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Sensitivity Of The Comp Objective Test To Structural Differences Among General Education Programs In Liberal Arts Colleges And Comprehensive Universities, Christine Ann Brooks

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the College Outcome Measures Program (COMP) by determining if COMP is sensitive to differences among general education programs.

Two variables provided the operationalization of general education: (1) degree of institutional control over general education course selection, and (2) percent of total coursework devoted to general education. To control for additional factors known to impact upon students' learning during college, four concomitant variables were used in the analysis. These variables were selected following a review of the literature on the effects of college. The level of analysis was the institution; …

Relationships Among Job Satisfaction, Productivity, And Supervision Provided To Financial Planners, Larry Leslie

Dissertations

This study examined job satisfaction and appraisals of management actions as they related to sales productivity for financial planners. Planners from three Midwestern divisions of a national brokerage firm comprised the non-random sample (n = 89, out o f 137 potential participants, for a response rate of 65%). The planners completed two surveys: (1) Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (long form, 1967 revision) for obtaining job satisfaction data; and (2) The PROFILOR™, from Personnel Decisions, Inc., for determining planner appraisals of their immediate superior’s leadership actions. Productivity information, using two different measures (one related to sales of financial products, the other related …

Nuclear Threats By The United States In The Korean And Vietnam Wars: Toward A Grounded Theory Of International Governmental Crime, David Kauzlarich

Dissertations

Criminologists have generally ignored the crimes of governmental actors and agencies. This study delves into this neglected area of sociological inquiry by addressing definitional, legal, empirical, and theoretical dimensions of the phenomenon of governmental crime. The four research objectives are to:

1. Demonstrate that socially deleterious governmental actions can be studied criminologically through the epistemological framework of international law.

2. Document the existence of such governmental crimes in the area of nuclear weapons.

3. Describe and compare the patterns of the United States' violations of international laws during the Korean and Vietnam wars.

4. Inductively generate hypotheses and theoretical propositions …

A Comparison Between Computer Assisted Group Therapy And Group Psychotherapy, Dennis A. Hunyadi

Dissertations

The comparison of two forms of group psychotherapy, a computer assisted group therapy model, the Therapeutic Learning Program (TLP), and a conventional model, was the focus of this study. A control group of subjects on a waiting list to begin treatment in an outpatient psychiatric clinic was also used in the analyses. The participants were diagnosed according to DSM-IIIR criteria.

The groups were compared on gender, age, race, diagnosis, length of time in treatment, number of group sessions received, length of time on the waiting list, and pre and post test scores on Taylor’s Manifest Anxiety Scale and Rotter’s Locus …

A Clinical Trials Evaluation Of A Double-Blinded Protocol To Assess The Therapeutic Effectiveness Of Stimulant Medication Prescribed For Children Diagnosed Adhd, Ann V. Thompson

Dissertations

This clinical trials investigation developed and evaluated a protocol for determining the therapeutic effectiveness of medication prescribed for children diagnosed ADHD. The protocol included two separate baseline periods of two week durations, each of which were followed by four randomly assigned probes of one week duration, consisting either of Methylphenidate or placebo capsules. Baseline probes were unblinded, but medication and placebo probe trials were double-blinded. Therapeutic effect, expectancies, and integrity of the double-blind control were assessed through a battery of rating scales and forms completed by the parent, teacher and child at the end of each protocol week, including baseline …

Lesbian's Perception Of Parental Support And The Disclosure Of Sexual Orientation, Janet Trudee Snyder Tarkowski

Dissertations

The relationship between lesbian perception of parental support and disclosure of sexual orientation was examined in the study. From the 200 questionnaires prepared for distribution, a purposive sample of 180 (90%) lesbian-identified adults returned data for analysis. The participants completed a questionnaire addressing demographics and lesbian life-experiences. Three self-report inventories, the Perceived Social Support-Family Scale (PSS-Fa) (Procidano & Heller, 1983), the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS) (Jack, 1991), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961), were also administered.

