Digital Commons Network^™

An Internal Review Of A Discipline: Journal Editors' Opinions Of Paradigm Development Within Speech Communication, Laurie A. Houghton

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature on paradigm development within academic fields revealed that researchers have drawn distinctions between disciplines with greater paradigm development (discussed as discipline-wide consensus) and disciplines with lesser paradigm development. Several of these investigations centered on paradigm development and evaluative criteria used by academic journal editors for judging scholarly work. The purpose of this study was to ascertain Speech Communication journal editors' opinions of paradigm development within their field.

A two-part survey was developed and mailed to eleven editors of the major Speech Communication journals. Data generated from the survey were analyzed using a descriptive methodology. Part …

Life Satisfaction Of Elderly Parents And Parent-Child Relationships In Old Age, Tehchou Yeh

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is designed to explore the nature of the relationship between elderly parents and their children and to investigate the association of that relationship with life satisfaction of the elderly parents. The examination of parents' life satisfaction is based on the activity theory of gerontology. The life satisfaction is measured by Adams's eighteen-item Life Satisfaction Index. The parent-child relationship is viewed from the standpoint of both the parents' expectations of their children and how the children fulfill these expectations. Filial discrepancies between parents' expectations and children's behavior are analyzed to fill a gap in the literature on behavioral and …

Career Supports And Career Mentors: An Analysis Of Their Prevalence And Their Relation To Career Success And Satisfaction Among A Group Of Women Lawyers, Sandra Lee Riley

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated three issues problematic to the state of knowledge on mentoring. These issues were: (a) lack of scientifically derived operational definitions in use in research on mentoring; (b) lack of agreement about how common mentoring is; and (c) lack of agreement about whether or not alternate forms of career support are more efficient than mentoring. The information collected to address each of these issues was acquired in two phases: a literature survey followed by a sample survey. The literature survey addressed the first issue. It resulted in the formulation of an operational definition of mentoring which was based …

The Correlation Between Expressive Language Delay In Children And Their Motor Abilities, Gail G. Cunningham

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the present study was to determine the correlation between expressive language delay in children and their gross and fine motor skills. Twenty children five years through six years, eleven months with a diagnosed expressive language delay, were selected to participate in the study. Each was screened on the basis of normal hearing, receptive vocabulary skills, motor functioning, and an expressive language delay of one year or more. After screening procedures, each child was administered the Preschool Language Scale-PLS (Zimmerman, et al., 1969) and the short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-BOMP (Bruininks, 1978). …

Effect Of Tinnitus Maskers On Speech Discrimination Among Those Wearing Tinnitus Maskers, John Alexander Chonka

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect(s) of tinnitus maskers and tinnitus instruments on speech discrimination utilizing a population of subjects who currently have tinnitus and are presently wearing these devices. The hypothesis which guided this investigation states that there is no difference between discrimination scores with and without tinnitus maskers. In an attempt to test this hypothesis, speech discrimination scores were obtained from 26 listeners both in quiet and in the presence of cafeteria noise, with and without use of their tinnitus maskers.

Teaching Visual Awareness To General Education Students, Larry Edward Gross

Dissertations and Theses

The goal of this thesis was to present a teaching method which would demonstrate increased visual awareness in general education college students. The particular approach presented for that purpose was also designed to be of potential benefit to students' total educational experience. To that end sane conditions and specific research were introduced as necessary considerations for the teaching approach and for the role of art education as it pertains to the thesis goal.

Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity And Their Perceived Relationships To Substitute Teaching Effectiveness, Castilla Jack Ryan

Dissertations and Theses

This research is an exploratory study of role conflict and role ambiguity and their relationships to effectiveness in the substitute teaching services. In many public school systems, large numbers of substitute teachers are assigned to a classroom on a daily basis when the regular teacher is absent. The assignment is usually done through a central administrative office. Substitutes are assigned with very short notice; and since their assignment is based on availability, they may be asked to teach a subject outside their certified field. In addition, the lesson plans left for the substitutes by regular teachers may be incomplete or …

