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Behavioural Budgeting By Wild Coyotes: The Influence Of Food Resources And Social Organization, Marc Bekoff, Michael C. Wells

Ethology Collection

Daytime behavioural budgets of coyotes (Canis latrans) living in the Grand Teton National Park Jackson, Wyoming, were analysed in order to determine how activity patterns ' ere influenced by food resources and social organization. In winter coyotes rested more-and hunted less than in other seasons. Pack-living coyotes rested more and travelled less than resident pairs or solitary resident or transients during winter months when the major food resource was ungulate (predominantly elk, Cervus canadensis) carrion. A mated female living in a pack rested significantly more and travelled significantly less than a mated female living only with her mate (as a …

Visual And Auditory Attention In Hyperactive And Normal Boys, Ronald T. Brown

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Written Instructions And Videotape Modeling On The Quality Of Performance Feedback Provided For Subordinates, Ileana Habsburg-Snyder

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of instructions and modeling in training supervisors to provide performance feedback to their subordinates. Four part-time supervisors served as subjects. An across subjects multiple-baseline design was used which employed a baseline phase, an instructions phase and a modeling phase. Data were collected on the percentage of component behaviors performed during roleplay test sessions and actual performance reviews. Modeling and instructions were found to be equally effective in training, however, a sequential presentation of both methods increased performance substantially. The effects of transfer of training were also examined. The results suggest that …

The Early Career Of James Mark Baldwin, 1881-1893 A Bibliography And An Introduction, Karin E. Wetmore

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will be an historical project dealing with the early career of James Mark Baldwin, a very important figure in the development of modern experimental psychology out of the older philosophical psychology in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. The paper will focus on clarifying the specific details of Baldwin's early career and psychological work. This aim addresses the current need in the work of the history of psychology to establish an accurate picture of the historical events. This recovery and reconstruction of the historical data is pre-requisite to the more complete historical task. Gathering the raw historical …

The Effect Of Active-Participation With Feedback In A Videotape, Discrimination-Training Program, Stephen M. Brewer

Masters Theses

With the use of a multiple-baseline design, the present experiment examined the effect of three training conditions on the acquisition of tutoring techniques in four volunteer college students. The three training conditions were: (1) Guidelines, subjects read and were tested over a manuscript; (2) Passive-Participation Without Feedback, subjects viewed 15 vignettes of a model's correct and incorrect use of tutoring techniques without receiving feedback on the model's behavior; and (3) Active-Participation With Feedback, subjects actively scored and received feedback on the same videotaped model's use of tutoring techniques. Subjects participated in one of the training conditions once at the beginning …

An Analysis Of The Behavioral Consequences Of An Attendance Bonus Program, David William Smith

Masters Theses

Absenteeism is one of the most expensive and complex problems faced by management. Previous efforts to ameliorate attendance problems have focused on demographical analysis of absent workers, providing information of little value in designing remedial programs. The current project is an analysis of an Attendance Bonus Program in terms of contingencies of reinforcement. Six hundred union employees of a manufacturing plant served as subjects, with two comparison plants of 100 and 600 employees as comparative populations. Analysis of the prevailing contingencies identified a number of deficiencies. Attendance reinforcement aspects were appropriate, but a response criterion needs to be established. The …

Choice As A Dependent Measure In Autoshaping: Sensitivity To Frequency And Duration Of Food Presentation, Mitchell Jon Picker

Masters Theses

Previous investigations have shown that rate, latency, and percentage of trials with at least one response are somewhat insensitive measures of the strength of autoshaped responding. In two experiments, nine pigeons were exposed to an autoshaping procedure in which the successive presentation of three stimuli were followed by food on either 100%, 50%, or 0% of the trials. Choice testing involved the simultaneous presentation of the three stimuli. In Experiment I, all pigeons consistently directed their initial choice responses and the majority of subsequent responses to the stimulus always followed by food. In Experiment II, rate, latency, and percentage of …

Response Latency: A Function Of Within-Session Differences In Intertrial Interval, Training History, Cue Condition, And Ratio Requirement, James Bryant Nuzzo

Masters Theses

Skinner has suggested that latency does not vary in an orderly manner and short latencies result from the development of effective waiting behavior not specified by the experimental contingencies. Recent experimentation has found latency to vary as a function of a within-session difference in parameters of reinforcement correlated with two components of a discrete-trial multiple schedule. Also found was the attenuation of within-session differences in latencies with the change in intertrial interval (ITI) from 5 seconds to 20 seconds. This suggests that the ITI may be variable which controls latency. This study investigated the effect on latency of within-session differences …

