Digital Commons Network^™

Intergenerational Relations In The Workplace: Older Women And Their Younger Women Co-Workers, Julie Suzanne Reynolds

Dissertations and Theses

Women aged 55 and older have been participating actively in the American work force and recently have been drawing increased attention from researchers in the social sciences. This study examines the nature of service work performed by older part-time women workers and their younger women co-workers, and the relationship between the two generations in the workplace.

The following research questions guided this exploratory study: Do the older women workers and their younger women co-workers report that there have been changes in the co-workers' work since the older women began working at the job site? What do the older women workers …

Prediction Of Posttreatment Level Of Functioning From Performance In A Leveled Token Economy For Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents, Peter Arden Scott Grover

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the relationship between performance in a leveled token economy for emotionally disturbed adolescents and posttreatment level of functioning six months after discharge from the target program. The target program for the study is an acute care psychiatric hospital which specialized in the treatment of adolescents with both emotional and substance abuse problems. Previous literature on the outcome of token economy treatment programs however for they adolescents have generally been favorable have typically not examined level of functioning as an outcome criteria.

Students' Orientations Toward Dreams And The Development Of Scales For Their Measurement, John Philip Governale

Dissertations and Theses

The present study explores the knowledge, attitudes, and opinions about dreams held by 394 high school, community college, and university students, and examines the interrelations among these students' responses to questions concerning such knowledge, attitudes, and opinions. A modified and extended form of George Domino's Questionnaire About Dreams (QAD) was used for obtaining a descriptive account of students' orientations toward dreams. Scales were developed for summarizing respondents' orientations toward dreams, and the reliability and validity of these scales was investigated. The reliability of scales for assessing respondents' attitudes, psychodynamic orientation, and to a lesser degree paranormal orientation was demonstrated. A …

Spatial Manipulation As A Covariant Of Mental Practice, Vincent James Wolff

Dissertations and Theses

This experiment examined the relationship between a subject's ability to manipulate spatial relationships and utilize mental practice in the mirror drawing ability of 45 naive volunteer college students, using a six-pointed star track. The spatial manipulation abilities of all subjects were assessed with the Minnesota Paper Form Board Test, after which the subjects were divided into three treatment groups (no practice, mental practice, and physical practice) of 15 subjects using a blocked random design based upon their MPFBT scores. All three groups were trained in the mirror drawing task and given three physical practice pre-trials for familiarization. The physical practice …

Employment Decline In The Douglas-Fir Region's Lumber And Plywood Industries: An Analysis Of Structural And Cyclical Factors, Majid Rasoolzadeh

Dissertations and Theses

Over the years a significant decline in employment had occurred in the Douglas-fir region’s lumber and wood products industry. High levels of unemployment can lead to undesirable economic and social effects. An understanding of the nature of unemployment can facilitate future planning as well as mitigating current problems. This study has attempted to examine the underlying causes of employment decline in the region’s softwood lumber and plywood industries, specifically over the period 1979-86. This time span is of particular importance since there was a rapid decline in employment levels after 1979. There has been much controversy over the causes of …

The Knowledge Systems Transfer Project: A Multiple Perspective Investigation Into The Integration Of A New Technology Within A Business Unit, Steven Craig Tarr

Dissertations and Theses

Many organizations have been attempting to build a conceptual framework for managing technology, with varying degrees of success. Most begin by consulting leading technology authorities, borrowing elements of their thinking, and adapting these elements to their organizational and personal situations. This dissertation extends this process by using the formal research methodology of multiple perspectives (technical, organizational, personal, and cross-cuing) to build a case-based model of the technology integration process. The research and the model construction benefits from a solid foundation established through a review of technology management and knowledge systems literature. The significant aspects of the research are tied to …

The Effectiveness Of An Educational Service District's Programs And Services As Perceived By Various Educator Groups, Thomas Joseph Rockefeller

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the effectiveness of an educational service district's programs and services as perceived by various educator groups. The population of the study included certificated public school employees and school board members.

A sixty-two item survey instrument was used to obtain information from the study population. Of the 1507 survey instruments distributed, 769 instruments were returned for a response rate of 51%.