Causes And Consequences Of Divorce In Late Life, Keren Brown Wilson

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a framework in which the effect of divorce in late life could be examined. Statistics indicate a growing number of persons who occupy the divorce status in late life. Many of these persons enter late life in the divorced status, others are divorced after age 60. This study focuses upon those who divorce after age 60. Although previous work does not shed much light upon late life divorce, it yields a clear picture of the characteristics, process and consequences of divorce for younger persons. Assumptions derived from work with younger divorcing populations …

The Health Policy Gap: Income, Health Insurance And Source Of Care Effects On Utilization Of And Access To Dental, Physician And Hospital Services By Oregon Households, Constance Hall Fitzgerald

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores the effects of income, insurance, and source of medical care on access to and utilization of health services. Profiles of dental, physician, and hospital services use are developed for more than 3,500 Oregonians. Low income, lack of health insurance, and/or an inappropriate source of medical care are hypothesized to be barriers to access and utilization. Households which face one or more of these barriers are identified as falling into a "Health Policy Gap." The data for this study were drawn from a 1978 random telephone survey of 1249 Oregon households. The survey was commissioned by the State …

An Investigation Of The Reliability, Subscale Intercorrelations, And Validity Of The Administrator Role Perception Inventory, Anne Skirven Wax

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability, subscale intercorrelations, and validity of the Administrator Role Perception Inventory (ARPI), an instrument developed by the investigator and a co-author in the year preceding the study. The ARPI is a 50 item, Likert-type scale which reflects variables thought to be associated with burn-out: expectation, motivation, accomplishment, psycho-physical state, and relationships. Another variable, previously unresearched, was also included; it is the variable of "time" and reflects a negative time orientation, a longing for the "good old days." The inventory was mailed to all of the 2,113 active members of the Confederation …

A Descriptive Predictive Model For The Employment Of Computer-Based Management Information Systems For The Government Of A Developing Country: Case, Iran, Hossein Bidgoli

Dissertations and Theses

This study was undertaken to identify the most decisive variables in the successful employment of a Computer-Based Management Information System (CBMIS) in a developing country such as Iran. A descriptive model was designed. Using a series of predictive models, several dimensions of successful CBMIS employment were investigated. Data were collected via a questionnaire sent to 79 Iranian governmental computer installations. Questions posed by the study are: (1) Under what conditions should a developing country continue to operate manually? (2) If computerization is feasible, what should the acquisition criteria be? (3) What are the most important variables for optimum utilization of …

Institutional Environments As Perceived By The Faculty And Administrators At Six Small Liberal Arts Christian Colleges, Jeffrey Thomas Fouts

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if the small liberal arts Christian colleges provide a distinctive environment apart from the traditional classifications of colleges and universities. The environments of the six sample colleges were assessed by administering the Institutional Functioning Inventory (IFI) to faculty and administrators. Statistically significant differences were found among the colleges on eight of the 11 environmental dimensions. However, it was concluded that the colleges constituted a relatively homogeneous group on all dimensions measured except Self-Study and Planning. Total sample means on the 11 scales of the IFI allowed for a generic description of 11 …

Enrollment Decline: The Uses And Disposition Of Excess Space In 106 Oregon Public School Districts, Marjorie Brothers

Dissertations and Theses

A survey was made of the status of public school districts in Oregon with regard to growth or decline in enrollment and the uses or disposition of excess space resulting from a decline. A questionnaire was mailed to superintendents in each of the 126 districts which had declined in enrollment during the years between 1970 and 1983. Of the 106 districts which returned the questionnaire, 53.7% had experienced a decline of sufficient magnitude to require some adjustment in the ways in which building space is used. This excess space was used for classrooms, curriculum centers, office space, community programs, and …

Global Awareness Of Administrators In Higher Education In The State Of Oregon, Elizabeth Marsh O'Malley

Dissertations and Theses

The development of worldmindedness is an educational objective endorsed by many prominent educators. How worldmindedness can be created and developed is a question acknowledged in much of the literature and needs to be answered if the world is to move toward a future of peace and understanding. Authorities agree that to prepare Americans for an interdependent world, the United States must incorporate global education into the nation's existing educational system. This task will require strong leadership on America's college campuses. Consequently, before an effective worldmindedness program can be established in institutions of higher learning, administrators' attitudes toward such a program …

Sex Differences In The Language Development Rates Of Two-Year Olds, Laurel A. Hickman

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the language development rate of male and female children, 24 to 30 months of age, during a three month time period.