Data gathering procedures used in the study resulted in a sample which was largely white, well …

Gold-Encrusted Chaos: An Analysis Of Auschwitz Memoirs, Mary D. Lagerwey

Dissertations

One way to better understand the Holocaust is to look closely at several survivors' stories. In my dissertation I closely examine six published memoirs of women and men from one time and place: Auschwitz, 1942-1945. Specifically, I ask three questions:

1. How do Holocaust memoirs relate a universal human story?

2. How are Auschwitz memoirs informed by gender?

3. How do Auschwitz memoirs exemplify a polyphony of voices which engulfs and transcends gender differences?

In exploring the first question, I develop a thesis, that there is a universal story which captures the experiences of Auschwitz survivors' experiences. Next, I develop …

Reducing Dietary Fat And Cholesterol Consumption: An Evaluation Of A Behaviorally Focused Nutrition Education Program, Peter F. Carey

Dissertations

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 500,000 people annually. Serum cholesterol is a principal risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis, a primary precipitant of CHD. Unfortunately, elevated serum cholesterol is a common but often undetected health risk for many Americans. Furthermore, the typical American diet contains high levels of fat and cholesterol which contribute to elevated serum cholesterol levels. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), created to improve awareness of serum cholesterol as a CHD risk factor, recommends that dietary changes constitute the initial step in the treatment …

A Previous Suicide Attempt As A Factor To Predict Successful Completion Of A Residential Alcohol Treatment Program, Michael William Glover

Dissertations

The focus of the study was an examination of patient reports of a prior suicide attempt(s) as a predictor variable in completing a residential alcohol treatment program. Data were extracted from the records of 308 patients diagnosed as alcohol dependent based on criteria from the DSM III-R (APA, 1987). Additional demographic information, i.e. age, race, marital status, employment status, and substance use in family of origin, was collected for comparison to completion rates and prior suicide attempts.

Previous suicide attempt(s) was a statistically significant predictor for noncompletion of an alcohol treatment program for this study. The demographic factors of employment …

Promising Practices: Perspectives Of Junior And Senior High At-Risk Students, Janet Dalman

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the “fit of school and Me” from at-risk students’ perspectives. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into at-risk students’ views on what school elements were necessary and helpful in their achieving success, in their seeing hope, and in their choosing to remain in school.

Promising practices of affective/nurturing and cognitive/learning gleaned from the literature review of success producing school components were examined within the context of most favorite and least favorite classrooms during focus group interviews with junior high school and senior high school at-risk and non-at-risk students. Students were asked to compare and …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Of Achievement, Attitude, And Sociological Element Of Individual Learning Style Of Students In An Interactive Television Course, Thomas A. Burkman

Dissertations

This study examined the relationship of individual learning style with achievement and attitudes of students receiving instruction via two way interactive television. The technology of interactive television is making it possible for school districts to cooperate and share instructors for low-incident courses. The technology is also helping schools to restructure and enhance programming. Knowledge of the extent to which these technologies affect the students, however, is limited.

Fifty-four students enrolled in two high school psychology classes were the study population. A quasi-experimental research design was used. In Part 1 of the data collection phase, the instructor taught a textbook unit …

The Lived Experiences Of Nurses' Interactions With Ethnically Diverse Clients: A Phenomenological Perspective, Colette R. York Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

This study explored the phenomenon of nurses' lived experiences while interacting with clients who were ethnically dissimilar to themselves in a variety of nursing care settings including acute care, ambulatory care and public health. This study is timely, especially in the county in which the study was conducted because of the ongoing influx of legal and illegal immigrants from diverse foreign geographic locales. Van Kaam's method for conducting phenomenological studies was employed for data gathering, categorizing and analyzing. Categories were stated in terms of perceptions and feelings. The most frequently stated perceptual moments included perceiving client ethnicities based on physical …

Heart Rate Variability Study Using Phase Response Curve, Peizhuan Zhang

Dissertations

A noninvasive phase resetting experiment on human subjects was investigated. The phase response curve was estimated and was used to demonstrate cardiac phase resetting due to a vagal input. The estimated running phase response curve showed that the cardiac cycle resetting depended on the time and the amplitude of the vagal stimulation. The phase response curve was then studied using time circle analysis, topological analysis and nonlinear dynamics analysis. Also phase entrainment and stimulus frequency dependence of the phase response were evaluated. Further, the Van Der Pol model, Generalized Additive model and Knight and Peskin's model were used to simulate …