Four main research questions were posed: (a) Is Educational Service District 112 perceived as an effective educational component of the Southwest Washington public education system? (b) Are the programs and services provided by Educational Service District 112 …

When Older Mothers Work : Adult Children's Perceptions Of Maternal Employment Effects Christine B. Nelson, Christine B. Nelson

Dissertations and Theses

The effects of maternal employment on the young child have been examined for over 50 years. This research focuses on perceived maternal employment effects at a later point in the family life cycle: when mother is older and children are grown. Thirty-two poverty level women aged 56-83 (M=66.4 years) and their adult sons (n=l 6) and daughters (n= 16) were independently interviewed. All of the older women were paid workers or "stipended volunteers" who were employed part time (20 hours a week) in child care, clerical, or other service jobs. They had a variety of work histories; all were widowed …

A Study Of Washington Secondary Principals' Perceptions Of Effective Dropout Prevention Policies And Programs, Susan Lindsley Greenwood

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined what Washington high school principals perceive to be the most effective dropout prevention policies and programs. The population included all public high schools in the State of Washington. Five questions were posed: 1. (a) What preventative measures, intervention programs or student services designed to enhance environmental and personal factors are perceived to have reduced dropout rates? (b) Does the availability of those services and programs account for a significant difference in the actual dropout rates? 2. (a) What personal/psychological factors characterize potential dropouts? (b) Do these identifying characteristics account for a significant variance in the actual dropout …

The Overage Student: Candidate For School Failure, Virginia Homeier Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

This study, conducted in a suburban school district, examined academic achievement and demographic considerations for a group of students overage for their respective grades. Records of 127 subjects were examined and data collected with respect to student performance on academic indicators of at risk behavior. Indicators were scores on criterion referenced tests in reading and mathematics as well as school absence figures for all subjects. These data were subjected to ANOVA and Chi Square Tests of significance to ascertain if there were differences between the students who were overage due to in-grade retention and those overage for other reasons. Research …

Job Satisfaction Of Classified Employees In A Public Suburban School District, Jeradean Emma Rehm Masciocchi

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction for classified employees in a large public suburban school district. The population included randomly-selected bus drivers, custodians, school and non-school secretarial employees, instructional assistants, maintenance workers, food service personnel and technical employees. Three research questions were posed: (a) What are the primary sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction for classified employees? (b) Is there a significant difference in job satisfaction among the specific categories of classified employees? (c) Are demographic/personal variables of classified employees related to overall job satisfaction? The study incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methodology. Focus groups were …

A Correlational Study Of Cognitive Style Measured By The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator And The Witkin Group Embedded Figure, Leith Wood Muessle

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature suggests a coincidence of personality characteristics among the cognitive styles defined by Field Dependence-Independence and the Myers-Briggs type preferences. This thesis proposed these independent measures of cognitive style tap common cognitive processes and hypothesized the Myers-Briggs dimensions of Extraversion-Introversion (EI), Sensing-Intuition (SN), and Judgement-Perception (JP) would correlate positively and Thinking-Feeling (TF) would correlate negatively with the dimension Field Dependence-Independence (FD-FI) as measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). The relationships of gender, age, and intelligence to the prediction of field-dependence-independence were also tested.

John Humphrey Noyes, 1811-1840: A Social Biography, Susan Adams Dubay

Dissertations and Theses

John Humphrey Noyes was the founder of the Oneida Community, one of the most successful utopian ventures in nineteenth-century America. Early in his life, Noyes was a deep religious thinker, but he founded Oneida as an ideal society based on extending the family unit, and not as a church. Noyes's social theories eventually overwhelmed his former religious concentration.

The purpose of this thesis is to locate in Noyes's religiously-oriented youth the sources of his social interests. Few scholars have studied in depth the childhood and young manhood of John Humphrey Noyes, but that is where the roots of his social …

Integrating Psychological And Economic Perspectives On Energy Consumption: The Determinants Of Thermostat Setting Behavior, Jane Stromme Peters

Dissertations and Theses

Data obtained from two surveys of 283 residents of recently built homes in the Pacific Northwest were used to examine winter thermostat setting behavior. Attitude scales along with demographic, economic and dwelling structure data were used to estimate models of daytime, nighttime and average temperature setting choices. Two series of models were estimated: a partial model using demographic, dwelling structure characteristics and economic data; and an integrated model including the attitude scales.

The results of these analyses demonstrated that the inclusion of data on respondent attitudes toward comfort, conservation, health and cost control significantly improved the explanatory power of the …

Caregiving For Parents And Caregiving For Children: The Differential Effects On Job Stress And Absenteeism, Linda Boise

Dissertations and Theses

An important area of contemporary research is the impact of family responsibilities on the workplace. Historically, caregiving responsibilities have been predominantly for minor children. Increasingly, caregiving involves caring for parents or other elderly or disabled adults.

