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A Validation Of The Family Of Origin Scale Using Alcoholic And Mental Health Patients, Arthur J. Fedor

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to add to the knowledge of family of origin assessment by demonstrating the utility of the Family of Origin Scale (FOS; Hovestadt, Anderson, Piercy, Cochran, & Fine, 1985) as a posttreatment measure of change with clinical samples. In this context, a second feature of the study was a further validation of the FOS.

Eighty-one clinical subjects in inpatient alcoholism treatment centers and outpatient mental health clinics were administered the FOS prior to treatment and again following treatment. Although the pretest-posttest model of the study was a quasi-experimental design, the focus was on the FOS's …

Psychological Correlates Of Sinus Headache, Stanley R. Carlock

Dissertations

This study comprised a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial for evaluating the pharmacological efficacy of ibuprofen when given in combination with pseudoephedrine on an outpatient basis to 52 patients diagnosed with sinus headache. The patients were administered a psychological test battery consisting of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) (Gough, 1948), the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (MBHI) (Millon, Green, & Meagher, 1979), and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire (Nowlis & Green, 1957) to evaluate the possibility that specific psychological and personality characteristics might differentiate these patients from individuals on whom the psychological test instruments were normed. Additionally, the probability …

Ease Of Learning And The Emergence Of Equivalence Class Formation: A Comparison Of Topography-Based And Selection-Based Paradigms, Riad M. Wraikat

Dissertations

Michael (1985) identified two types of verbal behavior, topography-based (i.e., speaking or using sign language) and selection-based (i.e., symbol board). Sundberg & Sundberg (1990) and Wraikat (1991) compared these systems in terms of the ease of learning object naming (tact) and giving the correct sign or pointing to the correct symbol on hearing the object name (intraverbal). Sundberg & Sundberg (1990) also compared them for the spontaneous development of a new relation, identifying the object when hearing its name (stimulus class formation or equivalence). The results of both studies favored the topography-based system, but in each case some subjects were …

Effects Of Differential Force Requirements On Choice Behavior Under Concurrent-Chain Schedules, Randal D. Reynolds

Dissertations

Concurrent-chain research shows that choice behavior is sensitive to differential delays to reinforcement but apparently insensitive to differential response-requirement factors. To date, however, no studies have directly investigated the effects of differential force requirements on choice behavior under concurrent-chain schedules. This relationship will be the focus of the present study.

In Experiment 1 rats responded on conventional concurrent-chain schedules and were given a choice between different terminal-link force requirements. The force requirement on one terminal-link lever was 0.25 N while the force requirement on the other lever was varied from 0.25 N to 1.51 N across conditions. For comparative purposes, …

A Comparison Of Science And Mathematics Achievement, Attitudes, Curricular Experiences, And Career Interest Resulting From Magnet And Traditional High School Programs, Rozana Abdul Razak

Dissertations

The growth of specialized schools that emphasize science and mathematics has raised questions about their efficacy in improving performance in various parameters in mathematics and science. In this study, four different components were compared. A science and mathematics experiences questionnaire determined the type and extent of student experiences in science and mathematics during high school, and student interest in science and mathematics careers. The American College Testing Program (ACT) (ACT Registration) sub-scores assessed scholastic achievement, while the determination of student attitudes towards science used the Scientific Attitude Inventory (SAI) (Moore & Sutman, 1970).

Subjects in the study consisted of three …

The Impact Of An Integrated Study Skills Program On University Of La Verne Adult Undergraduates At Vandenberg Air Force Base And Naval Air Station North Island, Pamela Priest Edd

Dissertations

The Problem: There have been a number of recent attempts to provide unique educational opportunities in learning strategies and study skills for adult students. A difficulty in removing the student from the classroom to provide this specialized training is that many students are unable to transfer the acquired skills back into a variety of different contexts. A second problem is removing faculty from the ongoing class and educating them in workshops that address learning strategies and study skills. Many faculty find it difficult to incorporate these skills while meeting the demands of fulfilling course content objectives. The Research: The purpose …

Developing Language Through A Musical Program And Its Effect On The Reading Achievement Of Spanish Speaking Migrant Children, Dora Dominguez

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a language development program that uses music as a medium of instruction on the reading achievement of Spanish speaking migrant children. Fifty-one preschool aged subjects from a Title I (Michigan Department of Education, 1987) Summer Migrant Education Program participated in the study.

The subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups. They were provided oral language instruction to help them acquire the language of the basal readers. In other words, the vocabulary and language patterns found in a basal reading program were built into the daily language lessons. In the …

A Classroom Meeting Model For Teacher Use In Classroom Management, Gerald L. Lecureux

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate, and field test a classroom meeting model to aid in classroom management. In the review of literature, six common beliefs were found. Four classroom management models were discussed in relationship to each belief and a classroom meeting model was then developed. Control Theory (Glasser, 1984) was selected as a psychological base.

