Digital Commons Network^™

Stages Of Contemplative Mysticism: A Description And Taxonomy, Kenneth Burton Kaisch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to describe and classify the stages of contemplative mystical development in the major world religions. To accomplish this task, a sample of five major world religions was chosen from the total population. From each religion, a contemplative author who was regarded as an authority by the members of that religion was chosen. The major work of each author was described in order to make explicit his/her conceptualization of the stages of contemplative development. These conceptualizations were then compared together, resulting in two models of contemplative development. The first model was composed of those stages …

The Development Of S+ And S- Rules In Matching-To-Sample By Pigeons Through Prior Autoshaping, Mark S. Innocenti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to develop behavior by the pigeon illustrative of S+ and S- rules and to examine if behavior consistent with a concept rule interpretation developed. In order to examine this possibility six groups of pigeons (N=31) were provided different histories of autoshaping. Histories involved the identity of the color of the lighted center key and one side key of three horizontally mounted pigeon keys. Center key onset was followed three seconds later by onset of either outer key. Outer key onset was followed six seconds later by food presentation (explicitly paired) or 45 seconds later, …

Jacobsonian Versus Autogenic Relaxation Training: Interactions With Locus Of Control, Mark J. Weaver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the thesis that matching locus of control with type of relaxation training enhances physiological self-control. This was accomplished by comparing the effectiveness of a somatic and a cognitive relaxation method for internal and external locus of control subjects. It was hypothesized that the two techniques vary in degree of cue salience, and that the attentional strategy of internals would interact with the cognitive approach while externals would respond better to the somatic approach.

Subjects were 80 volunteers from stressful occupations who scored high on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory A-trait scale. Forty internals …

The Prediction Of Tenure And Job Performance Based On The Job Activity Preference Questionnaire (Japq): A Concurrent Study, Nolan R. Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity of the JAPQ in predicting the work output and tenure levels of persons employed in the occupation of Data Entry Operator-Financial Keyer. Three separate hypotheses were tested: (1) JAPQ-D² differences based on employee tenure and output loads; (2) JAPQ dimension preference differences, which may not be reflected in JAPQ-D² scores; and, (3) the relationship between employee tenure and employee output. Separate research questions focused on the applicability of the JAPQ in predicting employee tenure and employee output, based on multiple regression results.

Sixty financial keyers were administered …

Effects Of Physical And Emotional Stress, Catecholamines And Naloxone On Hdl And Ldl Cholesterol Levels In Rats And Man, Andrew G. Goliszek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of investigations were undertaken to determine whether physical or emotional stress, catecholamines or naloxone (B-endorphon blocker) would increase serum total cholesterol and LDL and HDL levels. Physical stress given daily over a period of time caused a steady increase in serum total cholesterol and LDL without a significantly altering high density lipoproteins (HDL) or serum triglycerides. Daily injections of epinerphrine in oil caused an increase in both serum total cholesterol and LDL levels while daily injections of norepinephrine did not. Reversal of the treatments caused a reversed response in both groups of rats. Similar increases in both total …

Factors Related To The Migration Preferences Of Utah's 1980 High School Seniors, A. John Lacognata

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examines the personal migration preferences of Utah high school seniors in 1980 and their relationship to perceived parental preferences, family status, length of residence, religion, sex, and type of residence. A focal area of the thesis is an examination of the consistency between personal preferences and preferences of parents as perceived by the youth. The primary data used for this study came from a sample survey of 1980 high school seniors who were selected using a stratified sampling technique. Cross-tabulations were used with chi square to test for significance of association.

The results of this study suggest that …

Cluster Analysis For Acid Rain Data In Norway, Ali Ghafourian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper gives a description of three well known clustering methods, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each. Then, the results of these three clustering methods are compared through examining them on a specific set of data.

Magazine Training Trials And Context Effects On Autoshaping, Fernando G. Oberdieck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the autoshaping preparation subjects are exposed to magazine training (US-only trials) prior to the conditioning phase in which a stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS) predicts the delivery of a response independent reinforcer (unconditioned stimulus, US). Two experiments examined the hypothesis that irrespective of the number of US-only trials administered the magazine training and autoshaping contexts interact to determine conditioning, as measured by contact responses to the CS. The contexts employed were houselight on (light, L) and houselight off (dark, D).