Toward A Behavioral Analysis Of Attentiveness As A Style Of Communication, Ray Alan Coker

Dissertations and Theses

Attentiveness, a variable of communication, primarily serves a stylistic function in the communicative process by providing behavioral evidence that an individual is actively involved in message reception. Past research suggests that while both verbal and nonverbal behaviors signal attentiveness, nonverbal cues are more closely associated with this construct. Among the many nonverbal behaviors of individuals in interactions, postural positions have been deemed highly indicative of attentiveness. At present however, most of the empirical evidence attesting to this notion has been established through the use of self-report measures. As a result of the felt need by this author to improve upon …

Short-Term Wellness Program For A School Staff Comparing Levels Of Support, Wynferd Ray Chilton

Dissertations and Theses

This study conducted an experiment with 139 staff volunteers from a suburban school district (K-12) who participated in an eight-week program of exercise, nutritional practices, and stress control measures. All participants were pretested and posttested for mental well-being and physical fitness. Two treatment groups set goals, wrote contracts, and met weekly to hear speakers and share experiences, and made weekly reports to a director of the project. One treatment group was provided with leaders who organized supporting activities; the other treatment group was divided into support groups without leaders. A third group was composed of individuals who did not participate …

Toward A Phenomenological-Based Perspective Of Acculturation With Application To Scottish Immigrants, Dorothy M. Sermol

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is an attempt to construct a perspective of the acculturation of immigrants drawing on certain communication- based phenomenological assumptions. From these phenomenological assumptions a Framework of Acculturation is constructed as a guide through which to examine the acculturation process. The Framework of Acculturation is then applied to the particular group of Scottish immigrants who live in the Northwest of the United States.

The Placement Information Base: Its Utility And Meaning For Nursing Home Placement Decisions, Darlene Schroedl Mckenzie

Dissertations and Theses

The State of Oregon is using the Placement Information Base, PIB, as part of an assessment process to determine the type of placement needed by Medicaid clients. While used for functional assessment, PIB has not been empirically studied for its use as a screening or predictive instrument to differentiate between the need for nursing home care and community care. This dissertation addresses the question of whether PIB is suitable for use as a screening instrument for nursing home placement decisions. Both PIB's measurement and predictive capabilities are examined. Using secondary PIB data on 2287 elderly Department of Human Resources clients, …

Metropolitan School Administrators: Work Values, Role Perceptions And Burnout, Jacqueline Conner Waggoner

Dissertations and Theses

Data were collected from 388 administrators from ten urban and suburban school districts in Oregon and Washington to identify the work values of public school administrators, (as measured by the Ohio Work Values Inventory, OWVI), and determine the relationship between public school administrator role perceptions associated with burnout, (as measured by the Administrator Role Perception Inventory, ARPI), and their work values. The data were analyzed by levels of administration, background data and specific scales on the instruments. Cluster sampling by district was used; i.e. all administrators within each of ten school districts in Oregon and Washington comprised the initial sample …

Rating Life Events : The Effect Of Experience And Point Of Reference, Richard John Alden

Dissertations and Theses

Life events inventories have been extensively used to investigate the relationship between stressful life events and the etiology of disease. In order to elucidate conceptual and methodological issues surrounding the use of these instruments, a Life Events Questionnaire was constructed and administered to 100 university students. Subjects indicated which of 40 events they had experienced and rated all events on a 20 point scale based on the amount of readjustment judged to be required by each event, both for themselves and for a hypothetical average person. Results of a three-way ANOVA indicated that in the majority of cases, neither the …

A Translation Into English Of The German Novel Jakob Der LüGner By Jurek Becker, Harriet Passell

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is a translation of the German novel Jakob der Lugner by Jurek Becker. In my commentary I have tried to explain why I undertook the project of translating this novel from German into English, when that had already been done by Melvin Kornfeld. Kornfeld's translation, which is no longer in print, fails to do justice to Jurek Becker's style and changes a story of heartwarming simplicity, humor and psychological insight into a somewhat tedious account of the life in a ghetto during World War II.

Scl-90 Characteristics Of The Borderline Personality Disorder In A Day Treatment Setting, Jeananne Theresa Feagan

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this present study was to examine test performance of the Borderline Personality Disorder on the Symptom Checklist .(SCL-90). This investigation addressed whether the Borderline Personality Disorder has a distinctive profile on the SCL-90, and whether the profile is distinguishable in comparison with two other groups with mental disorders.