Spirituality And Leadership, Dana M. Walling Edd

Dissertations

The language of leadership is becoming increasingly spiritualized. Terms more often found in the sanctuary are now being applied to the leadership domain. Without a clear understanding of each, confusion results. This research explored the common boundaries between spirituality and leadership. Ten persons with leadership experiences were interviewed with regard to what relationships existed between their leadership and their spirituality. There were five women and five men in the study who also reflected diverse ethnic and spiritual perspectives. The researcher used a qualitative interview methodology. Each person was given the chance to review and edit the transcript of the interview. …

Effects Of Family Stress, Family Social Support, And Family Balance On Maternal Adaptation In Post Birth Families, Constance H. Blake Hansen Dnsc, Mn, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of perinatal family stress, family social support, and family balance on post birth maternal adaptation. The birth of a new infant is a transitional event that causes stress to the individuals within the family and the family as a unit. The childbearing woman has been identified as the core of the expanding family. Her adaptive level is critical to the integration of the new infant into the family unit. Stress and support are important variables in maternal adaptation, yet the specific relationship of these variables as they relate to the …

The Relationships Among One's Beliefs Regarding Divine Sovereignty Versus Human Freedom, Procedures For Discerning The Will Of God, And Internal-External Locus Of Control, Timothy M. Robinson

Dissertations

Using the Category and Regression Trees (CART) analysis, some correlative distinctions were detected, but there were no significant differences found in the hypothesized directions concerning the relationships among the three main variables of the study.

For the validation, the DGW instrument was field tested with mature Christian leaders, students from a community college, a Christian liberal arts college, and an Evangelical seminary. The items on mature discernment scale of the DGW were validated, and using multiple comparisons, expected significant differences were found between the two college groups and the seminary students on both the mature discernment subscale and the supernatural …

"I’Ll Do It Tomorrow." A Radical Behavioral Analysis Of Procrastination, Cassandra Ann Braam

Dissertations

This study examined the problem of procrastination or the failure to complete tasks. Five similar rules were presented to five, four-year-old children, using a multielement design. The rules described contingencies varying in the specification of delays in the delivery of consequences and deadlines. In addition, a general statement of disapproval of procrastination was presented one time, in addition to a rule specifying a delayed consequence with no deadline, to determine its effect on an established pattern of procrastination. The results showed (a) rules specifying delayed consequences (indirect-acting contingencies) with no deadlines did not reliably control behavior, (b) rules specifying immediate …

The Effects Of A Therapy Review Board Procedure On Denial And Self-Disclosure Of Incarcerated Sex Offenders, Richard Martin Happel

Dissertations

The clinical practice of assessing sex offenders was the focus of this study. Using a pretest-posttest, nonrandomized control-group design, the research compared two groups of incarcerated sex offenders. The study investigated whether or not a one-hour assessment inter— view, conducted by prison psychologists, reduced denial and increased self-disclosure. Also the study investigated whether both groups differed on the basis of the sex deviance patterns of rape, pedophilia, and exhibitionism .

The study's independent variable was the one-hour interview. The dependent variable was the Multiphasic Sex Inventory (MSI): a 300-item true/false inventory administered to sex offenders after discovery (Nichols and Molinder, …

The Effects Of Organizational Culture On Quality Of Life For Older Veterans, Michelle Diane Stone

Dissertations

The organizational culture in a Veteran's Administration Medical Center (VAMC) was described using triangulated methods which included both secondary quantitative survey data, and internal documentary data sources. The initial survey data collected, from staff and elder veterans revealed an overall positive perception from both samples regarding the quality of life for elder veterans living on extended care wards. The study investigated the extent to which the VAMC's organizational culture affected these perceptions of quality of life.

