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The Effects Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (Emdr) On Self-Reported Test Anxiety In College Students, John C. Hampel

Dissertations

Test anxiety is a common problem among students in western culture due to the importance of academic achievement and the consequences for failure. Many consider test anxiety to be primarily an issue of poor study habits and test readiness. However, some students who appear to possess excellent study habits also appear to experience severe anxiety during tests. A recent meta-analysis of test anxiety research substantiated these claims, finding that test anxiety appeared to be an emotionally-based as opposed to a cognitively-based problem. Despite these findings, the etiologies for test anxiety remain unknown. Similar to nearly all DSM-IV diagnostic categories, test …

Do Reinforcer Surveys Enhance A Brief Parenting Skills Program For Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disordered Children?, Maria A. Channell

Dissertations

Several clinical researchers have documented the benefits of evaluating reinforcer preference prior to the implementation of behavioral parent training programs. However, this has not been specifically tested with Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disordered (ADHD) population in relation to parent training. This between groups study investigated whether systematically altering parent delivered reinforcers to match children’s preferred reinforcers would result in an even greater increased compliance and decreased noncompliance.

One group received a brief (4-6 session) parenting program based on Patterson’s (1974) model. A second group received the same program with an added component wherein the child completed a reinforcer survey prior to the …

Effects Of Alternative Activities On Productivity Under Different Percentages Of Incentive Pay, Grainne A. Matthews

Dissertations

This study examined whether low percentages of incentive pay would be as effective as high percentages in maintaining work performance in the presence of competitive alternative activities. Incentives may increase performance primarily by decreasing time spent performing alternative activities. Although the link between performance and pay is tighter when the percentage of incentive pay is higher, laboratory studies have not found the expected difference. It is possible that previous simulations of work settings have not offered realistic competing contingencies. This study used a computer simulation of a quality inspection task and provided computer games as alternative activities to participants who …

The Efficacy Of Pediatric Pain Management Techniques For Infants During Inoculation Procedures, Kimberly K. Wisdorf-Houtkooper

Dissertations

In this study four different pre-immunization interventions were compared with respect to their effects on modifying arousal level before an immunization and their effects on the level and duration of distress after the immunization. In addition, the study evaluated whether the infants’ pre-inoculation behavioral state affected their response to a painful stimulus. Data consisting of facial expression, presence or absence of cry, cry duration, and behavioral state were collected prior to, during, and after the inoculation. Forty-two subjects were randomly assigned to one of four soothing conditions. These included: rocking, swaddling, sucking on a pacifier, and a control group.

An …

Perceived Support For Change And Implementation Of Title I Of The Ada In Michigan’S Public School Districts, Truman S. Forest

Dissertations

Data for this study were gathered by survey from public school districts in the state of Michigan that employed more than one central office administrator. The survey was sent to human resource administrators as well as assistant superintendents and other central office administrators in 339 school districts. A total of 188 valid responses were received for a response rate of 55.8 percent.

The study tested five relational hypotheses. Ha1 through Ha4 were tested to determine if a relationship existed between the category of school district readiness to implement Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Readiness) and such …

The Perspectives Of The Woman/Nurse/Executive Working In The Managed Care Environment Of Southern California, Cheryl Lynn Brandi Dnsc, Ms, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of the woman/nurse/executive working in the managed care environment of Southern California. This research was extremely timely because (a) Southern California leads the nation in managed care market penetration, (b) changes in health care financing have resulted in a prolific expansion of nurse executive responsibilities, and (c) nurse executive experiences regarding increased responsibilities have not been researched. Role expansion impacts both male and female nurse executives, but female nurse executives must confront the dilemma of functioning in administrative domains which have been largely dominated by men. Knowledge about their experiences …

The Experiences Of Taiwanese Women Caregiving For Parents-In-Law, Shu-Yuan Chao Dnsc

Dissertations

Using grounded theory, a semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted to explore the experiences of Taiwanese women who were caregivers for their parents-in-law. Thirty-one Taiwanese women aged 23 to 58 participated in this study. Just Doing was identified as the core category to indicate the caregivers' striving process once they committed to their in-laws' care. Recognizing Duty, Experiencing Trials, and Responding to Caregiving were subcategories and reflected how a caregiver perceived her role, how she was affected by caregiving tasks, and what responses she had to the caregiving situation. The findings also suggested that caregiving behaviors were influenced by cultural expectations …

The Process Of Ending Domestic Violence Among Latinas: Aguantando No Mas, Nancy A. Coffin-Romig Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the sociocultural factors which play a role in the process of ending an abusive relationship among Latinas. Dimensional analysis was the method employed for the development of a grounded theory. Aguantando or enduring emerged from this study as pivotal in gaining an understanding of the process of ending an abusive relationship for Latinas. Participants indicated that personal and religious beliefs, the importance of family, and the needs of their children were reasons for aguantando or enduring the abuse. The decision to no longer aguantar, or endure, occurred through a series of encounters …

Correlates Of Staff Nurse Work Satisfaction In Hospitals With Shared Governance, Mary Kay Flynn Dnsc, Rn, Ccrn

