Digital Commons Network^™

Social Play And Play-Soliciting By Infant Canids, Marc Bekoff

Ethology Collection

The development of social interaction was studied in infant coyotes, beagles, and wolves. In this paper, social play behavior is discussed. Social play may be characterized in a number of ways: (i) actions from various contexts are incorporated into labile (unpredictable) temporal sequences; (ii) the "play bout" is typically preceded by a metacommunicative signal which indicates "what follows is play"; these signals are also observed during the bout; (iii) certain actions may be repeated and performed in an exaggerated manner; (iv) the activity appears "pleasurable" to the players.

By comparing these three species, some insight into the dynamics of social …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Woman's Roles And Career Choices Of Women Graduate Students, Barbara Backstrand

Dissertations and Theses

The purposes of the present study were to explore how American college women view their roles and whether or not women who choose not-traditional-for-women (NTW) careers have more or less social support from significant others for that choice than women who choose traditional-for-women (TW) careers. A related question asked whether aspects of a woman's personal history predict her role attitudes and behavior as an adult.

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of The Planetarium And The Classroom In The Teaching Of Constellations, Theodore V. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated three methods of teaching constellation recognition to different age groups. The treatments were: (1) teaching constellations in the classroom by means of 35mm slides of hand drawn constellation star fields, (2) teaching constellations in the planetarium by means of 35mm slides of hand drawn constellation star fields, and (3) teaching constellations by means of a planetarium sky, and the Ss represented three age categories: children, teenagers, and adults. The total number of Ss completing the study was 103. The results of the analysis indicated: (1) regardless of treatment all age groups performed approximately the same when evaluated …

Hemispheric Asymmetries For Visual Processing Of Familiar Figures In Normal Man, Charles M Herndon

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

State-Dependent Learning With Caffeine, Barbara A. Cooper

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction

• The study investigates state-dependent (SD) learning, where performance is influenced by the drug state during learning.
• Caffeine, a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, is the focus, with high doses administered to subjects.
• The research aims to determine if caffeine can serve as a discriminative stimulus in a T-maze shock escape task.

Method

• Subjects: 20 naive male albino rats, selected based on activity levels.
• Experimental design involved two groups: one receiving caffeine and the other saline.
• The T-maze apparatus was used for training and testing, with specific dimensions and shock delivery mechanisms.

Procedure

• A 30-minute free exploration period was conducted …

Physical Fatigue As A Discriminative Cue In Choice Learning In The T-Maze, Robert L. Detty

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It has been found that animals which have acquired a response while under the influence of a drug , fail to emit this response when subsequently tested while nondruggedo Likewise, animals which have acquired a response while nondrugged fail to emit this response when subsequently drugged. However, under both conditions, Ss emlt the response when retested in the original condition. either drugged or nondrugged. Thus, the presence of the response appears to be conditional upon the drug state of the organism during acquisition. This phenomenon has been called state dependent (StD) or dissociative learning (Overton, 1964). Dissociation apparently varies along …

The Impact Of Psychiatric Ward Programming On Patient Habilitation: The Relative Merits Of Systematic Contingency Management, Noncontingent Milieu, And No Formal Ward Programs, Victor J. Bernstein

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Negative Transfer As A Measure Of Thought Disorder In The Psychoses, Eileen S. Trafimow

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cognitive Concreteness-Abstractness And Social Competence, Dale A. Brounstein

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Occurrence Of Contrast Effects In Observers' Ratings Of Participants In A Leaderless Group Discussion And The Subsequent Reduction Of Contrast Effects Through The Provision Of Visual And Verbal Standards Of Performance, Emmett Lloyd Lipscomb

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Study On The Simultaneous Transmission Of Incongruent Information, Dennis Keith Smeltzer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided by author.

The Application Of Information Theory To A Single Visual Search Task, Charles F. Gidcumb

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Ten Personality Variables And Their Effect On Esp Clairvoyance Test Results, Terry L. Foreman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this present research study was to construct a paper and pencil test that would measure college students' ability to use extra sensory perception (ESP).