The study reported in this dissertation compares the effects of caregiving on job stress and absenteeism for two groups of employees, one caring for parents and the other caring for children. It utilizes data from the "Work and Elder Care Project" conducted by the Regional Research Institute for Human Services and the Institute on Aging at Portland State University. Of the 9,573 employees who …

Exploratory Study: Preparation By Japanese Parents In The U.S. For Their Children's Reentry To Japan From An Intercultural Communication Perspective, Noriko Nakagawa

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to discover whether or not the Japanese parents who are temporarily staying in the U.S. with their children are anticipating the possibility of psychological and communicative problems their children may face as returnees, and to what extent the Japanese parents discuss these potential problems with their husbands and/or with their children. The question also asked whether or not the Japanese parents are doing anything to prepare themselves and/or their children to cope with the potential problems which their children may face as returnees.

Attitudes Of Control And Weight Management, Carolyn Lee Edwards Wright

Dissertations and Theses

Applications of locus of control theory to weight loss programs have yielded inconsistent results. This study attempts to clarify "control" by looking at two different factors. Maximum control is the degree of perceived control inherent in the event itself, and personal control is the degree to which the event is perceived controllable by the individual. These two factors were also examined in two types of situations to determine whether individuals have one global outlook on control, or if they make a distinction between control in some situations as opposed to control in other situations. Seventy-four female subjects completed a 16 …

A Model Of Suicidal Behavior In Latency Age Children Based On Developmental Object Relations Theory, Stephen Henry Michaelis

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis attempts to explicate the manifestation of suicidal behavior in latency age children based on developmental object relations theory. It asserts that the susceptibility to suicidal behavior becomes part of the child's developing ego organization during the first three years of life as the result of deviant or distorted emotional development. These disturbances interfere with the normal internalizing processes of the separation individuation phases, including the development of psychological mechanisms.

To accomplish the purpose of the study, the thesis generally classifies object relations theory within the parameters of developmental psychopathology and specifically classifies it as a component of contemporary …

Some Visual Issues Of Painting : An Exploration Of The Painting Process, Barbara Leedy Branham

Dissertations and Theses

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Art: Painting.

The Longterm Psychosocial Impacts Of Caregiving On The Caregivers Of Persons With Stroke, Alice Updike Scannell

Dissertations and Theses

This study is a Time 4 (T4) follow-up interview of ninety-three caregivers of persons who experienced a first stroke between 2 to 4 years (mean = 36 months) prior to the T4 interview. The first wave of data collection occurred within two months after the stroke. The second and third waves occurred six and twelve months, respectively, after the first interview. The caregivers were identified by the person with stroke as being the person closest to him/her who would be responsible for care after the stroke.

Data were gathered at all four interviews using reliable and valid measures for depressive …

Sex Role Traits And Psychological Merger In Lesbian Relationships, Susan G. Dahlstrom

Dissertations and Theses

Much of the literature on lesbian relationships links the positive feminine relational trait (intimacy or communion) with problems of psychological merger (Burch, 1982, 1985; Decker, 1984; Elise, 1986; Krestan and Bepko, 1980). Karpel (1976), describes psychological merger as a person's "state of ernbeddedness in and undifferentiation within, the relational context" (p. 67) . This study explores the femininity/masculinity sex role traits as they relate to psychological merger in lesbian couples.

Thirty-eight lesbian couples were recruited through friendship and acquaintance networks, newsletter announcements and direct solicitation of members of the Portland Lesbian Community Project (LCP). Couples had to have been living …

Self-Concept Competency Of National Aeronautics And Space Administration Research And Development Managers, Mark A. Beymer

Dissertations and Theses

Boyatzis has stated that "true" management competencies are characteristics of a manager which differentiate superior from average and below average performance. Boyatzis, however, treats a manager's self-image (self-concept) as a "threshold" rather than a "real" competency. Lafferty's research, which has measured relationships between several lifestyle (self-concept) variables and corresponding organizational behavior, has found that performance differences between average and high performing managers are associated with differences in self-concept construction. The researcher proposes to treat variations in self-concept measurements from managers as indications of their relative management competency. Thisresearch investigates seventeen hypotheses relating to the self-concepts of high performing, mid-level technical …

Preferred Perceptual Learning Styles Of Chinese Students, Alex Albert Pia

Dissertations and Theses

The basis for this study was work done by Joy Reid (1987) of Colorado State University. Reid's work analyzed the pref erred perceptual learning styles of several groups of English as a Second Language students and one group of American students. The learning styles concept has been established on the theory that students have a particular mode through which they learn best. The learning styles analyzed in this study were: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, tactile, individual, and group. The objectives of this study were to determine the relationships that exist between the preferred perceptual learning styles of P.R.C. and American students …

Toward Predicting Completion Of Substance Abuse Treatment, Rebecca Lee Bragg

Dissertations and Theses

This investigation attempts to identify factors which influence whether or not someone is likely to drop out of a chemical dependency treatment program. Dropping out is defined as someone who leaves treatment against medical advice.

