of cognitive complexity, and the Votta Crying Scale-an instrument devised by the author to measure an individual's propensity to crying and the four major types of situations that will elicit the behavior. …

The Role Of Serotonin Depletion On The Behavioral Effects Of Ethyl Alcohol, Linda J. Ward

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In the first experiment of this study p-Chloroamphetamine (PCA), a serotonin depletor, was given to experimental rats at least two days prior to aversive Pavlovian conditioning. Rats were subjected to aversive conditioning while drugged with ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and were tested for memory of the aversive stimuli later in the non-drugged state. Utilizing the auditory conditioned stimulus, ethanol-treated rats - PCA treated and nontreated combined - exhibited significantly less conditioned suppression of drinking than did saline controls. A priori comparisons demonstrated that PCA treated rats• ethanol-produced dissociation was greater than nontreated controls. Experiment two compared PCA treated and nontreated rats' …

A Multidimensional Scaling Analysis Of Sex Guilt, Kevin E. O'Grady

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sixty males and 60 females, divided at the median of their scores on the sex guilt subscale of the Mosher Forced Choice Guilt Inventory, made all possible comparisons between 15 stimulus cues. The cues were descriptions of individuals written to reflect characteristics felt to be important to the concept of sex guilt. Ratings of dissimilarity were analyzed by INDSCAL, and an unfolding method, both of which are multidimensional scaling techniques. Results indicated that high sex guilt individuals perceived a greater degree of dissimilarity between the stimulus "individuals" than did low sex guilt subjects. Furthermore, although the dimensions along which high …

Effects Of Hypothesizing On Concept Learning, Barbara Blinn Bryant

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of hypothesizing on concept learning. Such effects may depend upon task requirements. A 3 X 2 X 2 factorial design was used to assess the variables of time of hypothesizing (early in the task, late in the task, or no hypothesizing), rule type (conjunctive or conditional), and amount of information in the instructions (low amount as defined by a complete learning task or high amount as defined by an attribute identification task). The conjunctive rule was solved significantly more quickly than the conditional rule and attribute identification was solved significantly …

The Effects Of Bogus Amounts Of Perceived Success On Achieving A Desired Physiological State, Randall Brian Hicks

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Thirty incarcerated juveniles underwent thermometric bio-feedback training. The subjects were divided into three groups; (1) Inflated, in which information was doubled, (2) Actual, in which no alterations were made, and (3) Deflated, in which information was half of the true temperature rise. No significant difference was found among these groups. A self-report rating on various attitudes, primarily success feelings ; were correlated with achievement. The only factor statistically significant was an indication of locus of control. Cognitive potentialities are discussed as well as emotion.

The Impact Of Boys’ Club Membership And Participation Upon Self-Reported Delinquent Behavior, Charles Vaught

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study empirically tested the responses of sixty-one Boys’ Club members to a questionnaire which contained the Nye-Short delinquency scale. Frequency of self-reported delinquent behavior was compared for the youngsters both before and after having joined the Boys’ Club. It was found that the various aspects of Club membership and participation had minimal effect upon the members’ delinquent behavior.

Relationships Between The Fear Of Appearing Incompetent, Self-Estimated Iq, Obtained Iq And Gpa, Cheryl Bateman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study deals with the fear of appearing incompetent as delineated by White, Goffman and Adler. The fear of appearing incompetent is an aspect of competence that may threaten self-esteem. The fear of appearing incompetent can purportedly be measured by the Fear of Appearing Incompetent Scale (FAIS).

It was found that the fear of appearing incompetent correlated positively with self-estimated IQ, but correlated negatively with obtained IQ. The fear of appearing incompetent had no significant relationship to GPA. The fear of appearing incompetent in participants who over-estimated their IQs did not differ significantly from the fear of appearing incompetent …

A Comparison Of The Protestant Ethic Effect Among Strains Of Rats, John Hanel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The phenomena of an organism's preference to perform an operant task for a reinforcer rather than obtain the same reinforcer from a freely available source in a choice situation is referred to as the Protestant Ethic Effect (PEE). The present study hypothesized that different strains of rats would demonstrate different levels of work activity when placed in a work versus freeload choice situation.

