Digital Commons Network^™

A Correlational Study: The 1-Minute Measure Of Homonymy And Intelligibility, Tamra Leanne Day

Dissertations and Theses

Identifying the severity level of unintelligibility objectively and efficiently holds critical clinical implications for speech assessment and intervention needs. The speech of children who demonstrate phonological deviations is frequently unintelligible. The use of an accurate and time-efficient measurement of intelligibility is necessary to screen children who may be producing phonological patterns that contribute to significantly reduced intelligibility in connected speech.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of concurrent validity between scores received on the 1-Minute Measure of Homonymy and Intelligibility (Hodson, 1992) and speech intelligibility as measured by the percent of words understood in connected speech. …

The Effect Of Psychological Gender And Self-Monitoring On Leader Emergence And Leader Behavior, Janet Day Goldsmith

Dissertations and Theses

Leadership has traditionally been associated with masculine sex-type characteristics. Feminine characteristics have been undervalued or even viewed as a liability. One result of this is a diminished number of women in leadership roles.

Masculine sex-typed characteristics, such as self-reliance, assertiveness and analysis are associated with task-oriented behavior or a production emphasis. However, organizational research has shown that the most effective leaders engage in not only task-oriented behavior but also relationship-oriented behavior. Consideration for employees, or relationship-oriented behavior, has been associated with feminine sex-type characteristics (e.g., compassionate, loyal, and understanding). Thus research indicates that, contrary to popular belief, an individual who …

Dance Of Dreams, Michael Creger

Dissertations and Theses

It seems that the world does not exist in the way that we perceive it. Among the reasons for this are both the inaccuracy of the information gathered by our senses, and the cultural and linguistic structures through which we interpret this sensory information. This thesis and this group of sculptures, exhibited in the Autzen Gallery April 17 - May 10, 1995, are an attempt to address these issues and to point in a direction which may lead to greater understanding of the world and our place within it. Using primarily welded steel, and building from a foundation based on …

Teaching English Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondences To Chinese Students, Li-Ching Lin

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates whether or not instruction of English graphophonic correspondences, i.e., the link between letters and sounds, will help Chinese students in learning English vocabulary. Following other related research, I assume that Chinese students can benefit from instruction of English grapheme-phoneme correspondences in learning English words. If this assumption is true, there should be a statistically significant difference between students who have instruction of English graphophonic correspondences for learning English words and students who do not. 1. Chinese students who have been given lessons in both pronunciation and grapheme-phoneme correspondences will recall more English words on a short-term vocabulary …

The Origins Of Caring: A Study Of The Development Of Coding Categories For Prosocial Behaviors In Very Young Children, Mark W. Schuster

Dissertations and Theses

There has a great deal of research regarding the positive social (prosocial) behaviors of young children. Children have been observed performing a number of different prosocial behaviors, including helping, showing, sharing, and responding to the distress of another. However, most of the previous research was conducted in laboratory settings. In order to describe the first manifestations of prosocial behaviors more accurately, research needs to be conducted in a natural setting. The purpose of the current study was to observe the origins of the prosocial behaviors of young children in a child development center. To accomplish this goal, a research team …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet June 1995, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The June 1995 Monthly packet includes the June agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held May 1995.

Do All Trails Lead To Oregon? An Analysis Of The Characteristics Of People Moving To And From Oregon 1985 - 1990, Howard Wineberg

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

Using 1990 U.S. Census data, this report has documented the characteristics of people moving to and from Oregon between 1985 and 1990. Substantial migration occurred during this time with about 404,000 people moving to Oregon and about 281,000 people leaving Oregon. Approximately one half of the people moving to Oregon came from California and Washington and about 60% of the people leaving Oregon moved to these two states. Differentials were found in the characteristics of in- and out-migrants. In particular, in-migrants were more likely to be below poverty, 65 years of age and older, and have difficulty speaking English than …

Do All Trails Lead To Oregon? An Analysis Of The Characteristics Of People Moving To And From Oregon, Howard Wineberg, Portland State University. Population Research Center

Oregon Population Estimates and Reports

Using 1990 U.S. Census data, this report has documented the characteristics of people moving to and from Oregon between 1985 and 1990. Substantial migration occurred during this time with about 404,000 people moving to Oregon and about 281,000 people leaving Oregon. Approximately one half of the people moving to Oregon came from California and Washington and about 60% of the people leaving Oregon moved to these two states. Differentials were found in the characteristics of in- and out-migrants. In particular, in-migrants were more likely to be below poverty, 65 years of age and older, and have difficulty speaking English than …

