Digital Commons Network^™

The Statistical Manipulation Of Delphi Statements, Bradley William Nelson

Dissertations and Theses

Since its invention twenty years ago, the Delphi technique has been gaining wider and wider acceptance as a tool for forecasting technology; gathering expert opinion from a local to world wide "advice community" upon which government, industry, and other policy making bodies must so frequently rely; and providing judgmental input for studies (e. g., social sciences) where hard data are unavailable or too difficult to obtain. Accompanying this increased acceptance is an increased danger of manipulation of a Delphi to produce the results desired by one certain individual or group of individuals. Manipulation is increasingly being mentioned in the literature …

Self-Esteem And The Elderly : An Exploratory Study Of A Residential Population In A Home For The Aged, Vernon E. Hoffer

Dissertations and Theses

The two primary purposes of this exploratory study were (1) to establish the theoretical tenability of focusing on the maintenance of self-esteem as a means for enhancing the quality of life in the institutionalized elderly, and (2) to identify factors related to self-esteem in a home for the aged sample.

Literature reviewed relative to the importance of self-esteem, its development, and its maintenance or change indicated that (1) self-esteem is related to personal satisfaction and effective social functioning: (2) self-esteem develops and is maintained or changed as a function of factors in an individual’s immediate interpersonal environment; and (3) institutionalization …

Examiner Sex Bias And Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children Scores, Richard H. Dana, Richard Back

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (excluding Mazes and Digit Span) was administered to 64 third-grade children, randomly selected for IQ. Eight examiners, four males and four females, each tested eight children, four boys and four girls. Female examiners elicited higher Full Scale IQ, Verbal IQ, Comprehension, Similarities, and Vocabulary scores from all children.

Figurative Painting And It's Reverberation In Pairs, Carol Crampton Adams

Dissertations and Theses

The thesis discusses twelve paintings completed during the period of study from October of 1974 to November of 1976 and presented at the Art and Architecture Gallery, November 8, 1976 - November 26, 1976.

An Aspect Of The Process Of School Desegregation: The Effects Of Reading Ability Grouping On Social Attractiveness And Peer-Perceived Success, David A. Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

Research on the effects of school desegregation has failed to produce conclusive findings. An over emphasis on the outcomes of school desegregation, usually assessed through the use of standardized test scores, has created a situation in which there exists a paucity of studies of the day to day process of school desegregation: instructional practices, student interaction, and teacher behavior in the classroom. More research on the process of school desegregation is needed if its results or outcomes are to become more interpretable.

Does Urban Noise Represent A Hazard To Health?, Frances J. Storlie

Dissertations and Theses

The problem of noise as a potential health hazard to urban man has been raised. The literature was used to establish two premises: that cities are noisy environments, and that noise-free societies have less coronary artery disease (CAD) than do industrialized sections of the world. These differences also hold for rural and urban areas of the United States.

Geographical questions concerning rate differentials for CAD have been addressed by numerous disciplines. Subsequently, social, psychological, and physical explanations have been put forth. Throughout this paper the emphasis has been placed on the physical aspects of noise exposure. The conceptual frame utilizes …

Portland State Perspective; October 1976, Portland State University

Portland State Perspective

A quarterly alumni newsletter. In this issue: debut of Portland Ballet Company; senior citizens' lifelong learning at PSU; Project Outreach launched by Department of Art and Architecture.

Historical Aspects Of Indian Life And Their Effects On The Urban Indian, Ramona Cliff

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore one aspect of American Indian life: the personal situations and political implications of the American Indian residing in an urban setting.

International Variation In Metropolitanism: National Integration Into An International System Of Countries As An Important Consideration, Michael Lee Lindsay

Dissertations and Theses

The research reported here is directed toward the determination of whether or not the proportion of a country's population living in cities of 100,000 or more is significantly affected by that country's involvement in trade relations with other countries. The proportion of a country's population living in cities of 100,000 or more was termed its level of metropolitanism. It is proposed that international variation in metropolitanism is a function of, among other things, the country's position relative to other countries in a world system of intersocietal functional linkages. It is argued that one of the best indicators of the functional …

Verbal Strategies In Small Group Communication, Christine Marie Bunsick

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate certain types of verbal communications people use in small task-oriented groups. The verbal communications analyzed are certain phrases a speaker may use prior to the central idea of the statement uttered. These verbal communications are referred to as "language tactics".