Three strains of rats (Hooded, Sprague Dawley, and Wistar) were utilized. Each strain consisted of three male and three female animals, 100 to 110 days of age at the beginning of training. All subjects were trained to …

Probability Learning In Prey Selection With A Great Horned Owl And A Red-Tailed Hawk, Deborah L. Mueller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the hunting strategies of birds of prey in a probability learning situation. One great horned owl and one red-tailed hawk served as subjects. Three boxes and associated perches, each representing different potential prey areas, were placed in a room adjacent to the birds' regular housing and served as test apparatus. One box were required to land on a perch in order to gain access to the associated box and to the potential prey. A discrete-trial, self-correction procedure was used. In Experiment I, Box 1 was loaded with a live laboratory mouse on …

Predicting Leader Emergence Within Fielder's Contingency Model Of Leadership Effectiveness, Helen Ferguson Daniel

Master's Theses

Eighteen fourman groups consisting of female undergraduates at the University of Richmond participated in problem-solving tasks within the restrictions of an all-channel communication network. Each subject was chosen by her scores on Fiedler' s (1967) Least-preferred co-worker (LPC) scale. The hypothesis that low LPC Ss would emerge as group leaders under the conditions of Octant II of Fiedler's contingency model was not supported by the nominations of twelve groups. Two-factor ANOV s showed non­ significant time differences over time for the four leadership conditions. These results are consistent with the Rice and Chemers (1973) findings which indicate that Fiedler' s …

Auditory Or Visual Perception : Which Is The Better Predictor Of Reading Comprehension, Thomas Spencer Chalkley Jr.

Master's Theses

All first and third graders from a surburban public school were administered the Kerby Learning Modalities Test (KLMT) and the Metropolitan Achievement Test Battery (MAT). The relationship between the MAT reading compre­ hension subtest percentile scores, the KLMT overall visual percentile scores, and the KLMT overall auditory percentile scores were explored through the use of Regression Analysis and other correlational techniques. The various correlations were used in several prediction models. There was no significant difference (p> .01) between the .full model predicting Reading Comprehension (RC) with Auditory (A) and Visual (V) and the restricted model predicting RC with A; however …

The Use Of Territory As A Natural Reinforcer In The Modification Of Academic Performance And Disruptive Classroom Behaviors, Sherwin Lynnwood Davis

Master's Theses

Emphasis is currently being placed upon the use of low-cost, naturally occurring reinforcers in classroom behavior modification programs. The effectiveness of students'territorial space as a natural reinforcer for social and academic classroom behaviors was investigated. Using the multiple baseline technique, student access to territorial space was systematically manipulated in an attempt to decelerate out-of-seat behaviors and to increase the percentage of assignments completed and graded either satisfactory or excellent. Student vocalization was also monitored; it was predicted that increases in desired academic behaviors would produce reciprocal decreases in vocalization. Finally, a fading procedure was utilized to remove gross territorial markings …

A Parametric Analysis Of Memory Retrieval In A Drug Dependent Learning Paradigm, James Kyle Timmons

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

State-Dependent learning (SDL) is the failure of learning to transfer from one drug state to another. State dependent learning was demonstrated and disrupted in an escape learning task. Male hooded rats were trained to escape shock in a modified T-maze. The rats were trained in either the drug (ethyl alcohol) state or the non-drug (water) state. The Transfer (T) group of rats were subjected to a 1 kHz tone during training and testing. The SDL groups were not. The results indicated that disruption of state dependent learning occurred in the T groups. That is, learning transferred across drug states. This …

Does The "Draw-A-Male-And-A-Female" Test Show Male-Female Relationship?, Paul Charles Hatch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study investigated the "Draw-A-Male-And-A-Female" test to find if this variation of the "Draw-A-Person" test was a valid measure of male-female relationship variables, i.e., compatibility, happiness, warmth, and interpersonal anxiety and conflict. Two groups varying with respect to relationship (married group vs divorced group) were tested. A high school group was also tested. Three psychologists rated the drawings into a positive or a negative relationship group. If the male and female figures in the drawing had the appearance of warmth or pleasantness between each other, seemed compatible, and looked free from interpersonal anxiety or conflict, the picture was placed …

The Effect Of Patterned Visual Stimulation On Visual Activity And Feeding Behavior During The Feeding Period In Human Newborn Infants, Robert H. Anderson

Student Work

The relationship between patterned visual stimulation and behavior in newborn human infants has been studied in a variety of situations (Fantz, 196 3; Hershenson, 1965; Haith, 1965; Bruner, 1968; Salapatek, 1968; Wagner, 1972; Friedman 1972; Boismier, 1972). Typically, the effect of visual stimulation on the behavior of newborn infants during the feeding period has not been studied. This omission may in part be related to studies by Haith (1965) and Bruner (1968) who, in the investigation of the effects of visual stimulation on nonnutritive.sucking rates, concluded that newborns are virtually incapable of looking and sucking at the same time. Bruner, …

The Effectiveness Of Training For Empathy In Pre-Service Teacher Education, John Bruce Jessen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The specific objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of training on understanding empathy in the teacher training process.