A Functional Analysis Of Response Contingent Full Physical Guidance, Richard J. Jackle

Masters Theses

Two experiments were conducted in this study of effects of full physical guidance (folding the subjects' hands) that was made contingent on a mechanically defined leg movement response. Two severely mentally impaired adolescents served as subjects. Experiment I compared the effects of baseline and contingent full physical guidance procedures upon the leg movement response. Experiment I I compared the effects of several procedures incorporating full physical guidance to ones which developed operant baselines of leg movement responses. The results Indicated that full physical guidance functioned as an evocative stimulus for Subject 1 and as mild reinforcement for Subject 2.

The Effects Of Performance Appraisal On Staff Performance, Steven S. Armstrong

Masters Theses

Performance appraisals are increasing in numbers, but their effectiveness has little empirical validation. A major objective of the present study was to examine the effects of performance appraisals on the actual performance of supervisees. In addition, it assessed the effect of qualitative, rather than quantitative statements by supervisors. Five staff members participated in this study while working as teaching assistants. Ten dependent variables were observed and recorded per individual, after which the experimenter reviewed the baseline data and targeted six dependent variables for change, based on their low frequencies. The independent variable consisted of a performance appraisal which was a …

Remediation Efforts For Hyperactivity: Training In Attention Or Inhibitory Control, Ronald T. Brown

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Peer Training Of High-Risk Low-Frequency Staff Behaviors In An Institutional Setting, Richard Aart Van Den Pol

Dissertations

Four experienced and four newly employed psychiatric attendants were assessed on their performance of three high-risk low-frequency behaviors during simulated emergencies. The three skills measured were Convulsive Seizure Management, Fire Safety Procedures, and Self-Defense. Each of the behaviors directly affected the safety and well-being of staff and retarded residents of the facility. The experienced employees, labelled "Trainers", received a series of workshops on how to perform and teach the requisite skills to other staff. Following each workshop, according to a multiple baseline across skills experimental design, the Trainers each taught one new staff member, labelled "Trainee" how to perform the …

Attitude-Behavior Relationships: A Comparison Of The Fishbein-Ajzen And Bentler-Speckart Models, Arlene J. Fredericks

Student Work

This study compared the Fishbein-Ajzen (1975) model of attitude-behavior relationships with Bentler-Speckart's (1979) modifications of the model. Subjects were 236 undergraduate college students and the measures of behavior were repeated self-reports of class attendance. An analysis of linear structural relationships, using multiple indicators for each underlying construct, supported the Bentler-Speckart addition to the Fishbein- Aj zen model of prior behavior as a direct causal influence on both subsequent behavior and behavioral intentions. However, consistent with the original Fishbein-Ajzen model, a direct causal path from attitude to subsequent behavioral intentions was not found. Directions for future studies and respecification of the …

A Comparison Of Self-Esteem And Health Locus Of Control In Adolescents With Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Janice Mace

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study was a descriptive survey establishing a baseline level of self-esteem and health locus of control in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) adolescents. The purpose of the research was to study and describe health behaviors of IDDM adolescents in regards to self-concept and health locus of control. These behaviors are believed to have life-long ramifications on the IDDM adolescent's health status.

The sample consisted of 91 IDDM adolescents, 34 male and 57 female, in a nonrandom convenience cluster attending a 10-day summer camp.

Null hypothesis one was: Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus would make no difference at the .05 level …

The Relationship Between Knowledge Of Teamwork, Satisfaction, And Perceived Performance Effectiveness Among Professional Human Service Teams, Sonya Monroe-Clay

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between knowledge of teamwork, performance, and satisfaction in members of human service teams. Team Knowledge was conceptualized as encompassing four critical areas: Personal-Interpersonal, Team Environment, Team Leadership, and Team Processing.

Research findings in the literature point to certain general benefits of the team model. Nevertheless, some teams are dysfunctional, which may be reflected in poor performance and low morale or satisfaction. Lack of knowledge about teamwork was identified as a possible contributor to such problems.