In Experiment I pigeons were exposed to 1, 20, 100, or 900 US-only trials in a D, or L, context …

Feminine Development: The Relationship Between Identity Status, Personality And Social Influence Style, Doris Anne Read

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of the present research were to investigate the potential relationships between ego identity development, personality characteristics and social influence styles in college women. It was hypothesized that advanced identity development would be associated with more complex personality functioning and effective social influence behavior. Research subjects were classified according to identity status using The Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status. They responded to the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Styleand engaged in a social influence task with a male or female confederate. The advanced statuses generally demonstrated more complex social-cognitive styles that allowed them to both process large amounts …

The Social Transmission Of Attractiveness Stereotypes: An Investigation Of Parental Expectations Of Children's Behavior, Marianne White Hicken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eighty-six children from the Utah State University Child Development Laboratories and Hillcrest Elementary School and their parents participated in the study.

The study focused on the use of attractiveness stereotyping used by children across four age groups. The study also analyzed the social transmission of attractiveness stereotypes from parents to their children.

The study included two parts: 1) a play-preference measure, and 2) a social attribution measure. The stimuli were sketches of twelve children, six toys and six girls. The sketches of children included attractive, unattractive, mesomorphic, endomorphic, handicapped and non-handicapped children. In the study we found that parents and …

Transitivity In The Choice Behavior Of Rats, Richard Duus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the unidimensional assumption underlying choice behavior by examining the transitivity properties of rats' choice behavior. In Experiment 1, two variables of reinforcement, amount and delay, were manipulated simultaneously in a two lever choice situation. The conditions of strong transitivity were not present in either reponse count or indifference-measured choice behavior, indicating that choice behavior was not distributed along a single dimension with ratio scale characteristics. Moderate transitivity conditions were characteristic of both response and indifference- measured choice which was consistent with a single dimension possessing interval scale characteristics. In Experiment 2, only one reinforcement variable, amount, was …

Inhalant Use Among Native American Adolescents: A Comparison Of Users And Nonusers At Intemountain Intertribal School, John L. Wingert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate a population of identified inhalant users at Intermountain Intertribal School, comparing and contrasting two user groups to a control group of nonusers on a number of selected research variables. The subjects included 42 identified inhalant users. Subjects were further classified into two user groups: one-time users and repeat users, and 20 nonusers. The nonuser group comprised the control group. Each subject was individually interviewed and administered the research and data collection instruments. In addition, other essential information was taken from permanent school records.

A one-way analysis of variance was computed to ascertain …

Evaluation Of The Perceived Usefulness And Effectiveness Of Psychoeducational Testing Reports At Intermountain Intertribal School, Marvin Bryce Fifield

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

By law and according to conventional practice. individual psychoeducational testing is an essential part of the identification and placement process of handicapped students. However, evidence reported in the literature suggests that testing results, especially in the form of testing reports, are rarely fully utilized.

This study was conducted at Intermountain Intertribal School at Brigham City, Utah and demonstrated a method of collecting objective data about the use of psychoeducational testing reports as well as the opinions and suggestions of staff members who used them. More specifically, this study documented:

1. Who the primary users of testing reports were and for …

Religious Activity And Time Use Of 149 Utah Husbands, Gayleen Wayman Thalman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze 149 Utah L.D.S. husband/father's time spent in various activities by their level of religious activity, and to relate their organization participation time to their household work time. Data for this study came from the Utah portion of the "Interstate Comparison of Urban/Rural Families' Time Use." This study used a sub-sample of the original Utah sample. Data used were collected through church affiliation and activity questionnaires and time diaries.

Level of religious activity in the L.D.S. Church was considered along with husbands' time allocated to organization participation, social and recreational activities, and household …

Nocturnal Emissions: A Comparative Study Of Male Experiences And Reactions, Barbara Shively Mathews

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This exploratory study examined the differences between males who have and males who have not experienced nocturnal emissions. There were 104 males between the ages of 18 to 41 who participated by completing a sexuality pretest and a nocturnal emissions questionnaire. The respondents' information and education about sexuality, reactions to nocturnal emission ejaculation or the lack of ejaculation, dream frequency levels of nocturnal emissions, and the effect of other sexual outlets upon the frequency of nocturnal emissions were assessed. Results revealed that in this sample the males who did not experience nocturnal emissions had received less sexual information than males …

Attitudes Towards Household Task Allocation Related To Time Spent Accomplishing Household Tasks, Robyn Ann Carling

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between attitudes toward the division of household tasks and the amount of time spent accomplishing them by Utah husbands and wives. The sample was 200 husbands and 203 wives residing in Iron, Washington, and Salt Lake Counties. A questionnaire was used to measure the respondents' attitudes toward the division of household labor and two, 24-hour time diaries were used to record time expenditures. Hypotheses regarding traditional and non-traditional attitudes related to the amount of time spent in traditional female tasks, traditional male tasks and time spent in all household tasks …

Approval And Disapproval With Children: Limits On The Satiation Phenomenon, Phyllis N. Williamson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research investigated factors that influence the reinforcing or punishing effects of various social stimuli on choice behavior. Previous research has suggested that the extended effectiveness of social reinforcers in modifying behavior is inversely related to the frequency with which they have been administered under noncontingent conditions. The ways in which frequency and contingency may alter the effectiveness of social disapproval had never been previously investigated.