Clinical Application Of Two Phonological-Based Treatment Approaches, Holly Kiesz Royer

Dissertations and Theses

This single-subject study was designed to compare the effectiveness of two phonological-based treatment approaches with a preschool male with unintelligible speech characterized by multiple deficient phonological patterns. Four phonological patterns were chosen as targets based on results of the Assessment of Phonological ProcessesRevised (APP-R), as analyzed by the Computer Analysis of Phonological Deviation (CAPO). The subject participated in 60-minute intervention sessions three times a week over an 8-week period. The phonological cycling approach was the focus of 4 weeks of intervention, and the minimal pairs approach was the focus of 4 weeks of intervention. Remediation programs were alternated every 2 …

Functional Uses Of Language In The Conversational Discourse Of A Person With Alzheimer's Disease, Julie Anne Haun

Dissertations and Theses

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is estimated to occur in up to sixteen percent of people between the ages of 75 and 84. Deficits in linguistic skills that effect communication are a hallmark of the disease and have been the primary focus of past Alzheimer's research. Among other deficits, researchers have found that people with Alzheimer's often use indexical expressions without clear referents and convey less information that is relevant to the task they have been asked to perform than healthy subjects. Relatively little research has examined how Alzheimer's subjects use their linguistic knowledge to communicate with …

Alterations, Edith Kay Slusarenko

Dissertations and Theses

My work is not about making big declamatory statements. It's about looking around within my home environment and noticing something and thinking about it. At times (it) is noticed by me as I am passing by a storefront window or browsing through a second-hand store. I never have a clue to what I am looking for until I see it and buy it. Many times I will live with the object for years before deciding to use it as part of my art.

Yet when I decide to use the object(s) I find it important to understand how they have …

Departure And Persistence: Exploring Student Experiences At The Master's Level, Jennifer Lee Zoltanski

Dissertations and Theses

This research explores the events and circumstances that lead to persistence and departure within the sociology master's program at Portland State University. It examines how individual and institutional characteristics interact and influence student decisions to dropout or continue in the master's program. It utilizes Vincent Tinto's (1993) theories of persistence and departure and his concepts of social and academic integration as they apply to sociology master's students. The purpose of the research was to describe how students became socially and academically integrated and how integration influenced patterns of persistence of departure. The aim also was to determine whether background variables …

Application Of A Geographical Information System To Estimate The Magnitude And Frequency Of Floods In The Sandy And Clackamas River Basins, Oregon, Dorie Lynn Brownell

Dissertations and Theses

A geographical information system (GIS) was used to develop a regression model designed to predict flood magnitudes in the Sandy and Clackamas river basins in Oregon. Manual methods of data assembly, input, storage, manipulation and analysis traditionally used to estimate basin characteristics were replaced with automated techniques using GIS-based computer hardware and software components. Separate GIS data layers representing (1) stream gage locations, (2) drainage basin boundaries, (3) hydrography, (4) water bodies, (5) precipitation, (6) landuse/land cover, (7) elevation and (8) soils were created and stored in a GIS data base. Several GIS computer programs were written to automate the …

In Search Of Roots: A Study Of Camus' Autobiographical Le Premier Homme, Judy Ann Davis

Dissertations and Theses

Albert Camus' posthumously published novel, Le Premier Homme, shows a new facet of this great twentieth-century writer's art. Intensely personal, the novel speaks of the coming of age of a "pied-noir" (French Algerian) boy and his search for roots as an adult. Simultaneously, Camus endeavors to tell the story of his ancestors, the French Algerians.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine protagonist Jacques Cormery's search for roots by: 1) discussing the formative elements of his identity uncovered in the nostalgic voyage in time through an anecdotal construction of his childhood and the history of his ancestors, 2) …

Sustainable Development In The Third World: A New Paradigm?, Terry A. Gentry

Dissertations and Theses

Over the past decade '"Sustainable Development" (SD) has emerged as the latest development catchphrase. A wide range of nongovernmental as well as governmental organizations have embraced it as the new paradigm of development. A review of the literature that has sprung up around the concept of SD indicates, however, a lack of consistency in its interpretation. More important, while the all-encompassing nature of the concept gives it political strength, its current formulation by the mainstream of SD thinking contains significant weaknesses. These include an incomplete perception of the problems of poverty and environmental degradation, and confusion about the role of …

The Effectiveness Of The Phonological Cycling Approach In Treating An Unintelligible Child In The First Two Cycles Of Intervention, Anne Cole

Dissertations and Theses

One preschool male who was highly unintelligible was enrolled in two cycles of direct intervention utilizing the phonological cycling approach (Hodson & Paden, 1991). Prior to treatment in cycles 1 and 2, the Assessment of Phonological Processes-Revised (APP-R) (Hodson, 1986) was administered to the subject to assess phonological deficiencies and to determine the target phonological patterns. A continuous speech sample was collected prior to cycle 1 to rate speech intelligibility. Based on the results obtained from the APP-R, target patterns, target words, and an individualized treatment plan were developed for each cycle.