A major hypothesis of the present study was that there is a direct relationship between team knowledge and satisfaction, team …

Behavioral Observation Versus Behavioral Expectation Rating Scales: Development And Psychometric Properties, Calvin C. Hoffman

Student Work

Rating scales to assess the level of proficiency of human performance have come in a wide variety of formats. The objectives of the scales, types of questions asked, and procedures followed vary widely. Prior to 1960, most rating scales utilized what is known as the graphic format. According to Guion (1965) the rating scale was relied on in 81% of the validation studies using rating scales. While this has declined somewhat (Landy § Trumbo, 1976) performance ratings still play a major part in validation. This study will compare behavioral observation and behavioral expectation scales in terms of psychometric properties. Central …

Developmental Changes In Fantasy Play The Years Two To Six And The Relationship Of Social Cognition, Diane Cole

Student Work

Fantasy play is a very general type of play and includes most types of pretending, whereas symbolic and dramatic play are specific types of pretending. There has been much controversy surrounding the age at which a child initially develops the ability to role-take, and the relationship between play and role-taking,. This study examined age and sex differences in eight categories of fantasy play— substitution, attribution of function, animation, insubstantial material, insubstantial situation, character attribution, dramatic, and other play. Relationships were also examined between play categories and egocentrism, role-taking, and verbal IQ. The subjects were 78 two- and six-year olds who …

A Nonvocal Method For Teaching Reading And Spelling To The Deaf, Amy A. Barmeier

Dissertations

Teaching reading and spelling to the deaf requires materials and methods which compensate for the two problems of the deaf child. The first is that the deaf typically have a small verbal history in either the sign language or lipreading modes. The second is that the deaf cannot identify unknown written words by phonetically sounding them out. In comparison, the hearing child has sophisticated sounding out skills and an extensive auditory-vocal history.

The seven experiments in this research investigated a method for teaching vocabulary comprehension and spelling to the deaf which assumed neither a verbal history with respect to the …

The Interpersonal Dimensions Of Depression As Differentiated By Cognitive Style, Frederick Tobias Sulier

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between field dependence-independence cognitive style and the interpersonal behavior of depressives. The interpersonal behavior of depressives ranges from passive and withdrawn to hostile and aggressive. This wide variety of depressed interpersonal behavior has not been satisfactorily explained by research or clinical observation.

Reseach results have indicated that field dependent (FD) and field independent (FI) people differ in their interpersonal behavior. Nondepressed FD people are often oriented towards people, whereas nondepressed FI people are usually oriented away from other people. It was hypothesized that these interpersonal orientations would also apply to …

Women’S Roles And Vulnerability To Depression, Monika Johanna Haussmann

Dissertations

In this study, social-psychological variables were explored in the etiology of depression in women. Depression was examined as a function of undesirable life events, occupational and marital roles, and four vulnerability variables: (a) high relational and low direct achieving style, (b) dominance of partner, (c) powerlessness, and (d) negative attitudes toward feminism. The purpose of the study was to examine whether women in varying occupational and marital status groups would differ in degree of depression, proposed vulnerability variables, and selected background variables. The relationship of vulnerability and background variables to depression was explored.

It was hypothesized that vulnerability variables and …

Factorial Structure Of The Hamilton Rating Scale For Depression, Kevin Page O'Brien

Dissertations and Theses

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS), a 17-item observer-rated scale, was first developed in 1960 to assess the severity of depressive symptomatology in patients diagnosed as suffering from depression. The HRS has since demonstrated high inter-rater reliability (with coefficients ranging from .87 to .94), and has proven useful in measuring changes of severity following treatment.

Since its development, the HRS has been the focus of several factor analytic investigations, four of which attempted to assess the instrument for factorial invariance. Factorial invariance refers to the generalizability or applicability of dimensions developed from one sample to another. While some consensus …

Teaching Skill Generalization: Metacognitive And Mnemonic Training Of Educable Mentally Retarded Children, Leslie Z. Paige

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Although previous research has shown that EMR children can be trained to use mnemonic techniques, they are unable to spontaneously transfer this training to dissimilar tasks. In the present study, 18 EMR children were divided into two equal groups. The IM group was trained to use a mnemonic/meta-cognitive strategy for a PA task, and the C group received no training. After training, both groups were tested for their recall of PA (Maintenance), MA (Near Generalization), and FR (Far Generalization) items immediately after training (Immediate Test) and two weeks later (Delayed Test). The IM group recalled significantly more and studied longer …

