Digital Commons Network^™

Need Assessment Methodology, Gerald A. Burns, Janet S. Putnam

Dissertations and Theses

A need assessment is a systematic process of determining community needs through the comparative analysis of people, problems, and services. Although need assessments of some form have existed since biblical times, it has only been within recent years that their use in social planning has become prominent. This is attributed to the increasing belief in the necessity of pertinent data to make decision-making responsive to community needs.

Ten basic issues should be considered in designing a need assessment, These are: 1) Purpose; 2) Decision-making context; 3) Agency resources; 4) Scope; 5) Future studies; 6) Staff roles; 7) Data collection; 8) …

A Comparison Of Two Articulation Management Approaches, Cindy Sue Sykes

Dissertations and Theses

This clinical project sought to examine two different approaches to the treatment of functional articulatory disorders and to implement these two approaches in the actual management of two articulation disordered clients. The two approaches selected were the traditional auditory-stimulus method (Van Riper, 1972) and the sensory-motor approach (McDonald, 1964b) to testing and treatment. It was the intention of this project to compare the results of articulation intervention of the two methods.

Theoretical Studies In Cooperative Phenomena And Population Ecology, Shripad Tuljapurkar

Dissertations and Theses

We study problems in the stability of nonlinear ecological models and in the theory of collective motion in physical systems. We first establish criteria for global stability in deterministic nonlinear population models, including the most general criteria so far available for the Lotka-Volterra model. Next we study conditions for coexistence under periodic perturbations in population models and establish criteria for the appearance of dynamic equilibrium states. The third study in ecological stability establishes that a measure of the stability of population models in the presence of white noise is given by a Liapunov function for the nonlinear deterministic model, and …

The Utilization Of Preventive Health Care Services By Low Income Members Of A Comprehensive Prepaid Health Plan : The Impact Of Outreach Services, Linda Elmlund Mahoney

Dissertations and Theses

A reading of recent studies in preventative health care behavior recalls the proverb about the blind men and the elephant: each man is able to describe the part of the animal he is closest to, but none can see, and so none can put their diverse and often contradictory opinions together to come up with an accurate description of the whole elephant. Similarly, in preventative health care studies, each researcher or research group is able to observe the preventative health care utilization patterns of specific populations at particular times, but the conclusions reached are often based on less than complete …

Social Workers' Attitudes About Poverty, Trudy Hussmann

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess the attitudes of a select group of social workers in the Portland area. The study will focus on their attitudes about the causes of poverty and actions to deal with problems of poverty. These attitudes will be examined in the context of a theoretical framework. The sample consists of those social workers and social work-related professionals who serve as field instructors for the Portland State School of Social Work. This means that the study will also provide information about the attitudes that Portland State social work students are likely to encounter in …

Managing Human Services, Betsy W. Romain

Dissertations and Theses

Professional schools have realized for some time that there is an uncomfortable gap between the requirements of their academic curriculum and the realities of a professional job. The skills required, performance level and final product, are noticeably different in the academic world than in the work world. This void between what is required in school and what is required on the job, has become of increasing concern as larger numbers of academically qualified students compete for a decreasingly smaller number of jobs. Additionally, institutes of higher education, caught in current day fiscal realities, are under pressure from both students and …

A Functional Analysis Of The Effects Of A Token Economy Program On Attending Behavior In Children And Subsequent Test Performance, Kay Delores Lillig Cotter

Dissertations and Theses

Thirty children, 4 years 8 months to 6 years 7 months, enrolled in a privately operated day school, were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group over a one week period of baseline and a one week period of treatment. The experiment was designed to determine, if the implementation of a token economy program to decrease disruptive behavior in a classroom would result in improved academic performance. Both the children's and teacher's behavior were assessed. The findings were nonsignificant for all of the dependent measures for children's behavior. The only significant effect for teacher's behavior was …

New Odessa, 1882-1887: United We Stand, Divided We Fall, Helen E. Blumenthal

Dissertations and Theses

The Oregon Territory and later the State of Oregon have had a well-deserved reputation for encouraging free thought and liberal ideas. By tradition, Oregon has been the scene of rugged individualism, a proving ground for ideas and movements. The commune of New Odessa was one of the lesser known attempts of a group of immigrants coming from persecution in Russian to a new way of life in America.