The Classroom Meeting Model may be illustrated as an equilateral triangle. The angles represent three types of classroom meetings: relationship development, rule and consequence determination, and problem solving. Along the sides, elements of the meetings are represented: basic needs, components …

Characteristics Of Nursing Home Administrators: Perceived Influencers On Own Career Paths, Shirley L. Cornelius

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the positive and negative influencers perceived by men and women as having contributed to their successful attainment of the position of nursing home administrator, focusing attention especially on any differences between male and female respondents as to the influences reported.

A survey was sent to a random sample of 325 individuals (26% of 1,250) who held a license to practice as a nursing home administrator in the state of Michigan. There were 197 completed responses, resulting in a response rate of 60.6%. Of those responding, there were 86 males (43.7%) and 111 …

A Comparative Study Of Employment Outcomes Of The Projects With Industry And The State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Programs, Robert J. Leneway

Dissertations

Persons with disabilities represent the largest group of unemployed workers in the United States. The purpose of this research is to compare employer perceptions and competitive employment outcomes of the Rehabilitation Services Administration's employment programs known as Projects With Industry and the state/federal basic Vocational Rehabilitation program. These programs represent the two major vocational rehabilitation delivery systems in the United States. Competitive employment outcomes were compared on the national level using data supplied by the Rehabilitation Services Administration. Employer perceptions were compared using data obtained from surveys of 446 Michigan employers. The employers' marketing expectations and perceptions of performance were …

A Representation Of Chemical Reactions By Labeled Graphs, Héctor Hevia

Dissertations

Graphs can be used to represent the atomic structure of chemical compounds where the vertices of the graph represent the individual atoms and the edges of the graph represent the valence bonds between a pair of atoms. M. A. Johnson (1991) introduced a graph-theoretic way to represent structural changes in chemical compounds. Thus, certain labelings of graphs called transitional labelings can be thought as representing chemical equations. Associated with these labelings, we introduce a new invariant of a graph G called the transitional value of G. The transitional value of a graph G gives an indication of how dramatic a …

Contrived Versus Natural Reinforcers In The Acquisition Of A Verbal Repertoire By Adult Learners, Lisa Ann Leblanc

Dissertations

Previous research suggests that by making classroom contingencies for verbal responding more like those in the natural environment, i.e., by using motivative variables to evoke verbal responses which are followed by specific actions on the part of listeners, verbal repertoires can be taught more effectively to children and language impaired individuals. The present study examines the role of specific versus generalized conditioned reinforcement following adult students' question-asking on the acquisition of a verbal repertoire in a classroom setting and on the generalization of this repertoire to a more natural verbal environment.

Subjects were 32 university students in two American Sign …

Transformations Of Graphs And Digraphs, Elzbieta B. Jarrett

Dissertations

Some distances defined on graphs depend on transforming one graph into another. Two of these transformations are edge rotation and edge slide. In this dissertation, extensions and generalizations of these transformations are investigated.

Chapter I begins with some preliminary definitions and known results. Then two types of digraph transformations are introduced and their properties are studied.

Some measures of distance between graphs and distance between digraphs are defined in Chapter II. Also distance graphs and digraphs associated with these measures are introduced. Several known results concerning this topic are generalized and new results are presented.

Chapter III is devoted to …

The Training Of Initial Behavioral Assessment Interview Skills, Mark J. Hirsch

Dissertations

Two manuals were used to train behavioral assessment interview skills. The first manual outlined eleven initial responses the therapist must make to determine the controlling variables related to a client’s problem. The second manual outlined strategies for dealing with evasive or nonappropriate responses made by a client. Subjects were graduate students from the psychology department of Western Michigan University who had no experience in conducting assessment interviews. Six subjects participated. Simulated therapy sessions between subjects acting as therapists and confederates acting as clients were conducted. Scripts were utilized to standardize confederate responses. Each session dealt with a clinical concern amenable …

Surgical Techniques For Constructing Minimal Orientable Imbeddings Of Joins And Compositions Of Graphs, David L. Craft

Dissertations

The various cases within the proof of the Heawood Map-Coloring Theorem, which established the genus of the complete graphs, utilized various techniques--some for the first time. This activity spurred interest in determining the genus of various other classes of graphs. However, very few generally applicable techniques have been developed, beyond those used in the proof of this famous theorem. Finding genera of arbitrary graphs remains a very difficult problem.