For the first cycle of intervention, the subject …

The Predictive Validity Of The Admission Criteria For The Counselor Education Program At Portland State University, Malachy Liam Bishop

Dissertations and Theses

The Counselor Education Program at Portland State University currently uses five admission criteria to determine the acceptance or rejection of applicants. These criteria include letters of reference, a panel interview, a writing sample, the applicant's undergraduate GPA (UGPA), and the applicant's score on either the MAT or the GRE. Scores on these measures are adjusted and combined to create a single total score upon which admission decisions are based. The present study attempts to evaluate the validity of these admission criteria in predicting success in the Counselor Education Program at Portland State University. For the purpose of this study, student …

Through Women's Eyes: Contemporary Women's Fiction About The Old West, Anna Margarete Boettcher

Dissertations and Theses

The myth of the West is still very much alive in contemporary America. Lately, there has been a resurgence of new Western movies, TV series, and fiction. Until recently the West has been the exclusive domain of the quintessential masculine man. Women characters have featured only in the margins of the Western hero's tale. Contemporary Western fiction by women, however, offers new perspectives. Women's writing about the Old and New West introduces strong female protagonists and gives voice to characters that are muted or ignored by traditional Western literature and history. Western scholarship has largely been polarized by two approaches. …

Selling The Body: Representing The Prostitute In Maggie And Sister Carrie, Debra Zoe Gahlhoff

Dissertations and Theses

Prostitutes have played a significant role in society and literature for many centuries, both as subjects of irresistible desire and repentant shame. Although prostitution plays a role in patriarchy, female prostitutes have often defied the conventions of patriarchal society by supporting themselves outside marriage, outside the reign of religious conviction and, more recently, by seeking to continue their professional work with legal sanction. Other groups of women, such as those active in civic reform interests, have yearned for the reformation of prostitute behaviors, powerfully countering the cry from those who support prostitution and call for their legal right to pursue …

Effect Of Ototoxic Drugs On The Amphibian Auditory System: Injection Of Gentamicin Sulfate Into Anuran Otic Capsules And Recovery Of Thresholds, Michael Patrick Brown

Dissertations and Theses

Hair cell trauma from aminoglycosides, which may lead to permanent loss of hair cells in mammals, was studied physiologically in frogs by measuring an auditory evoked potential (AEP) in Rana pipiens. The AEP was evaluated in order to measure threshold shift (TS) and recovery from TS after the administration of the aminoglycoside antibiotic, gentamicin. To obtain an AEP, chronic electrodes were implanted into the cranium near the cochlear nucleus. The frogs were then exposed to frequency-specific narrow band "clicks" which included a single period 1 kHz sinewave, and a computer synthesized high frequency and low frequency click. Amphibians have two …

Reliability And Validity Of Pedometers In A Free-Living Environment, Ernest Leroy Brown

Dissertations and Theses

In the field of exercise science there exists no single best method, or tool, for the measurement of physical activity, in particular, activity in everyday free-living conditions. The pedometer, a tool for recording the number of steps taken by an individual, could potentially measure this important component of free-living physical activity. To establish the reliability and validity of the pedometer, 40 subjects wore two pedometers (same brand) in two consecutive I 0-minute trials during normal daily activity. Both trials were videotaped. Each videotape segment was replayed, the number of steps were counted and this count served as the criterion measure …

From Pietism To Pluralism: Boston Personalism And The Liberal Era In American Methodist Theology, 1876-1953, Amos Yong

Dissertations and Theses

Boston personalism has generally been recognized as a philosophic system based upon a metaphysical idealism. What is less known, however, is that the founder of this school of thought and some of the major contributors to the early development of this tradition were committed members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The purpose of this study is to examine the contributions made by the early Boston personalists to the cause of theological liberalism in the Methodist Church. It will be shown that personalist philosophers and theologians at Boston University ushered in and consolidated the liberal era in Methodist theology. Further, it …

Validity And Efficiency Of The Check-Slash Transcription Method For Measuring Intelligibility, Vicky Jo Bacon