Subjects were Utah State University students enrolled in Elementary Education during winter quarter 1976. The experimental group was composed of 34 subjects and the control group of 27 subjects.

Both groups were administered a pretest. The experimental group then received the treatment which consisted of a training program designed to help them to be able to (1) define, (2) recognize instances of, and (3) to emit empathic behavior. At the conclusion of the training program both the experimental and …

Programmed Interpersonal Relations Training For High School Students, Leland J. Winger Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of the Basic Interpersonal Relations program as a facilitator of interpersonal relations for high school students.

Three intact classes of high school introductory psychology students were used to contrast the effectiveness of the Basic Interpersonal Relations program as shown by the experimental group with a treatment-control group receiving didactic instruction, and with a no-treatment control group. All subjects were pretested with the following instruments: Attitude Toward Others Scale (MMPI), Attitude Toward Self Scale (MMPI), Rotter's Internal- External Control Scale, and an achievement test based on the content of the Basic …

Effect Of Feeding Frequency And Caloric Intake On Weight Reduction In Obese Females, Richard Robert Weber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Forty-five obese female volunteers were randomly assigned to one of six experimental groups required to consume their daily food intake according to the following feeding frequencies: (a) three isocaloric meals, (b) six isocaloric meals, (c) three isocaloric vii meals, (d) three meals in the proportion of 1/4:1/4:2/4, (e) six isocaloric meals, and (f) ad libitum (i.e., eight or more isocaloric meals). Members of the first two groups received dietary, nutritional, and exercise management information, while women in the remaining groups received instruction in behavioral control procedures in addition to the aforementioned educative treatment.

Experimental manipulations failed to produce a statistically …

Telephone Crisis Intervention: Empathy And Conceptual Level, Paul J. Seymour

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The telephone crisis intervention service at Utah State University (Help-Line) was evaluated in order to make the training program accountable and to produce recommendations for improvement in volunteer training.

Help-Line training teaches a "non-directive" counseling model and incorporates experiential sensitivity type exercises, didactic discussion, and role playing.

Help-Line volunteers were assessed by two methods. The first was a pretest-posttest control group design. Training was the independent variable and the discrimination of core conditions (as measured by the Crisis Center Discrimination Index) and the communication of empathy (as measured by the Crisis Center Communication Index) were the dependent variables. The Indexes …

Interpersonal Relations And Drug Use And Abuse, Larry J. Carlson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to make comparisons among regular marijuana users, heroin addicts and nondrug users on interpersonal dimensions of personality. Two interpersonal oriented instruments, the Interpersonal Check List (ICL) and the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) were used to evaluate differences among these three groups.

The design of this study was a three group comparison. Each of these three groups contained between 28 and 30 subjects with age, education and socioeconomic level being controlled for in selection.

Three hypotheses were made directing investigation of the following three areas: One, discrepancy between the self and the ideal self …

The Relationship Between Self Concept And Children's Figure Drawings, Marta Lynn Severson Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study investigated the relationship between self concept and children's figure drawings. The principle variable under consideration in each child's drawing were (a) size of drawing and (b) number of colors used. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale (Fitts, 1965) was administered to 80 students selected from the seventh grade at Logan Junior High School, Logan, Utah.

The subjects were then instructed to draw a picture of themselves. No further instructions were given regarding specific details of the requested picture. Ten colored pencils along with a regular pencil were made available to each student. No instructions were given as to …

The Effect Of Reinforcers On The Verbal Behavior Of Headstart Children, Deloris Floyd

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study attempted to assess the effect of a speech contingency reinforcement, administered by an interacting adult, to increase the number of word units uttered during test administration. More specifically, the experiment attempted to see if lower class children when given a reinforcer would take more time in giving elaborated and scorable responses on specific items, thereby raising their score on those items. Their performance was compared to lower class children who were not given the reinforcer. Fifty children from the Warren County 1973 summer Headstart program were used as subjects. The treatment conditions included a control group given no …