The subjects were patients from a private, non-profit, medically based, residential program. Nine demographic characteristics were abstracted from the charts on file for the patients at the treatment center. Two groups of 45 patients each were selected from the inpatient population. One group, the Completed Treatment group, comprised patients who had completed the 28 day program. The second group, the AMA Discharge group, comprised patients …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Learning Style Perceptual Preferences And Attitudes Toward Computer-Assisted Instruction, Mary Brambilla Mcfarland

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the perceptual learning style preferences of nursing students and to examine the relationship, if any, among students whose learning style perceptual preferences were identified as being auditory, tactile or visual and their attitudes toward the use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in the areas of comfort, creativity and function. The relationships between nursing students' perceptual learning style preferences and the following were also examined: (a) the amount of time they spent using the computer program, Cardiac Exam Bingo; (b) whether the use of the computer program added to their learning the content about …

Persistence Of New Full-Time Students: A Study In A Community College, Janet Stephine Stennick

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify those retention-associated variables which best account for persistence and nonpersistence among new full-time students in a community college. The major research question for the study was: Within a community college, what differentiates new full-time students who leave and those who stay? Do factors identified in previous studies which helped to explain persistence and nonpersistence in four-year colleges and universities and those colleges that serve large numbers of residential students hold the same power for explaining this phenomenon in community colleges? Of the 607 new full-time students who enrolled Fall Term, 1987, 552 …

Predictors Of Depression In American Indian Adolescents, Quang Duong-Tran

Dissertations and Theses

Discriminant analysis was conducted to examine the empirical use of psychosocial variables and stressful life events scales in classifying depressed and non-depressed American Indian adolescents using a standardized criterion measure. Subjects attending a Bureau of Indian Affair boarding school were administered a mental health screening survey and were interviewed within four weeks using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule f or Children-Revised (DISC-R). Three models of discriminant analysis were used to determine the overall and incremental variance contributed by the stressful life events scales and the related psychosocial variables (i.e., gender, perceived social support from family and from friends, self-esteem, and depressive …

Normative Data On The Auditory Memory Test Battery For Ages 9 Through 13 Years, Elisabeth Y. Carter

Dissertations and Theses

Auditory short-term memory (STM) is important for speech and language development and for learning new information presented auditorily. Research has shown that auditory STM ability is of a developmental nature in the 5 through 8 year age range for a variety of auditory stimuli. Many tests and subtests are available to measure auditory STM ability, however one test, the Auditory Memory Test Battery (AMTB) measures auditory memory span and memory for sequence for 5 types of stimuli.

The purpose of this study was to collect normative data on the AMTB scores of normal 9 through 13 year old students and …

The Use Of Efficient Information Systems For Information Acquisition By The Hearing Impaired: A Case Study, William L. Nicolay

Dissertations and Theses

This paper presents an exploratory case study focusing on the acquisition of information, through technologically efficient systems, by the hearing impaired. The multiple-case study was conducted during one school year with seven students participating.

While a central question and propositions derived from that question guide the data collection and analysis, this is a hypothesis-building study. The purpose of the study was to generate questions to focus further research of a descriptive or explanatory format.

One question, and the propositions generated by it, dominated this research: How do efficient acquisition systems in the classroom effect academic and social behavior, independent activities, …

Oregon Women In Educational Administration: Profiles And An Analysis Of Upward Career Mobility Factors, Leland D. Chapman

Dissertations and Theses

The first purpose of this study was to determine from the positive and negative factors identified by Jones and Montenegro (1982), which factors Oregon female administrators perceived had influenced upward mobility in their careers. Study of this topic reveals added information and direction to administrators of university administrative programs, school board members and school personnel administrators involved in hiring and providing training or staff development. As a result, the commonalities and differences among female school administrators in Oregon are identified. Identifying the factors that relate to upward mobility of tenured and nontenured female administrators provides insight and hopefully will promote …