Dissertations

Lack of staff nurse participation in hospital decision-making has been cited as a major reason for the dissatisfaction in nursing. Shared governance has been proposed as an organizational model that provides staff nurses with both the structure and the mechanism for having increased decision-making authority. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of organizational culture, perceived importance of involvement and actual involvement in decision-making, the discrepancy between importance and involvement, staff nurse years of involvement in shared governance, control over nursing practice, and work satisfaction among staff nurses working in hospitals with shared governance. A descriptive, correlational …

The Work Of Living With Hiv: A Study Of Binational Groups, Christina Joy Dnsc

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to study the experience of individuals who live with and manage HIV infection and AIDS. The context of living with HIV/AIDS, the prevailing conditions, the actions/strategies used, and the consequences of the actions were considered using grounded theory methodology and dimensional analysis. A purposeful sample of 21 individuals HIV positive or diagnosed with AIDS from San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico were interviewed using semi-structured questions. Data were analyzed using open and axial coding, the constant comparative method, and dimensional analysis. The work of living with HIV emerged as the central dimension within the …

Living With Changing Health: Perimenopause Among Chinese Women In Taiwan, Lee-Ing Tsao Dnsc, Mnsc, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to generate theory about women's perimenopausal life experiences. Thirty-five Taiwanese women aged 40 to 59 who perceived themselves as perimenopausal and who were not using hormone therapy were interviewed. Data were generated from interviews which were conducted in Mandarin. Living with Changing Health was the core category for describing and guiding the process of perimenopause. During this process, Awareness was identified as the antecedent condition. Once the woman became aware, she would begin the process of living with her changing health. This process would be marked by action and interaction among the categories …

Determinants Of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Among Nurses In Taiwan, Chou Chuan-Chiang Yao Dnsc, Ms, Rn

Dissertations

This two-phase study was undertaken to: (1) determine the relationships of self-efficacy, perceived health status, perceived social support, age, marital status, education, work shift, work setting, and years employed as a registered nurse (RN) to the practice of a health-promoting lifestyle; (2) determine the combination of predictor variables explaining the variance in the practice of a health-promoting lifestyle; and (3) investigate other personal and environmental cues and characteristics related to health-promoting lifestyles among nurses (N = 218) in Taiwan. Findings of the quantitative approach in Phase One indicated that a health-promoting lifestyle was significantly related to self-efficacy, perceived health status, …

Outcomes Related To The Quality Of Life Of Oncology Patients Aged 65 And Older Following Initial Cancer Treatment, Rosemary Clare Zivic

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were changes in the quality of life of cancer patients aged 65 and older (N>488) following initial treatment for cancer. A Quality of Life conceptual model was developed. Quality of Life refers specifically to physical, social, and functional status. The study analyzed data from a larger longitudinal data set and compared data for patient’s with prostate, breast, lung, and colon cancer at three observation points: (1) three month Recall, (2) after surgery and prior to chemotherapy or radiation (Wave I), and (3) fourteen weeks following surgery, during chemotherapy or …

A Systems Approach To Performance Quality: An Application To Higher Education, Tobias Lafleur

Dissertations

Graduate-student teaching apprentices (TAs) in the psychology department at a university in Michigan conducted seminars in an advanced undergraduate-level psychology course. All were members of the department’s behavior analysis training system (BATS). BATS was an integrated series of courses and practicum experiences designed to achieve three main goals: recruiting, training, and maintaining the skills of competent behavior analysts. Twenty-five different tasks performed by the TAs were analyzed and measured prior to an intervention aimed at their improvement. Informal observation suggested that failure to complete these tasks reduced BATS’ ability to meet its larger goals. Three well-known systems analysis models were …

The Relationship Between Course Outcomes And The Factors Of Retention As Determined By Webb’S Model Of Student Persistence, Jan K. Fields

Dissertations

This study looked at the differences in various factors of college retention for students who successfully completed all courses in a particular semester as compared to students who did not successfully complete at least one course during that same semester. The college retention factors were taken from Webb's (1988) Model of Student Retention and were assessed through the use of student records and two survey instruments developed by Noel/Levitz (Schreiner & Juillerat, 1994; Stratil, 1988).

The study was conducted at Muskegon Community College during the 1995 Fall Semester using four groups of students: (1) students enrolled in high success vocational …

The Relationship Between Cooperating Teachers' And Student Teachers' Concerns, Dan A. Gerbens

Dissertations

The notion that student teachers progress through identifiable stages of concern in their professional development originated in the 1960s. The late Frances Fuller (1969) identified three stages of student teachers' concerns: (1) self concern, (2) task concern, and (3) impact concern. Using the Fuller concerns model, the relationship between cooperating teachers' and student teachers' concerns was examined in 31 cooperating teacher/student teacher dyads during the fall of 1995. Cooperating teachers were categorized as either self-concerned or task concerned based on their responses to a concerns questionnaire derived from the Fuller (1974) Teachers Concerns Check List (TCCL). The student teachers of …

Decision Making And The Felony Offender: A Cognitive Approach, Marlene O’Hara

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the theory of cognitive self-change as it applies to increasing the successful completion rate of felony offenders sentenced to a probation half-way house. Subjects used were young, males who had been convicted of non-violent crimes and who were ordered to complete the Alternative Directors Residential Probation program as part of their probation order.

