Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Correctional Education On Recidivism, William L. Hiser

Dissertations and Theses

The effectiveness of programs intended to rehabilitate criminal offenders has been widely debated during the last decade. This thesis represents an attempt to evaluate the effects of education and training programs in particular, insofar as these effects have been measured in terms of recidivism.

The Development And Effects Of An Educational Audiovisual Presentation On Female Masturbation Upon The Attitudes And Masturbatory Behavior Of College Females, Catherine Ann Hogan

Dissertations and Theses

The current study was designed: (1) to develop an educational tool on female masturbation capable of reaching a wide audience of women with accurate and complete information on female masturbation; (2) to provide initial validation for the further educational usefulness of this tool and (3) to assess its potential ability for improving overall sexual functioning in women by possibly altering negative attitudes toward masturbation and/or by dis-inhibiting masturbatory behavior.

Factorial Structure Of The Hamilton Rating Scale For Depression, Kevin Page O'Brien

Dissertations and Theses

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS), a 17-item observer-rated scale, was first developed in 1960 to assess the severity of depressive symptomatology in patients diagnosed as suffering from depression. The HRS has since demonstrated high inter-rater reliability (with coefficients ranging from .87 to .94), and has proven useful in measuring changes of severity following treatment.

Since its development, the HRS has been the focus of several factor analytic investigations, four of which attempted to assess the instrument for factorial invariance. Factorial invariance refers to the generalizability or applicability of dimensions developed from one sample to another. While some consensus …

Burnout: Multi-Dimensional Study Of Alienation Among Social Service Workers In The Willamette Valley, Sally Carignan

Dissertations and Theses

In a profession such as social work, where one is responsible for dealing with the ills of society and meeting the needs of other individuals, such emotional detachment and estrangement from others is antithetical to the purpose of the field and eminently destructive to those seeking and needing assistance. With the current push for accountability, factors such as burnout or alienation from one's work become of crucial importance. In addition, burnout leads to a high rate of absenteeism and job turnover (Minihan, 1980). This too decreases cost effectiveness and the quality of service, matters of extreme concern in a field …

Environmental And Psychological Factors Surrounding Children Of Cancer Patients: An Exploratory Study, Joan Strong Buell

Dissertations and Theses

This exploratory study examines five families in which one parent was ill with cancer and in which there was a 5-to 8-year-old child. To understand the adaptation to the illness (and, in the case of three families, to the death of the ill parent) of the focus child was the principal aim of the study. The circumstances existing around the time of the illness and death of the parent were seen as particularly important in determining how the child viewed these events. Areas such as substitute caregivers, family routines, information given to the child, and the child's participation in, apparent …

The Effects Of Public Progress Charts Upon Self-Pacing In A Psi Course In Social Studies In A Traditional Middle School, Lynnette Hager-Godat

Dissertations and Theses

The present study investigated the effects of public progress charts on self-pacing in a social studies course taught by the PSI method in a middle school (grades 5-8). It was found that public progress charts significantly enhanced a student's rate of progress, t(45) = 5.06, p < .01. Student satisfaction with the PSI method was measured and it was found that students liked the PSI method.

An Investigation Of Observer Evaluation Accuracy Of Clinical Sessions, Douglas Scott Peterson

Dissertations and Theses

Student speech-language pathologists begin their academic preparation as observers. Observations of the clinical management session are for the purpose of providing student clinicians with insight into the management process by providing clinical models. To make observation experiences meaningful there must be some guiding framework which will demonstrate the significance of behaviors observed. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect Boone-Prescott Content and Sequence Analysis System (B-P) instruction had upon the accuracy of beginning student observation evaluations of clinical management sessions.

Developmental Sentence Scoring Sample Size Comparison, Marilyn May Valenciano

Dissertations and Theses

Assessment of language abilities is an integral part of accruing information on the development of concept formation and the learning of grammatical rules. The maturity and complexity of a child's language can be assessed through the use of a language sample. The sample consists of a specified number of utterances which are emitted spontaneously and then analyzed according to a given procedure.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference among the scores obtained from language samples of 25, 50, and 75 utterances when using the DSS procedure for ages 4.0 through 4.6 years. …

Factor Structure And Reliability Of The Revised Family Adaptability And Cohesion Scales, Carol A. Sadler

Dissertations and Theses

The present study assessed scores from 627 mothers, fathers and children throughout the metropolitan Portland area on the revised Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES). Of interest was the revised FACES factor structure, internal consistency and interrater reliabilities.