During recent years it has been found that certain personality variables correlate with ESP scoring. For example, the ability to handle stress and conflict situations (Rhine, 1952; Hudesman & Schmeidler, 1971) and adaptability (Schmeidler, 1954; Shields, 1962; Stanford, 1964; Hudesman & Schmeidler, 1971) have been shown to be important personality factors in Ss who score high on ESP tests.

However, few experimenters have been able to clearly define the personality characteristics which identify …

Predicting Delinquent Sub-Types With The Social History Questionnaire, Charles S. Sulcer

Masters Theses

A major problem encountered in the juvenile courts concerns the large number of young offenders placed on probation, as well as the seriousness of their violations. Representative studies by Jenkins and Glickman (1947), Hathaway and Monachesi (1953), and Shinohara and Jenkins (1967) have pointed out the complexities of delinquent behavior by indicating that most legal authorities are often unable to determine who will repeat illegal acts.

This problem necessitates some objective approach toward identifying potential repeaters and non-repeaters. Such a technique would be useful in studying the early stages of delinquent behavior and provide a means of studying the growing …

Variables Relating To The Community Adjustment Of Female Adolescents From A Residential Treatment Facility, Cheryl Dworak Cox

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship of certain possible prognostic variables and the success or failure of 41 adolescent girls in adjusting to the community after being discharged from a mental health institution. The possible prognostic variables were divided into three sets: individual variables, institutional variables, and community variables. The individual variables were (1) time of onset of the problem: (2) peer group involvement as shown by amount of time spent with peers and age of peers: (3) probationary status prior to admissions: (4) academic achievement level at discharge as shown by grade level and reading level: (5) preinstitutional school adjustment …

The Relationship Of Sex-Role Identification And Achievement Motivation To Self-Esteem In Male And Female College Students, Anne B. Stericker

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Application Of Operant Conditioning In An Organizational Setting, Patricia Jo Knight

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Rationality And Irrationality In Development, Bernard Kaplan

Heinz Werner Lectures

Unbound manuscript

The Effect Of Race, Induced Expectancy, And Individual Presenters, On White Raters Using Graphic Rating Scales To Record Their Judgement Decisions, William Hart Schultz

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Reduction In Dependence Upon Group As A Source Of Influence On Field Dependence, James L. Antram

All Master's Theses

Recent research has cast doubt on Witkin's stability hypothesis of the field-dependence-independence dimension. Prior research suggested reduction of external field influences results in a decrease in level of field-dependence. It was hypothesized for this study that a reduction in dependence upon a group as a source of influence would result in a concomitant reduction in level of field-dependence as measured by the Witkin Rod-and-Frame Test.

A Comparison On The State Dependent Effects Of Electroconvulsive Shock And Physostigmine On A Choice Task, Candace Susanne Brown

All Master's Theses

Two experiments compared the state-dependent effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and physostigmine relative to a normal state (saline or no injection). Rats were trained in a water T maze using a discrimination-training paradigm. In Experiment 1, discrimination was found between the ECS- and normal state. However, response control was strongest in the ECS-0 treatment-training order and on non-ECS training sessions. In Experiment 2, dissociation also occurred but was more pronounced in the P-0 (physostigmine-saline) treatment-training order and on the saline training sessions. Results from both experiments indicate learning is most rapid in the treatment-no treatment training order and that a …

The Generalizability Of Learned Helplessness, Ian J. Grabenhorst

All Master's Theses

While it has been experimentally demonstrated that "learned helplessness" can be conditioned in a number of species, the subjects commonly employed have been dogs. This paper presents an attempt to investigate "learned helplessness" in rats (a variant of the Long-Evans strain), and examine the question of its generalizability from shock as an aversive stimulus to noise. It also explores the possible generality of "helplessness" to exploratory behavior in an open field. The results demonstrated that the Ss were susceptible to "helplessness" conditioning across shock conditions; however, "helplessness" did not generalize across shock to noise conditions. The present study also showed …

The Relationship Of Verbal And Symbolic Mediation To Induced Meaning, Dennis G. Groome

All Master's Theses

Four experimental groups were presented nine induced-meaning training trials with 20 CVC stimuli and either abstract or concrete noun, picture alone, or picture plus noun responses. Two control groups received no training trials. Two experimental groups were required to learn associations and the other two simply viewed S-R pairings. Half the groups in each condition generated images and the other half generated word associates to 12 nouns and 20 CVCs. No evidence of induced meaning or of active versus passive learning differences was found. Suggestions for more effective experimental procedures are made.