This thesis is a study starting with the background of Russian Jewry, the social climate in the United States and particularly Oregon which allowed for the development of communes, the story of …

Martin Luther King, Jr. And His Times: A Multi-Media Script, Robert D. Rosenkranz

Dissertations and Theses

The objective of this thesis is to create a broad perspective of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his times by placing him and his goal of creating the "beloved community" to the test of his environment: the feeling and behavior of those people whose hearts and habits he struggled to change or direct.

In order to achieve this, this multi-media script, based in history, places King in contrasting settings. Act I finds King in Montgomery where with a great deal of support he wins over vocal southern segregationists in court. In contrast, Act II takes place in the Lawndale slums …

Sentencing: A Study Of The Effects Of Presentence Report Recommendations Upon The Sentencing Practices Of Judges In Multnomah County, Oregon, John George Gardin Ii

Dissertations and Theses

The process of judicial decision-making is not well understood. This paper has tried to shed some light on that process by examining the impact of presentence report recommendations upon the sentences handed down by the judges of a circuit court. Very little empirical work has been done on this problem, even though the presentence report recommendation is generally regarded by those in the judicial system as extremely important to the sentencing process.

Isolation And Characterization Of Two Sterols From The Green Alga, Selenastrum Capricornutum, Raymond Mark Owings

Dissertations and Theses

The green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, was cultured in artificial nutrient medium utilizing five-gallon carboys, each of which contained 16 1. of culture. The algal cells were separated from the nutrient medium by continuous-flow centrifugation at 7500 RPM, and were then lyophilized. The lyophilized cells were extracted by refluxing with ether, acetone, and chloroform:methanol (2:1). Free sterols and sterol esters were separated from the crude extract using preparative thin-layer chromatography. Sterol esters were saponified and both the sterols and the fatty acids were recovered.

Individual sterols were separated from the free sterol fraction using argentation thin-layer chromatography. Gas chromatograms, mass …

Biochemical Description Of A Lava Tube Lake In Southeast Oregon, John Edward Palmer

Dissertations and Theses

A Pleistocene lava tube cave in southeast Oregon has a seasonally fluctuating lake occupying the last 1200 to 2000 feet. Three endemic invertebrate species inhabit the lake: Kenkia rynchida Hyman; Asellus sp.; and Stygobromus hubbsi Shoemaker. Little is known however, about their environment. The purpose of this study was to describe various physical and chemical parameters of Malheur Cave Lake.

Effects Of Antifibroblast Antiserum On Cells Derived From Fibroblast Outgrowth Of Human Prostatic Tissues, Eva Shang-Lian King

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to provide pure cultures of normal human prostatic epithelium free of fibroblasts in order to study malignant conversion by chemical carcinogens. Normal epithelial cells were needed because this was the cell type implicated in prostatic malignancies of human subjects. Unfortunately fibroblasts grew faster than epithelial cells so that cultures were always overgrown with connective tissue elements. It was considered important to find a method which would eliminate fibroblasts so that normal epithelial cells could grow out in pure culture.

The Predictive Validity Of A Police Officer Selection Program, Neil Bingham Davidson

Dissertations and Theses

This study was designed to determine the predictive validity of a police officer selection program and identify the contribution made by each major selection device to the total program. Police officers employed by the Portland Police Bureau who had completed three years of post-probationary employment were randomly assigned to a validation group and a cross-validation group on a two for one basis respectively. Beta weights were computed for the written test, interview and psychological scores in the validation group. The regression formula was then applied to the data in the cross-validation group. A cross-validation R of 0.12 was obtained between …

Martin Luther's Concept Of The Church: Its Implications For The Layman, William W. Dean

Dissertations and Theses

This paper is a study of the relationship between Martin Luther's theology of the church and the practical development of the religious life of the church under his leadership, as this relationship relates to the active and passive roles of the layman in the church. The thesis question is: Did Luther hold a social prejudice against the lower classes and in favor of the upper class that caused him to modify or reinterpret his concept of the church in the course of his career?

Computer Aided Design For Fluidic Sequential Circuits Of Fundamental Mode, Yau-Hwang Lee

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents the method of state diagram synthesis and the development of a computer program for designing fluidic sequential feedback control circuits of the fundamental mode. A paper on state diagram synthesis was authored by Chen and Lee, presented in Detroit and published as ASME paper 73-WA/Flcs-2 in 1973.