Psychometric Properties Of The Group Process Questionnaire, Lucia Igou Eakins

Dissertations and Theses

The Group Process Questionnaire (GPQ), a 55-item rating scale, was developed by Richard Wollert in 1981 to assess perceptions of the frequency of processes occurring in self-help groups (SHGs). The GPQ was first employed by Wollert, Eakins, and Dixon (Note 1) as the primary data collection instrument in an ongoing investigation of urban SHGs. This investigation is one of a small number of empirical studies which have attempted to specify the range of SHG activities. Due to the relatively recent emergence of SHGs as topics of research, and the unique obstacles to research presented by the independent character of these …

The Work Values Of Secondary Teachers : A Comparative Study By Teaching Assignment, Charlotte Marie Klampe

Dissertations and Theses

The focus of this study was on the work values of secondary school teachers. Values have been defined in many ways. The common agreement is that values are standards, beliefs, or principles that do guide and direct a person's behavior. The values a teacher holds will influence a student due to the natural role-modeling effect in the classroom. With the advent of career education and exploration of the world of work, the values held toward work become a timely topic. The discussion of values and value clarification in all aspects of a person's life is one that is becoming very …

One-Third Octave Band Augmented Speech Discrimination Testing For Cochlear Impaired Listeners, Dianne Heath

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 500 Hz and 3,150 Hz one-third octave band augmentation on the speech discrimination ability of listeners with cochlear hearing impairments. The results were analyzed both within the experimental group of subjects included in the present study and in comparison with data collected on a control group of normal hearing subjects reported earlier.

Parameters Of Mental Rehearsal, Timothy K. Kelly

Dissertations and Theses

An extensive review of the literature of the phenomenon of mental rehearsal (MR), or the act of imagining oneself performing a behavior in anticipation of eventually doing so, indicated that MR could facilitate improved performance on varied motor skills. An experiment which drew from previous studies in MR, incorporated suggestions from.the literature, and used a novel measurement task was conducted. The present study compared MR to physical practice (PP), no practice (NP), mental rehearsal/physical practice combined (MR/PP), and interference mental rehearsal (I). Five groups of twenty subjects (N=100) played a hand-held video computer game in a pre- and post-test design. …

The Relationship Between Romanes And English As Spoken By The Portland Gypsies, Margaret Anne Sharp

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between English and Romanes as spoken by the Portland Kalderash Rom (Gypsies). Examples, taken from natural conversations which were taped, translated, and analyzed, show that the intermixing follows rules which guard the linguistic integrity of both languages. Code changing, code mixing, linguistic natural setting. A lexicon of Romanes words, elicited from members of the Gypsy community, is also included. The findings of this study support the thesis that this intermixing of Romanes and English is adaptive in that it insures that all members of the community can speak both languages from an early age.

Attitudes Of Mental Health Professional Groups Toward Mental Health Treatment Modalities As Measured By The Semantic Differential Technique, Gene Stanley Morrill

Dissertations and Theses

The present research was conducted in order to ascertain whether differences in attitudes exist between the three main professional groups which are presently the major providers of mental health care -- psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers -- with respect to six treatment modalities: Individual Psychotherapy, Individual Counseling, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Psychiatric Medication and Psychiatric Hospitalization. Modalities evaluated include treatments appropriate to a variety of individual, social and biological concepts of mental health/pathology. It was assumed that any such attitudinal differences might reflect biases in the provision of mental health treatment and therefore be an important concern for consumers …

The Effects Of Overt And Covert Observation On The Clinical Behavior Emitted By Untrained Clinicians, Carol L.K. Middleton

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the effects overt and covert observation of live clinical sessions have on the number of social/ neutral verbal behaviors emitted by untrained speech clinicians and their respective clients enrolled Summer Term, 1980, in the Articulation and Language Clinic at Portland State University, Speech and Hearing Sciences. The Boone-Prescott Interactional analysis System (Boone and Prescott, 1972), a numerically coded system, was used to record clinician-client interactions. Data were obtained for a randomly selected five minute period from each of forty clinical sessions.