The results suggested the following: 1) The revised FACES was factorially complex. Only minimal comparability of factors across family roles was evidenced, and the independence of the adaptability and cohesion constructs was not sufficiently demonstrated. 2) The revised FACES was characterized by poor internal consistency reliability for all family roles. 3) No significant agreement among family members was evidenced.

These results were …

The Assessment Of Service Providers' Attitudes Toward Working With Older Clients In An Urban Social Service System, Marilyn Diane Petersen

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates attitudes toward working with older clients held by service providers in an urban social service system. Four samples were involved: three of providers (Interview Panel, n = 22; Pretest Sample, n = 89; and Survey Sample, n = 428) and one of providers and their older clients (Encounter Sample, n = 52 providers, 147 clients). The first time samples included 13 provider types: hospital doctors, nurses, and nurses aides; in-home nurses and aides; nursing home nurses and aides; mental health practitioners; and income, nutrition, transportation, housing, and interaction personnel. The Encounter Sample included: in-home nurses and aides, …

Success Expectancy In Depressives, Marilyn Frances Barnowe-Meyer

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis was an attempt to investigate two important cognitive aspects of depression: expectation of success, and changes in this expectation. Recent studies in these areas have yielded inconsistent results. It has generally been concluded that subclinical depressives do not differ from nondepressives in initial expectation of success, though they do at times exhibit smaller changes in success expectancy following personal experiences of success or failure. Two main cognitive theories of depression have attempted to account for this difference between the two populations. Beck (1967) has proposed that depression results from specific negative cognitive processes, among them a denial of …

An Analysis Of Environmental, Social And Personal Dimensions And Their Relationship To Psychological Well-Being In Late Life, Renee Tissue

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation focused on the relationship between psychological well-being and life situations of older persons. Specifically, this study examined whether life situations were different for persons whose Life Satisfaction Index scores changed over a two-year period compared to those whose scores were stable. The sample included 215 older persons living in reduced circumstances. These persons were interviewed on three occasions separated by one-year intervals. Pearson correlations, analysis of variance, and multiple regression procedures were employed to test five hypotheses. Fourteen case studies were selected to illustrate statistical findings. When the dissertation data were analyzed for each occasion separately, findings from …

Coping With Stress Following A Natural Disaster: The Volcanic Eruption Of Mt. St. Helens, Shirley Ann Murphy

Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on the coping responses of the bereaved immediate family and close friends of persons who died as a result of the volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens in southwestern Washington on May 18, 1980. Three major research questions were addressed: Is there a relationship between illness and three life events: presumed death of a close relative or friend, confirmed death of a close relative or friend, and loss of one's permanent of recreational residence? Do self-efficacy and social supports act as intervening variables to buffer the negative effects of stress on one's health when coping with loss? …

Reliability And Validity Of A Scale To Measure Prosocial Behavior In Young Children, Susan Davis

Dissertations and Theses

The present study was designed to determine the reliability and validity of an observation code and rating scale developed by Smith (unpublished research) to measure prosocial behavior in young children.

Comparison Of Scores Obtained On The Ppvt And The Ppvt-R, Jennie L.M. Choong

Dissertations and Theses

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) is a widely used receptive vocabulary screening tool, but it is not without its limitations, such as inadvisable I.Q. usage and a standardization procedure that lacks scope. A revision of the PPVT, known as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) was published in 1981, and contains a more complete standardization procedure as well as some structural changes of the test itself (Dunn, 1981). Speech/language pathology, whose diagnosticians most commonly use the age equivalent value, is a profession that would gain from information which deals with the equivalency of the PPVT-R to the original PPVT. …

Theodor Storm's Der Schimmelreiter And The Realism Of The Supernatural, Regina Berrit Braker

Dissertations and Theses

In interpreting Der Schinmelreiter by Theodor Storm, the deconstructive method always leaves room for more interpretation; a deconstructive interpretation may simply acknowledge a variety of critical opinions, not necessarily considering one more valid than another, but arguing that all of than together are necessary to form a collective interpretation. I have examined traditionally important views of Storm's work, those of Stuckert and Silz, who argue for a positive heroic example in the main character Hauke Haien, and who consider the supernatural in a less structurally important light, but attribute it to Storm's personal views and geographic background. Ellis, Findlay and …

Work Personality As A Factor In Evaluating The Work Potential Of The Mentally Retarded, Janet L. Scally

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis focused on the development of a Work Personality Scale and the systematic study of how this aspect of the mentally retarded person is related to his or her intelligence and dexterity skill level.