Documentary data were collected from a variety of VAMC sources regarding behaviors, ideologies, leadership trends, mechanisms of control, and the formal organizational structure. A …

Guiding The Wild Heart: Steering The State Safely Between Scylla And Charybdis, Robert P. Brown

Dissertations

Organizational life and social culture compel individuals toward more radical manifestations of individualism as bureaucracy and society increasingly define personal relationships by rules, regulations and rights. Otherwise incompatible with individualism, this actually contributes to individual and group differentiation when individuals function simply as technicians without the opportunity to gain fulfillment, and they experience existential isolation, becoming detached from their moral and spiritual side. For identity in and control over their own lives, people engage in even more individualistic behavior: working, planning, attaining, or rebelling. The true meanings of freedom and individual rights are perverted and trivialized by this radical individualism …

Mystical And Out-Of-Body Experiences As Perceived By Counselors: Difference In Attitude Toward Self And Client, Douglas W. Bentley

Dissertations

The major purpose of this three-part study was to contribute to the body of knowledge concerned with mystical and out-of-body experiences (OBE) in the counselor relationship. The first part of the study was descriptive in nature. The study evaluated through a survey, designed by the researcher, the likelihood of client reporting to a counselor having had a mystical or out-of-body experience. Additionally, the descriptive part of the study asked counselors to report their own personal mystical and out-of-body experiences. Next, the study counted important demographic variables of both the counselor and the clients of the counselor.

The second part of …

A Descriptive Study Of The Physical Education Programs For Kindergarten Through Third Grade Students In Michigan, Allison Ann Hammond

Dissertations

‘The period of early childhood is a crucial time for the balanced, optimal development of the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of human behavior” (McClenahan & Gallahue, 1978, p. 5) According to noted authorities in the field of physical education such as Cratty (1979), and Roach and Kephart (1966), who have conducted large scale investigations of normal motor development of children, early elementary students are at a crucial point in motor development. When discussing the interaction between physical activity and growth, Shepherd (1982) stated that preschool and early elementary school students should develop basic motor skills which are prerequisite to …

Profiles Of Promise: Students With Learning Difference Prepare For Optimal Foreign Language Learning, Ludmilla Coven

Dissertations

Many secondary school counselors discourage students with diagnosed native language deficits from foreign language studies. They hold the unsubstantiated belief that these studies would jeopardize their hard-earned gains in native language learning. Research disproves that position, and some writers advocate foreign language study to improve language learning and enhance cognitive strategies. Improvement occurs more readily when the instructor has the expertise to choose from a repertoire of teaching styles the one most compatible with the learning style of the student. With the full inclusion promised by the regular education initiative becoming a reality, this study explores research, design, and team-teaching …

Human Visual System Modelling : Analysis Of Evoked Potential Dynamics, Zongqi Hu

Dissertations

The visual evoked potential (VEP) reflects the electrical activity in the cerebral cortex due to visual stimulation. It contains information on signal processing in the visual pathways from the retina, through the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) to the cortical level. Although the VEP is generated by various sources in the multi-layer neural network, the functions of some neuronal mechanisms and the transfer characteristics of particular pathways can be revealed and analyzed by use of carefully designed stimuli (Zemon & Ratliff, 1984; Zemon, Victor & Ratliff, 1986). This dissertation focuses on studies of the visual evoked potential as a composite of …

Carter G. Woodson: Scientific Historian Of African-American History And Education, Alvin L. Williams

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

African-American Males Perception Of Unsolicited Help: An Attributional Analysis Of Cooperative Vs. Individualistic Learning, Reginald Wade Williams

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Love And Addiction: The Phenomenological Ontologies Of Kierkegaard And Sartre: An Existential Theory Of Addiction, Ross Channing Reed

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Prevalence Of Verbal And Nonverbal Learning Disability Subtypes And Concomitant Behavior Problems In Ld Children With And Without Physical Disability, Kate E. Zilla

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Personal Meaning In The Elderly: A Heideggerian Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study, Diane Heliker

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ethics In Psychotherapy: The Practice Of Nonsexual Dual Roles, Kerry G. Aikman

Dissertations

No abstract provided.