Children's Anxiety Management Program: Its Effects On School Anxiety, Defensiveness & Self-Disparagement, Wayne Herner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Anxiety and stress are factors which affect children's day to day functioning. It affects their psychological, physiological, and social functioning. This in turn causes children to do poorly in academics, have poor interpersonal relationships, acquire many fears and phobias, and develop many somatic complaints (e.g., muscle tension, speech disturbances, hypertension, etc.). Children who experience stress and who do not learn to cope with it effectively are likely to have problems as adults. Therefore, the Children's Anxiety Management Program (C.A.M.P.) was initiated to a group of 5th and 6th grade school children in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The purpose of the program …

An Educational-Counseling Program On Public Law 94-142 For Parents Of School-Aged Educable Mentally Handicapped Children, Patricia Coakley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The passage of Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, mandates that parents of a handicapped child must be included in the educational planning and placement procedures for their child. The law requires (1) parent counseling and (2) parent participation in the planning of the child’s educational career. Yet almost six years after the passage of Public Law 94-142, the role of parent which emerges today appears to be one of passive involvement in the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process. The literature suggests this lack of active participation possibly stems from several sources: the parents’ …

The Relationship Between A Mother's Knowledge Of Human Sexual Reproduction And Her Child Rearing Attitudes Toward Her Preschool Child's Emerging Sexuality, Susan F. Mcgolrick

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Two hundred mothers were contacted through the child care center in which they placed their preschool child. They were tested on the Parent Attitude Research Instrument, which measures maternal attitudes toward child rearing, and the 24 Item Miller Fisk Sexual Knowledge Questionnaire, which measures knowledge of human sexual reproduction. A correlational analysis of the scores on these instruments revealed that mothers with high authoritarian and controlling attitudes toward children and children's emerging sexuality have a low level of sexual knowledge (r = -.65, p < .0001). It was also determined that single parent mothers are significantly more authoritarian and controlling in their child rearing attitudes (p = .05) than mothers in other family structures, i.e., original family intact, step/blended family, or divorced/separated family. Mothers of children in Head Start, as compared with mothers of children in university-based child care, corporate/private care, or church-affiliated child care, demonstrated the lowest level of sexual knowledge, (p = .05). These findings are important in the development of a comprehensive, systematic sex education program for parents.

A Validation Study Of The Federal Aviation Administration's Assessment Center For Facility Chiefs, Nancy K. Blagg

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Department Of Psychology Course Schedule For The Masters Program Summer Session 1981, Nova University

College of Psychological Services / College of Psychology Postgraduate Student and Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Of Goal Setting, Extrinsic Motivation And Performance Outcome To Expectancies, Causal Attributions, And Goal Acceptance And Commitment, Nelson Adrian

Student Work

Locke’s (1968) theory of goal setting stipulates that specific, hard goals, if accepted, lead to better performance than do less difficult goals. Locke suggests that conscious intentions are the underlying determinants of performance. However, Locke was more concerned with testing the results of these conscious intentions (goals) than with understanding the cognitions and motivation behind them. While some research has begun to consider the motivational components of goal setting (e.g., Terborg, 1976) very little attention has been given to the factors which determine goal acceptance.

Recently, Mento, Cartledge, and Locke (1980) have suggested that Valence-Instrumentality-Expectancy (VIE) theory may provide a …

Disabled Women: Sexism Without The Pedestal, Michelle Fine, Adrienne Asch

Publications and Research

The position of the disabled woman in current U.S. society deserves political, theoretical and empirical attention. In this paper we have delineated the economic, social and psychological constraints which place her at a distinct disadvantage, relative to disabled men and nondisabled women. We evaluate the ways in which having a disability is viewed as an impediment to traditional or nontraditional sex role development. The construct rolelessness is introduced, defined and examined. We conclude with reconmiendations for needed research and policy.

Relationship Between The Empathy Levels Of Dental Hygiene Students And Their Teachers, Claudia Hudak Sanderlin

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

This investigation assessed empathy in first year, second year, and graduate dental hygiene students, and dental hygiene educators. Change in empathy levels of students and educators over one academic year was determined by taking repeated measures of the dependent variable, empathy, as measured by the Hogan Empathy Scale, A convenience sample of subjects from two universities was included in this study.

Empathy scores were compared and analyzed by a three-way analysis of variance at the .05 level of significance and also three separate one-way analyses, Results established that graduate students and educators score significantly higher in empathy than first and …