Dissertations and Theses

Speech-language pathologists are routinely called upon to make professional assessments concerning a speaker's level of intelligibility. The use of subjective judgement procedures for estimating a percentage of intelligibility is the general practice of many speech-language pathologists because they require minimal time. Although efficient, these methods lack any form of numerical support, and their validity and reliability is questionable. The standard within the field that provides data support is the orthographic transcription method, but it is considered to be too time-consuming for practical application (Samar & Metz, 1988). Researchers continue to seek a measure that is both valid and efficient to …

Empowering Esl Students For Out Of Classroom Learning, Jay Stanley Neuharth

Dissertations and Theses

ESL students virtually swim in an environment rich in opportunities to learn English. Every billboard, newspaper, TV show, and person on the street provides new language. However, many ESL students do not take full advantage of this English environment. Often, English learning is viewed primarily as a classroom experience, when much more could be gained if students were learners outside the classroom, as well. That is the problem addressed in this thesis.

This problem was investigated through action research with the teacher/researcher's high intermediate level writing class at PSU. The teacher/researcher implemented a strategy to motivate students to learn outside …

A Comparative Study Of Integrity Tests: The Effect Of Situational And Individual Variables On Response Distortion, Nannette Shayne Searles

Dissertations and Theses

The paper-and-pencil integrity test, which is used in industry as an employee selection device, has been largely developed outside the mainstream of psychological testing. The result has been that some testing programs have inadequately standardized testing conditions and/or other safeguards to ensure valid test results. Studies have shown that response distortion, or faking, is a problem with all types of tests, integrity tests being no exception. A correlation between the construct underlying integrity testing, such as the personality trait of conscientiousness, has yet to be investigated.

The primary purpose of the present study was to determine how response distortion on …

The Portland Public School Police: Formative Years - 1937 To 1953, Natalie Anne Woods

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis traces the historical evolution of one of the early responses to youth crime and violence -- public school police. In addition, this thesis addresses the lack of information about the creation and implementation of a public school police force, specifically the Portland Public School Police and School District No. 1, during its formative years, 1937 to 1953. Finally, the thesis intends to address two principal questions: A) Why did the Portland Board of Education find it necessary to create their own police agency? While one opinion suggests that there was a real need for school police due to …

Comparison Of Prescribed Versus Actual Gain For Children With Profound Hearing Impairments, Kristin Rashelle Gilmer

Dissertations and Theses

The early selection and use of an appropriate amplification system may be the most important aspect in the aural! rehabilitation of children who are hearing impaired. The main goal guiding the selection of hearing aids for children is to maximize their residual hearing through amplification in order to facilitate speech and language development.

Seewald, Ross, and Stelmachciwicz (1987) have developed a speech-spectrum based procedure for selecting hearing aid characteristics for children referred to as the Desired Sensation Level Procedure (DSL) approach. This is an objective method which has been developed specifically for use with young pre-verbal children.

The purpose of …

English In The Workplace: Case Study Of A Pilot Program, Kim Roth Franklin

Dissertations and Theses

This study is participant observational research focused on a description of an United States Department of Education grant-funded English in the Workplace pilot program. The survey of the literature shows that there is an increasing need to provide educational opportunities for workers who, for various reasons, are not currently being served by traditional education providers. The study presented here describes a pilot program and asks "How is an English in the Workplace program developed and implemented? What do those characteristics of workplace education programs, as identified in the literature, 'look like' once such a program has been implemented?" The researcher …

Testability Design And Testability Analysis Of A Cube Calculus Machine, Lixin Zhou

Dissertations and Theses

Cube Calculus is an algebraic model popular used to process and minimize Boolean functions. Cube Calculus operations are widely used in logic optimization, logic synthesis, computer image processing and recognition, machine learning, and other newly developing applications which require massive logic operations. Cube calculus operations can be implemented on conventional general-purpose computers by using the appropriate "model" and software which manipulates this model. The price that we pay for this software based approach is severe speed degradation which has made the implementation of several high-level formal systems impractical. A cube calculus machine which has a special data path designed to …

A Study Of The Duration Of Words Surrounding A Moment Of Stuttering, Jennifer Dawn Peterson

Dissertations and Theses

Until this point, not much research has examined the difference in temporal characteristics for untreated stutterers in words surrounding a moment of stuttering. It is important to determine whether or not stutterers who have not been in treatment alter the duration of their speech when they stutter versus when they are fluent to determine what aids in the increase of fluency. The purpose of the present study was to examine the duration of the word prior to and following a stuttered word and the duration of the corresponding word in a nonstuttered episode. The following questions were to be addressed: …