Language tactics are defined here as specific phrases a speaker may use to excuse, justify, rationalize, or interpret for the listener(s) what the speaker is about to say before saying it. The purpose of this study is to look at language tactics as they are used by members of small task-oriented groups …

Aging And The Semantic Differential: Semantic Stability In The Measurement Of Social Evaluation, Marilyn Diane Petersen

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the validity of utilizing the same semantic differential test as a measure of social evaluation for persons of different ages. The semantic differential, a rating technique by which judgments of stimuli are made on seven-interval bipolar descriptive continua called "scales", currently receives widespread usage as a measure of attitudes toward aging and the elderly. However, a lack of semantic stability across stimuli and across subjects, known, respectively, as "concept-scale" and "subject-scale" interaction, has been found to occur with the technique in various areas of research. That such a lack of stability might …

A Comparative Study Of Aristotle's Poetics And Ezra Pound's Abc Of Reading, Michael P. Hagensick

Dissertations and Theses

This paper is a comparative study of Aristotle's Poetics and Ezra Pound's ABC of Reading to discover and determine values in literature, especially poetry, which reflect on the nature and the manifestations of human communication. I feel that scholars in the field of communication can benefit personally and academically from exposure to those poets who have expressed themselves on the reasons or the manners in which people communicate. To pursue this question requires the use of a guide to poetry, a method by which I can learn to recognize a poem on sight; so that when it comes to discourse …

Postdivorce Parental Roles: A Descriptive Study, Victor R. Congleton, Lisa Christina Londos

Dissertations and Theses

Divorce is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon in American society. Its occurrence is increasing both in absolute and relative numbers, and also in its involvement of minor children. As will be demonstrated below, very little is actually known about the process of divorce or about its impact on the members of the family. Of particular concern is the effect of divorce on the children invo1ved, and the decisions and practice of the divorcing parents regarding their subsequent parenting relationship to the children.

The authors of this report intend to study a random sample of divorcing couples and to derive a …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Population Density, Density Related Social Factors, And Physical Morbidities, Douglas King Huebner

Dissertations and Theses

The relationship between the number of persons per room in the home and the relative occurrence of stress-related morbidities of hospitalized patients is investigated. The social factors of age, social class, and level of social support also are examined as they relate to both density and morbidity type occurrence. The population under study is composed of all Kaiser-Permanente Medical Care Program members twenty years of age and older, discharged from Bess Kaiser Hospital during 1974, and whose diagnosed morbidity was included in specific morbidity categories. All data were obtained through the facilities of the Health Services Research Center, Kaiser Foundation …

Portland State Perspective; May 1976, Portland State University

Portland State Perspective

A quarterly alumni newsletter. In this issue: Ballet and Opera to open new Lincoln Hall auditorium; Thomas F. Malone announced as commencement speaker; Marc Maden reports on Salzburg seminar.

An Inter-Rater Reliability Study On The Multi-Dimensional Outcome Measure, Grace Boys

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the study was to explore the inter-rater reliability of the Multi-Dimensional Outcome Measure (MDOM) in the following areas: overall reliability, differences in reliability between samples, differences in reliability between scales, and increasing reliability over time. The study was to assist mental health professionals by clarifying the technical properties of an evaluation tool which could be used to document program outcomes for policy makers and to develop more effective treatment methodologies.

The MDOM was administered to two groups, a mentally and emotionally disturbed sample of thirty-five Subjects from an inpatient facility and a normal sample of thirty-three community …

The Evolution Of The Birth Control Movement In The United States, Linda B. Mcmahan

Dissertations and Theses

The evolution of the birth control movement in the United States is the focus of this dissertation. The period of emphasis is 1873 to the present, though earlier history is briefly dealt with.

The research method used was an extensive library search of the literature, followed by categorization and analysis of the data.

The birth control movement was found to adapt to the sociological model of social movements and was discussed within this context. Two parallel movements were found to be of importance: the birth control movement itself and the population control movement. The orientations and relationships between these two …

An Exploratory Study Of Runaway Female Adolescents In A Residential Treatment Center, Mary E. Cook, Stan Jasper

Dissertations and Theses

If correctional institutions are to function according to established criteria, that is, to "correct" the deviant behavior of juvenile delinquents, then one obvious requirement is to have continuous contact with that individual over a period of time. This research project is one attempt to study runaways from the juvenile delinquent girls institution. This study specifically focuses on what factors influence a girl to run away and what factors encourage her to stay at Villa St. Rose.

Both researchers discovered in working at Villa St. Rose that one the biggest obstacles for the treatment program was the number of runaways that …

Deviant Self-Concept Among Marijuana Dealers: Examining The Applicability Of Labeling Concepts, Cynthia Madaris

Dissertations and Theses

The subject of this thesis is dope dealing in marijuana. However, the main interest in this topic is not centered on unique behavior patterns of persons engaged in this illegal activity nor is it much concerned with the activity itself. Rather, this study was designed to investigate empirically claims of labeling theorists and deviance theory. Through focused interviews with dealers of marijuana, an inquiry was made into deviant self-concepts on the part of those persons. More specifically, attention centered around the variables of type of dealer (lid or small quantity pound); length of time in dealing business; and contact with …

Viking 1976, Portland State University

The Viking (Yearbooks)

Portland State University 1976 yearbook

The Proposed Community Involvement Activities Of The Multnomah County Department Of Public Safety : A Descriptive Study, Vertis Williams, Leearthur Madison

Dissertations and Theses

Serving in the capacity of Sheriff's interns during the time the decision had been made to implement Neighborhood Team Policing, the writers of this study propose to participate in evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the project. However, due to the size and complexity of such a task--and the time restrictions placed upon completion of this study--the boundaries of this research will be limited to those of providing descriptive data on the performance of project activities as they relate to the achievement of the objectives of Goal 1 of the Neighborhood Team Policing Project: Improved police-community mutual involvement and problem-solving.