In this dissertation, we describe two surgical techniques for imbedding graphs. The first construction, called a graphical surface,views an orientable surface as a fattened graph, i.e., vertices become spheres and edges …

Spiritual Care Given By Nurses And Spiritual Well-Being Of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients, Patricia Sanders Broten

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to explore: (1) cancer patients' perceptions of spiritual care given by nurses, (2) the documentation on records of the provision of care, and (3) the relationship of spiritual care provided to the spiritual well-being of patients.

Forty terminally ill cancer patients hospitalized on oncology units at three medical centers were surveyed about the nature and scope of spiritual care provided by nurses and others, and their perceptions of their spiritual well-being. Data were collected by trained registered nurses who administered two questionnaires to which patients responded orally.

The following is the list of spiritual …

Effects Of Training Method On Inspector Accuracy In A Simulated Quality Control Task, Cathy L. Thorne

Dissertations

This study compared the effects of three training programs on inspector accuracy. The inspection task required 38 subjects to detect errors in geometric figures. All three training programs provided the same written descriptions of correct and incorrect figures, and all three training programs provided examples of correct figures. What differed among the programs was the type of incorrect figures. Individuals assigned to the Correct Sample Only Group were not shown any incorrect figures. Individuals assigned to the Critical Differences Group were shown incorrect figures which contained only one error at a time. Individuals assigned to the Multiple Differences Group were …

Mathematical Modeling Of Mass Transfer In Microvascular Wall And Interstitial Space, Daekyung Kim

Dissertations

The dynamics of macromolecular transport across the microvascular wall and into the adjoining interstitial space was studied in the hamster cheek pouch using intravital fluorescence microscopy in combination with digital image processing. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labe led dextrans (FITC-Dx) of 70,000 and 150,000 daltons were used as tracers. In each experiment, the time-dependent extravasation of FITC-Dx from a leakage site in a blood vessel was videotaped for about 2 hours. The macromolecular transport from individual microvessels was quantified by digital video-image processing. Histograms of the light intensity distributions for selected fields at various times were obtained and then converted to the interstitial …

The Theory Of Bootstrapped Algorithms And Their Applications To Cross Polarization Interference Cancelation, Abdulkadir Dinc

Dissertations

Dual-polarized transmission has become an important method for frequency re-use, particularly in satellite and microwave radio communication. Nevertheless, cross-polarization interference, which is inherent to this method, may cause degradation in system performance.

Different canceler [sic] structures have been proposed to mitigate the effect of cross-polarization. Among these are the diagonalizer, the least mean square (LMS) canceler [sic] and the bootstrapped cancelers [sic]. Bootstrapped canceler [sic] schemes have been proposed and implemented in different applications, such as satellites, tactical communications, and quadrature amplitude madulation [sic] (QAM) dual polarized microwave radio. Nevertheless, no attempt was made in the past to quantify the …

Mathematical Modeling Of Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes And Its Application To Thin Film Technology, Norman W. Loney

Dissertations

A number of workers in the field of Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have presented mathematical models in the literature. Some workers were able to produce analytical expressions for the interwafer concentration profile. These analytical expressions were based entirely on zero or first order chemical reaction rates. Until now, it appears that a chemical reaction rate expression that is not zero or first order directly, must be handled by a numerical scheme.

Presented herein is a mathematical model with an analytical interwafer concentration profile. This concentration profile is neither zero nor first order but shifts from zero to first order as …

Investigation Of Stagnation Flow Heat Transfer For A Heated Horizontal Round Plate, Ching-Hua Wei

Dissertations

The heat transfer characteristics in stagnation flow are investigated through three cases in this study. The first is forced convection by an array of air jets; the second is free convection of a downward-facing heated round plate; the third is free convection of an upward-facing heated round plate.

The first case is investigated by systematic experiments which examine the heat transfer characteristics mainly by five air jets impinging normally to a flat plate, with varying nozzle diameters, and Reynolds numbers, at different distances between the nozzles and the plate. The empirical formulas of heat transfer around the stagnation point and …

Kinetic Studies On Pyrolytic And Oxidative Decomposition Of Chlorocarbons In A Tubular Flow Reactor, Yang Soo Won

Dissertations

Chloroform decay and product distributions were distinctly different in the absence and presence of added O₂ and/or CH₄. Increases in O₂ concentration were observed to speed reagent loss, with a slower decay of chloroform observed for the CHCl₃/CH4/Ar pyrolysis system. In CHCl₃/CH₄/O₂, the major products were C₂Cl4, CH2CCl₂, C₂HCl₃, CO and CO₂ over a wide temperature range. Minor products included CH₂Cl₂, CH₃Cl, and C2H₃Cl. When CH₄ reactant was not present, …

A Study Of Leadership: A Qualitative Case Study Of Intended Changes Within The County Government Of San Diego, Shelia Quinlan Williams Edd