A series of studies was conducted with normal, primary grade children for the purposes of: a) determining the functional relation between verbal stimuli and the child's choice behavior as a consequence of the high …

Visual Assessment Of Rivers And Marshes: An Examination Of The Relationship Of Visual Units, Perceptual Variables And Preference, John C. Ellsworth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship of two approaches to visual assessment of landscape--the qualitative descriptive inventory and the theoretically-based empirical perceptual preference approach. Three levels of landscape visual units based on bio-physical similarities (landscape units, setting units, and waterscape units) were identified in a marsh (CUtler Reservoir, Cache County , Utah), and its tributary streams. Color slide photographs were taken from five of the visual units. These slides were rated on a 5- point scale by panels of judges for the expression of four perceptual variables--coherence, complexity, mystery, and legibility. The same slides were rated …

Pharmacokinetic Assessment Of The Influence Of Dietary Fiber On The Absorption And Disposition Of Selected Model Xenobiotics As It Relates To Colon Cancer, Joseph Donald Debethizy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Selected drugs are being utilized as models of putative colon carcinogens in a study of the influence of major types of dietary fiber upon drug pharmacokinetics. Adult, male Wistar rats were pretreated with standardized, isocaloric hydrated gelatin diets containing no fiber or 15% (w/w) cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose (metamucil), or pectin for 30 days. An additional group was fed lab chow ad libitum as a reference control.

The pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen, FD & C Red No. 2 and mirex were examined following oral administration in three separate experiments. Among fiber types, pectin and hemicellulose (Metamucil) caused higher peak plasma concentrations of …

Use And Evaluation Of The Nutrient Density Concept For Assessing The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Nutritional Quality Of Diets, Carol Thompson Windham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Data from 7285 individual participants in the USDA Spring Nationwide Food Consumption Survey were analyzed using the nutrient density concept and multiple regression procedures to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on the nutritional quality of foods consumed. For each socioeconomic group the average daily amount of nutrients consumed per 1000 kcal of food consumed were computed and compared with the Recommended Dietary Allowances which had been converted to single-value nutrient allowances per 1000 kcal. This nutrient density approach identified qualitative patterns of food consumption for selected income, region, urbanization, household size, race, employment and education groups as well as …

The Visual Decision Making Process As A Technique For Redistributing Outdoor Recreation Use, Martha Gail Hahn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The demand for recreation on public lands has been growing steadily, resulting in undesirable impacts on certain resources as well as recreation experiences. The problem addressed by this research is the uneven distribution of recreational use that causes a concentration of impacts. This thesis describes the development and testing of a method to reduce the uneven/concentrated recreation use occurring on the public lands.

The basic objectives of the study were to determine the effectiveness of redistributing recreationists by the use of photographs and a decisional process using photographic information and to identify its potential as a tool in meeting management …

Autonomic Self-Control Of Clinical Relaxation As A Function Of Imagery, Dean G. Allen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this dissertation was to test the significance of objectively measured imagery ability on the learning of self-controlled relaxation of autonomic nervous system activity. Imagery is discussed in terms of its interaction with Autogenic vs. Jacobsonian methods of training clinical relaxation.

Thirty-six female subjects from a college population, representing extreme highs and lows on "spatial ability" tests were given a series of three six-session sequences of Baseline, Treatment 1, and Treatment 2, which contained silent relaxation as a control, plus Jacobsonian and Autogenic relaxation. High and low spatial ability subjects were divided into split groups (A & B) …

The California Psychological Inventory And Intrinsic-Extrinsic Religious Motivation, Ken Small

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The focus of the study was to investigate the nature of the apparent inconsistency reported in the literature on the relationship between personality variables and indices of religiosity. The literature indicates that indices of religiosity have been associated with labels both of "desirable" and "undesirable" personality traits to varying degrees, and no definitive conclusions have been thus far reached. The study suggested that the inconsistent evidence has been a result of a narrow definition of personality functioning and a broad definition of religiosity that has not allowed an adequate test of the relationship between personality and religiosity. The study developed …