Social Problems And Collaborative Planning: Toward A Theory And Model Of Social Planning, Marjorie M. Ille

Dissertations and Theses

The concern of this dissertation is planning theory and practice; its purpose is to make planning more responsive to the problems of the city. The premise that the study is built on is that social planning must be in harmony with the nature of its subject matter, and that social problems is its subject matter. The supposition is that if we grasp the nature of social problems and build planning theory and practice on these insights, planning efforts will be more relevant and more effective.

The approach is a theoretical one; social problems are the starting point. After urban problems--and …

The Black Elderly Volunteer, Sandra E. Gonzales

Dissertations and Theses

The present study represents an attempt "to seek out one possible subgroup of the black elderly population--the volunteer. Black elderly volunteers are a puzzled about but largely unknown group. Very little systematic research has been done on this subject. Recently there has been an increased interest in volunteering among the elderly population as a whole, as social welfare planners seek new ways for the aged to find fulfillment and enjoyment. It is felt that volunteering can offer prestige, feelings of usefulness and other gratifications that may be lacking in the aged person's life.

Economic Coping Patterns Of Chinese Foreign Students In Portland State University, Kim Bik Au

Dissertations and Theses

The nature of this study is exploratory. It aims to explore the financial situation and the resources which students can use to cope with their problems. The primary purpose is to obtain a clearer picture of the situations of certain Chinese foreign students, to help those who intend to study abroad with their budgeting and planning. A secondary aim is to draw the attention of authorities concerned to improve or expand services to foreign students who already have overwhelming adjustment problems and who still have to carry the additional burden of pressure from restrictive regulations.

The Utilization Of Preventive Health Care Services By Low Income Members Of A Comprehensive Prepaid Health Plan : The Impact Of Outreach Services, Linda Elmlund Mahoney

Dissertations and Theses

A reading of recent studies in preventative health care behavior recalls the proverb about the blind men and the elephant: each man is able to describe the part of the animal he is closest to, but none can see, and so none can put their diverse and often contradictory opinions together to come up with an accurate description of the whole elephant. Similarly, in preventative health care studies, each researcher or research group is able to observe the preventative health care utilization patterns of specific populations at particular times, but the conclusions reached are often based on less than complete …

A Model For Teaching Small Group Skills In A Laboratory Setting, Larry Ferguson, James Reavis

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research practicum is to present the development, implementation, and evaluation of a model for teaching small group skills. This model was designed for a class in small groups that the authors of this paper taught at Portland State University in the School of Social Work. In designing this class, the authors were concerned with goals somewhat different than the more traditional goal of imparting knowledge about groups to the learner. The main goal of this class was to teach to students skills in working with small groups. This approach required developing a knowledge base about small …

The Negative Effects Of Divorce On The Behavior Of Children, David Hawkins, Karen Lloyd

Dissertations and Theses

Our study is concerned with the effects of filing for divorce on the behavior of children. We are interested in the adjustment of the child to the changes which occur during separation and divorce, and we maintain the attitude that the lives of children are affected in some way when a marriage or family unit dissolves. A generally accepted belief is that divorce produces negative consequences in the lives of children as shown in their behavior. However, recently a number of studies have suggested that divorce need not be a negative experience, at least to the degree most people feel …

Need Assessment Methodology, Gerald A. Burns, Janet S. Putnam

Dissertations and Theses

A need assessment is a systematic process of determining community needs through the comparative analysis of people, problems, and services. Although need assessments of some form have existed since biblical times, it has only been within recent years that their use in social planning has become prominent. This is attributed to the increasing belief in the necessity of pertinent data to make decision-making responsive to community needs.

Ten basic issues should be considered in designing a need assessment, These are: 1) Purpose; 2) Decision-making context; 3) Agency resources; 4) Scope; 5) Future studies; 6) Staff roles; 7) Data collection; 8) …

Residential Treatment Of Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents, Rosemary Brown Sutherland

Dissertations and Theses

This study was requested by Dr. Ira B. Korman, Administrator, Woodland Park Mental Health Center. Woodland Park Mental Health Center currently provides a program of short-term evaluation and crisis care for adolescents. The staff there find it is difficult to locate suitable out-of-home placements for certain of their adolescent patients concluding hospitalization. Their concern for this group of hard-to-place patients has led to this inquiry, the purposes of which are to (1) assess need, (2) design a residential program, and (3) consider the feasibility of its implementation.

The No-Fault Dissolution Of Marriage Act In Oregon: A Study Of Its Effect On Selected Factors, Dennis Arthur Armstrong

Dissertations and Theses

In October of 1972, the Dissolution of Marriage Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act) became a part of the law and judicial practice of the state of Oregon. The Act represents a significant change in Oregon's law. It also represents a significant evolutionary development in the 'attitude of the legal community toward the process of divorce or as it is now termed, dissolution of marriage.

The Act was a response to extensive criticism from professionals and from the public. The problem is the legislators were not sure of the effects of the Act and now that it is in …