Dissertations

This research addresses the nature of leadership. Reflecting a sound theoretical base, the researcher studied the people involved in a complex change process, and listened to their perceptions about change and leadership. The study goes beyond the idea of the individual leader into the notion of a leadership relationship. It is a study of the persons who were active in the relationship, a study of their behaviors and language as they changed how the county government served the public. One of the primary purposes of the study is to demonstrate how these insights regarding change and the nature of leadership …

Managing Patient Care: A Substantive Theory Of Clinical Decision Making In Home Health Care Nursing, Felicitas A. Dela Cruz Dnsc, Ma, Rn

Dissertations

This study investigates the phenomenon of clinical decision making, deriving a grounded substantive theory to explain how home health care nurses make patient care decisions. Despite the continuing shift of health care from acute care settings to the patient's home, little is known about home health care nurses' clinical decision making processes and the factors influencing them. The study employs a field research design using grounded theory based on symbolic interactionism. Data collection at two Visiting Nurse Associations includes participant observation and open-ended interviews of 21 nurses, and document analysis of patients' records and home care nursing practice policies. The …

Baccalaureate Reentry Students: Effects Of Professional Support On Role Conflict And Role Transition, Ruth N. Grendell Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

An increasing number of registered nurses and other health care providers are entering upper division academic nursing programs to obtain the baccalaureate nursing degree. A path analytic model was developed to examine the interrelationships of multiple roles and focal role commitments, previous education, work experience, and role conflicts perceived by reentry adult students, and the influence of professional support in the subsequent transition to the professional role. Group differences between Registered Nurses (RNs) and military corpsmen were also investigated for the variables of importance. A sample of 206 RNs and 37 U.S. Navy corpsmen (from a current population of 96) …

Organized Nursing In The Silver State: A History Of The Nevada Nurses' Association, Ellen Suzanne Fries Dnsc, Mn, Rnc

Dissertations

Membership in a professional organization traditionally has been considered one of the characteristics of a person avowed to practice a profession. The purpose of this study was to conduct an historical analysis of the Nevada Nurses' Association (NNA) to determine the influence of national, state, and local societal issues on the evolution of the organization. Data was collected from the Nevada Historical Society in Reno, the NNA state office, the Special Collections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Nursing Archives at Boston University. Articles in professional and lay literature also provided information. Organization theory and congruence with …

Nurse Leaders: The Relationship Between Return To School And Sex Role Traits, Family Demographics And Household Responsibilities, Mary Lynn Anderson

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: (a) to describe differences , if any, in sex-role traits, age and number of children, proportionate income, and responsibility for household tasks and childcare between female registered nurses who return to college and those who do not; and (b) to extend the research regarding the adult learner's return to college in the specific area of baccalaureate degree completion by registered nurses. Chi square and analysis of variance of survey data, and interviews were used in determining differences between the student and nonstudent groups.

Four hypotheses were tested. The only hypothesis which was supported was …

Private Versus Public Operation: A Comparison Of Two Juvenile Restitution Programs, Sudipta Roy

Dissertations

The present research focuses on the effectiveness of two restitution programs for juvenile offenders, one in Elkhart County, Indiana, and the other in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Effectiveness refers to the impact of the two restitution programs on offender restitution to their victims and on offender recidivism. The two programs are a Victim Offender Reconciliation Project (VORP) in Elkhart County and a non-VORP restitution program administered by the Juvenile Probate Court in Kalamazoo County. The VORP is operated by a private agency--the Center for Community Justice, while the Kalamazoo program is publicly operated. This study focuses on the impact of the …

A Comparative Study Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Work Values And Career Maturity For Minority College Students, Marvin Hall

Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate comparisons of intrinsic and extrinsic work values and career maturity for minority college students. Results of this study may enhance efforts to provide more effective career development programs for minority college students. The investigation compared participants in a personal and academic support services program (PASSP) by sex, and PASSP and non-PASSP participants by groups. The PASSP which consisted of business majors was based upon expectations and self-efficacy of the success of program participants.

The study consisted of forty participants, 20 females and 20 males. The volunteers included 10 males and 10 females who were …

Choice By Rats For Enriched Versus Standard Home Cages Plastic Pipes, Wood Platforms, Wood Chips, And Paper Towels As Enrichment Items, Anita Lynn Bradshaw

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether simple additions to the home cages of rats made those cages preferable to standard housing arrangements. Results indicated that the majority of rats preferred cages with wood platforms, wood chips, and paper towels to otherwise identical cages without these items. Wood chips were not, however, practical with the cages used in the present study. Plastic pipes caused no problems but were not preferred by the majority of individual animals. Both wood platforms and paper towels created no problems and appeared to be useful as enrichment items. The latter were preferred …