Hypothetical systems are illustrated by using series of events characterized by the piston positions of some double-acting pneumatic cylinders. In these systems , an action can only begin when the previous action has been completed. Every extension or retraction of a piston is memorized and manifested by a flip-flop element …

A Comparative Study Of The Relative Incidence Of Various Vocal Parameters Among Black And White College Females, Barbara Kuhl Jacobs

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to make a comparative investigation of the voice quality of black and white women. A review of the literature revealed considerable research has been conducted in the area of black-white language differences in the United States, but very little research has been conducted regarding comparisons of voice quality of Blacks and Whites. The suggestion that certain voice qualities are more characteristic of Blacks or Whites when compared as groups led the writer to pursue the present investigation.

Chronological Age, Mental Age And Socioeconomic Status Variance In Expressive Preposition Acquisition Of Young Children, Arthur J. Heckel

Dissertations and Theses

The present study was designed to determine the ages at which a sample of children between eighteen and forty-two months verbally and correctly express the fourteen prepositions known to be acquired by age four, using the Revised Expressive Preposition Test (REPT). The REPT was administered to sixty children chosen from day care centers and private homes within the metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. There was no preference as to the sex, intelligence of the child or socio- economic status of the child's family. A statistical analysis was performed to determine the correlation between HEPT scores and the child's chronological age, …

The Relative Social Acceptability Of Three Types Of Alaryngeal Speech, Kathleen Dawn Stewart

Dissertations and Theses

As a result of the surgical removal of the larynx, the laryngectomee is no longer able to speak and must choose to learn a new method of oral communication if he wishes to communicate orally. Laryngectomees, speech clinicians and physicians need to be provided with information which will assist in the selection of the most appropriate type of alaryngeal speech for each individual. Social acceptability is one criterion which may be an important consideration. This study, therefore, compared three modes of alaryngeal speech: Asai, esophageal, and artificial larynx, on the parameter of social acceptability.

Interactions In The Frequencies Of Electric Organ Discharge By Eigenmannia Virescens (Sternopygidae, Pisces) During Social Behavior, Philip Gaddis

Dissertations and Theses

The extent to which individuals of Eigenmannia virescens modulate their electric organ discharge frequencies to accommodate the frequencies of others of the same species during social interactions was investigated. Recordings of the fish's discharge frequencies, taken with Tektronix 3L5 and 5L4N spectrum analyzers, showed that, although movements of up to 60 Hz in a day may be made, the frequency movements would be made more or less synchronously by all fish in the group. An apparent preference for, and a tendency of the fish to follow one another in frequency, at frequency ratios of 2:3 (a musical fifth), 3:4 (fourth), …

Role Exits Among The Aged, Nancy Whitelaw Mancini

Dissertations and Theses

The concept of role exit presented by Zena Smith Blau in her book, Old Age in a Changing Society, refers to the ongoing process of relinquishing previously enacted social roles; a process which is part of everyday life for men and women of all ages. However, Blau argues that role exits in later life are different from those in earlier stages of the life cycle because they tend to be terminal and involuntary. These factors, according to Blau, cause role exits in old age to negatively influence the individual's overall satisfaction with life.

This thesis examines the concept of …

An Identification Of Important Management, Administrative, And Planning Skills And Knowledge Essential To Middle-Managers Present Positions In A Variety Of Urban And Rural Social Welfare Settings In Oregon, Patricia Victoria Leonard

Dissertations and Theses

In July, 1974 the Social Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, awarded a grant to the School of Social Work at Portland State University to "identify and examine the skills and abilities that are utilized by middle-management personnel in the human services field." The project sought to (1) identify and prioritize the management, administrative and planning skills utilized by practitioners in a variety of urban and rural social welfare setting throughout Oregon, (2) develop a list of middle-management skills deemed important for graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Social Work, and (3) provide data …

Close Supervision Program: An Analysis Of A Human Services Program, Thomas Wright Jr., V. Henderson Trotman

Dissertations and Theses

Multnomah County, Oregon, like many other counties across the nation, faces the perplexing problem of meeting the needs of the youthful offender. Historically, and even in more recent times, juvenile court authorities have relied primarily on detention facilities to provide secure custody for youthful offenders. However, the continued increase in delinquency and a growing storm of criticism of the juvenile court have led to a re-examination of current policy and a number of proposed changes on both the national and local level.