Effects Of Intermittent Reinforcement Upon Fixed-Ratio Discrimination, Tore Lydersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Four pigeons had discrimination training that required the choice of a left side-key following completion of a fixed-ratio 10 an the center key, and a right side-key response after fixed-ratio 20. Correct choices were reinforced on various fixed-interval, fixed-ratio, random-interval, and random-ratio schedules. When accuracy was examined across quarters of intervals (fixed-interval schedules) or quarters of median interreinforcerrent intervals (fixed-ratio schedules), accuracy was usually laver in the second quarter than in the first, third, or fourth quarters. When accuracy was examined across quarters of ratios (fixed-ratio schedules) or quarters of median number of correct interreinforcement trials (fixed-interval schedules), accuracy increased …

Word Associations And The Bilateral Electrodermal Responses Of High And Low Repressive Females As Measured By The Mmpi R Factor Scale, Peggy J. Poe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

On the basis of the MMPI R Factor Scale, 16 subjects were classified as high repressed and 14 as low repressed. Subjects were compared on patterns of bilateral differences in skin conductance as a function of three cognitive tasks intended to produce specific manipulations in the relative activation of the two cerebral hemispheres. Tasks 1 and 2 examined the effects of Verbal (left hemisphere) and Spatial (right hemisphere) tasks on amplitudes of electrodermal responses. Task 3 examined the effects of the presentation of double-entendre and asexual stimulus words (designed to produce an emotional stimulus) on the high and low repressed …

The Use Of Sensory Predicates To Predict Responses To Sensory Suggestions, James M. Talone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A scale consisting of eight suggestions worded with specific sensory predicates was administered to a large undergraduate introductory psychology class. Following the presentation of the suggestions, Self-Scoring Forms were filled out to assess the subjects' response to auditory (A), visual (V), and kinesthetic (K) suggestions. Prior to the conclusion of the session, subjects were asked to write a brief essay describing their experience of the suggestion portion of the session. Subject essays were content analyzed for the use of predicates (including, but not only A, V, and K). Frequency of usage of A, V, and K predicates were compared with …

Ego Identity Status And Conformity, Joseph J. Hoffman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between the Eriksonian concept of ego identity status and the social process of conformity was investigated. Ego identity status was measured by the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (OM-EIS) (Adams, Shea, and Fitch, 1979). A total of 87 subjects were categorized into one of the four ego identity status groups: Diffusion, Foreclosure, Moratorium, and Identity Achievement. Conformity was measured by peer ratings, and experimental task, and by three self-report personality measures. Two of the conformity measures supported the main hypothesis that those in the less mature ego identity statuses (Diffusion and Foreclosure) would demonstrate the most conformity …

Predicting Length Of Stay And Outcome In Long-Term Residential Treatment Of Male Alcoholics, Robert Dombey Wadsworth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine which characteristics of male alcoholics are related to treatment success and length of stay in long-term treatment, and (2) to assess the efficacy of predicting outcome and length of stay on the basis of patient characteristics, The study was performed post hoc on 265 patients discharged from a 6- to 12-month residential alcoholism program on the grounds of a state hospital. After an extensive literature review, 19 predictor variables were selected which were most consistently related to outcome and length of stay in previous studies of shorter rehabilitation programs. Data for …

A Mass Media Campaign To Promote Divorce Adjustment, James C. Gardiner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Introduction. This study produced and evaluated a mass media campaign designed to promote emotional adjustment to divorce.

Hypotheses. (a) Sending a promotional newsletter to divorced persons will increase their reported utilization of the campaign. (b) Divorced persons who report heavy utilization of the campaign will report greater emotional improvement than divorced persons who report light or no utilization of the campaign.

Method. A field experiment was conducted in rural northern Utah. The names of all recently (less than 12 months) divorced persons were obtained from the county clerk and randomly divided into an experimental group, who received a newsletter promoting …

An Experimental Analysis Of The Stimulus-Reinforcer Relations In Matching-To-Sample, Roger C. Lubeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the stimulus-reinforcer relations possible in matching-to-sample, and determined the extent that each relation contributed in the transfer to subsequent matching-to-sample. Fifty three homing pigeons were autoshaped on a single key, with two stimuli, red and green. Forty eight subjects were then divided equally in 12 groups receiving the experimental treatments, and five subjects served as no-treatment controls. Group assignments were first based on autoshaping to either an identity, non-identity, or identity and non-identity stimulus relation. Each stimulus relation consisted of a center stimulus followed by an outer key stimulus. For identity, the center and outer stimuli were …