Reversal Shift Performance By Young Children As A Function Of Stimulus Presentation Mode, Beverly Faye Miller

All Master's Theses

The present study required three groups of Ss (gifted preschoolers, average preschoolers, and first graders) to solve a reversal shift (R). It was hypothesized that greater verbal competency among any of the three groups would lead to superior performance on the R shift. The results indicated that first graders performed significantly better than the average preschool children on the R shift. Also the performance of the first graders was reliably superior to the gifted children on one postshift phase analysis; on the remaining postshift comparisons a visual trend in the same direction was observed. Three separate stimulus presentation modes were …

Ideal And Real Self Concept Disparity: A Temporal/Educational Comparison, Maurice Marvin Sanders

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a comparison concerning the effects of age and formal education upon the self-esteem or self-value of individuals. Four groups -- Freshman, Seniors, and their non-college peers -- described their ideal and real selves, using the modified California Q-Sort. Statistical comparison of absolute differences by group showed age to be significant, education not significant, and the interaction very significant. Freshman were significantly the lowest in self-esteem.

Recommendations included the application of these findings concerning Freshman and suggestions for additional research.

Learning Of Facilitative Interpersonal Skills In Para-Professional Training, H. A. Suffron

All Master's Theses

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of Helping skills: a basic training program in the acquisition of facilitative interpersonal skills. A Solomon Four Group Design was used with 34 upper division college students as Ss. Analysis of variance and post-hoc comparisons revealed significant effects on measures of interpersonal skills. Analysis of a questionnaire revealed positive outcomes and suggested improvements for the program. It was concluded that the program merits further research and application.

Locus Of Control And Achievement Incentive In A Risk Taking Situation, Frederick Gordon Carr

All Master's Theses

High and low achievement incentive conditions on the risk taking behavior of subjects identified on the Rotter Internal-External Control Scale as having orientations of internal or external control were examined.

The study involved tossing balls at a target in which subjects chose throwing distances. Successes from greater distances were worth more points. A five dollar incentive was offered to half the subjects.

Males took higher risks than females but no other significant differences were found.

The Effects Of Pattern Of Extraneous Auditory Stimuli And Sex On Vigilance Performance, Paul G. Fisher

All Master's Theses

Eighty introductory-level psychology student volunteers performed a sweep-clock perceptual vigilance task. Each subject was exposed to one of four noise conditions: 65-dB constant noise, 100-dB constant noise, 100-dB regularly-intermittent noise and 100-dB variable intermittent noise. No overall effects of pattern of presentation schedule of noise on performance were found. Time-related changes in three measures, correct detections, reaction times, and incorrect detections plus sex differences in reaction times, were found. In the regularly-intermittent condition females showed a greater time-related decrement in correct detections than males and made fewer incorrect detections. With intermittent background stimulation the time-related change in incorrect detection rates …

Reality Conceptualization As A Factor In Socialization And Adjustment, Glen A. Frese

All Master's Theses

Forty-four high school students were involved in one of three separate classes. The target class received a conceptual framework and practice in identifying assumptions and evaluating their consequences. The object was to teach a process of self-evaluation. The other students received their regular class work. The POI was administered before and after to measure changes in values. The results were not significant but raised a question involving the structure through which behaviors and values are learned and internalized.

Spatial Orientation Of Children In Dyads With Female Adults, Susan Menig Karstetter

All Master's Theses

Subjects were requested to enter the experimental setting, choose a chair, and sit while speaking to an adult female who listened to the child for two minutes. The distance and angle of seating were measured and studied with regard to the age, sex, grade level, height, handedness, academic achievement, size of chair used, and the listener.

The results indicated that seating distance was influenced by the sex, age and height of the subject and size of chair chosen. The angle of seating chosen was influenced by the sex and height of the subject and the size of chair chosen. It …