A policy change in Multnomah County with regard to detention of youthful offenders has led to the closure …

The Dynamics Of An Hcp Crystal With A Substitutional Defect, Pramod C. Karulkar

Dissertations and Theses

We examine the problem of the dynamics of a hexagonal close packed crystal with a single substitutional impurity. The effects of the mass and the force constant changes due to the introduction of the impurity atom are taken into account assuming nearest neighbor interactions under the harmonic approximation. Using Green’s function and group theoretical methods, the equations of motion for the perturbed normal modes are obtained in an exact form. The calculations are performed by allowing for very general force constant changes which can have noncentral as well as central contributions. Further, by assuming central forces, we simplify the equations …

Alternative Methods For The Analysis Of Curves, Randi Christine Martin

Dissertations and Theses

The interpretation of data from psychological experiments often involves the analysis and comparison of curves, like the electrocardiogram, spectral sensitivity, or dose-response curves. Existing statistical techniques are often inadequate for making this type of analysis. This thesis presents alternative methods for handling the data comprising curves and discusses the advantages of these techniques against those of existing methods.

Four types of analysis are discussed:

1. finding a confidence band around one curve,
2. finding a confidence band around the difference between two curves, or making an overall comparison between two curves,
3. decomposing a curve into its components,
4. making a component by component …

Marital Status As A Discriminator And Treatment Variable Among Female Alcoholics, James C. Knapp

Dissertations and Theses

In this study marital status and the alcoholism or non-alcoholism of the spouse are hypothesized to be important factors affecting the female alcoholic's personality and treatability. Using as a sample group of women seen at a public treatment center for alcoholism, personality measurement variables were obtained from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule. On the basis of these variables and of the additional variable of age, discrimination among this group of women was attempted using a stepwise discriminant analysis.

Classification of this group of women by marital status into four groups (1. alcoholic women with …

Social Workers In The Community Mental Health Field A Delphi Forecast Of Training Priorities, William Boyce Thomas, Mark L. Clay

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis describes an exploratory research project initiated to facilitate curriculum planning for and evaluation of a social work training program in the field of community mental health. The literature concerning community mental health, the historical relationship of social work to this field, and current issues in social work manpower and education was reviewed as part of the thesis project. On the basis of the review, a study was undertaken to determine appropriate priorities for training Master ' s level social worker’s specializing in this field of practice. The researcher's decided that these priorities would be determined in terms of …

The Development Of An Evaluational Process For The Group Home Project Of The Northeast Multnomah District Of Childrens' Service Division, Lucinda E. Mckitrick, Richard S. Barasch, Lon J. Lembert

Dissertations and Theses

Childrens' Services Division of the State of Oregon is involved in a group home project. They have to date nine group homes in operation within Multnomah County. Their staff consists of a director, three social workers and the group home provider staff.

The primary goal for this practicum was the development of an evaluative system that would establish descriptions of the type of client who entered the Group Home Program and some criteria for success in that program. In developing this system, it was necessary to design instruments to measure behavioral changes and attitudes and also to collect descriptive data. …

A Survey And Critical Analysis Of Current Literature On The Post Audit Of Capital Expenditure, Gene Albert Katke

Dissertations and Theses

Several writers in the field of capital budgeting have charged that present day literature on the subject fails to adequately address the post audit phase of capital expenditure programs. This study is essentially a survey of current literature designed to determine the validity of this charge. To accomplish this task, the study compares each author’s published views on selected post audit factors with other responses from the literature and analyzes collective agreements and differences. Armed with this information, an attempt is made to provide answers to three pertinent questions:

l. Does general agreement exist among writers on what constitutes the …

A Study Of Local Union Business Agents In Portland, Oregon Area, Lillian L. Morrison

Dissertations and Theses

Labor unions are an integral part of the economy of the United States. At the grass roots, union influence and/or effectiveness depends on the local union organization, its management, and its relationship to and involvement in community affairs. This influence and involvement is focused on the local union leadership in the person of the business agent. A substantial body of literature exists on leadership in general as well as specific information about leadership in labor unions, and includes contributions from the fields of Sociology and Psychology as well as Economics. This research paper is a study of local union business …