The group of residents who entered Alternative Directions in October, 1994 was given an intensive ten hour course using cognitive decision making techniques during their first two weeks in residence. The groups of residents entering the …

Cultural Discovery In Nursing Practice: The Experience Of Nurses' Who Work With Vietnamese, Evelyn Labun Dnsc, Mscn, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to generate a substantive theory of cultural discovery among nurses who work with Vietnamese. A grounded theory approach involving dimensional analysis was employed. A purposive sample of 27 registered nurses with experiences working with Vietnamese in acute care, community, and clinic settings was interviewed using a semi-structured format. Data were analyzed for dimensions as well as conditions, context, action strategies, and consequences. The theory of cultural discovery described how nurses learn to see their Vietnamese clients, how they saw a common humanity with others, and how they learn to see health. Nurses who made …

Bilinear Time-Frequency Representations Of Heart Rate Variability And Respiration During Stress, Rindala Saliba

Dissertations

Recently, joint time-frequency signal representation has received considerable attention as a powerful tool for analyzing a variety of signals and systems. In particular, if the frequency content is time varying as in signals of biological origin which often do not comply with the stationarity assumptions, then this approach is quite attractive. In this dissertation, we explore the possibility of better representation of two particular biological signals, namely heart rate variability (HRV) and respiration. We propose the use of time-frequency analysis as a new and innovative approach to examine the physical and mental exertion attributed to exercise. Two studies are used …

Massively Parallel Reasoning In Transitive Relationship Hierarchies, Yugyung Lee

Dissertations

This research focuses on building a parallel knowledge representation and reasoning system for the purpose of making progress in realizing human-like intelligence. To achieve human-like intelligence, it is necessary to model human reasoning processes by programs. Knowledge in the real world is huge in size, complex in structure, and is also constantly changing even in limited domains. Unfortunately, reasoning algorithms are very often intractable, which means that they are too slow for any practical applications. One technique to deal with this problem is to design special-purpose reasoners. Many past Al systems have worked rather nicely for limited problem sizes, but …

An Investigation Of The Utility Of Using Local Curriculum-Based Measurement Norms Versus Group Standardized Norms To Predict Students At Riskfor Academic Failure In Reading And Mathematics, Lara E. Druckman

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Work On Gay Male Identity Among Male Flight Attendants, Kay V. Adams

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Current Practices In Reading Comprehension Instruction, Barbara Stacy Rieckhoff

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Differences In Social Support: A Comparison Of Individualist And Collectivist World-Views Including Asian, Hawaiian, And European-American Cultures, Dennis J. Perez M.Ed.

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Role Of Opposition In Stereotyping, Alec Ulasevich

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Acquisition Of Critical Thinking Skills And Personal Qualities In Behavior Disordered Students In Real World Environments Versus Structured Classroom Settings, Janice Ledonne Alexander

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Risk Factors Associated With Suicide Probability In Hiv Positive And Aids Patients, Kenneth W. Jackson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Common Higher Callings To Social Compassion: A Phenomenological Study Of Civic Praxis, Herbert J. Barker Edd

Dissertations

In recent decades there has been an increasing interest in the ethical dimensions of leadership. James MacGregor Burns' (1978) watershed work, Leadership, heralds an intellectual breakthrough for grasping the significance of a moral level of consciousness that is universal. Although Burns (1978) writes that humanistic psychology now allows for generalization about leadership process across cultures, there remains little research which frames leadership in a Global Ethic, in humanistic psychological constructs or as philosophical ideas of a universal ethical consciousness. Therefore, it is the purpose of this phenomenological study to gather and analyze narratives of altruistic leadership praxis for disclosures of …

Total Quality Management: Bridging Theory To Practice, Richard Ross Brydges Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the practice of Total Quality Management (TQM) in an organizational culture using Deming's System of Profound Knowledge (1993) as a construct that combines the philosophical and methodological dimensions of TQM. As with TeleServices Resources (TSR), the evaluative case study subject for this research, organizations worldwide have adopted TQM to establish a culture that would make them more capable of producing quality products and services. Many of these efforts never realized their potential. My premise for this study is that the potential of their efforts are not fully realized, because organizations do not …

Enter The Water Carriers: Embracing Parenting Experience In Work Teams, Christine Cecil Edd

Dissertations

Parenting experience is rarely valued or integrated with the work of a competitive society such as that of the United States. Despite the implementation of family-friendly workplace policies, institutional structures and practices continue to preclude the substantive acknowledgment of how parenting experience might contribute to the American workplace (Borrill & Kidd, 1994; Jenner, 1994; Rodgers, 1993). The dynamic complexity of parenting and the concomitant necessity to make constant response shifts and navigate incessant uncertainty, is not acknowledged as collateral for the responsiveness required by complex organizations. Familial commitments are often viewed as antithetical to productivity and profit (Bailyn, 1993): babies …