The Perinatal Regionalization Policy: A Study In Form And Development, Linda Umbdenstock

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research was to demonstrate one way in which the analytical and creative components of policy can complement one another to provide insight for understanding emergent (developmental) and cooperative systems. As a case study, this research examined a perinatal regionalization project--a new health care delivery system--to determine how it might develop from this point in its history, i.e., what form it might take. The key questions were: how do we design a workable and significant system? How much is science; how much art? Given the emergent social nature of the system, a twofold approach was required. The …

Organizational Innovation In A Professional School: A Case Study, Marie Streng Berger

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research was to apply specific organization development strategies in a professional school to test the applicability of Argyris' Theory and Method Model for this setting. The research was designed to determine the effectiveness of group decision-making processes before and after intervention. In order to accomplish this, the research included two phases. The purpose of Phase One was to involve all members in the organization development program so valid information could be collected about strengths, limitations, and problems of the organization. Data for this phase were collected by individual and group interviews. These interviews, while unstructured, were …

Approximate Reasoning, Logics For Self-Reference, And The Use Of Nonclassical Logics In Systems Modeling, Daniel Guy Schwartz

Dissertations and Theses

This work advances the use of nonclassical logics for developing qualitative models of real-world systems. Abstract mathematics is "qualitative" inasmuch as it relegates numerical considerations to the background and focuses explicitly on topological, algebraic, logical, or other types of conceptual forms. Mathematical logic, the present topic, serves to explicate alternative modes of reasoning for use in general research design and in model construction. The central thesis is that the theory of formal logical systems, and particularly, of logical systems based on nonclassical modes of reasoning, offers important new techniques for developing qualitative models of real-world systems. This thesis is supported …

A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach To The Control Of Dream Content, Gary Nick Dean Lehto

Dissertations and Theses

A cognitive-behavioral technique for developing dream control was examined. Twenty paid subjects were randomly assigned to either an attention-placebo control group or a cognitive-behavioral training group. Subjects met in the respective groups for a total of three hours of "training." Subjects in the actual training group were presented with a self-instruction sequence to practice and use in attempting to manipulate dream content. The control group subjects met to only discuss dreams and dreaming and were given no specific instruction in content control. After completion of the training, each subject individually spent two consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory. The first …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Role Behaviors Pertaining To The Roles Of Student And Professor, Kathryne Jeanne Nadal

Dissertations and Theses

Communication theory involving the role concept has shown that role expectations and differing evaluations of role behavior can lead to communication breakdowns between persons. Literature pertaining to relations between professors and international students indicates the presence of unfulfilled expectations between them as to how they perform their respective roles. It was therefore hypothesized that some difficulties international students face in the academic world may be due to factors such as differing role expectations. As the literature provided no methodologically based cross-cultural research in this area, the researcher undertook to discover if professors and students evaluate the roles of student and …

Interpersonal Behavior And Depression: An Examination Of Self-Descriptions On The Interpersonal Check List, Douglas Steven Andrews

Dissertations and Theses

Depressive disorders are recognized as being of long standing clinical and theoretical concern. Early psychoanalytic conceptualizations of depression were later reformulated into theories emphasizing interpersonal manifestations of depression, notably passive-dependent oral trends. Recent research efforts have explored specific interpersonal behaviors and their relationship to depression. Although some studies have been done utilizing self-report data of interpersonal behavior, little has been done utilizing self-descriptions of interpersonal traits drawn from a sample of clinically depressed psychiatric outpatients.

Individual Differences In Imaginal And Verbal Information Processing Abilities, Joan Marie Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

The present research is based on the theory that there are two major modes of consciousness, verbal and imaginal, which are controlled by the left and right hemispheres, respectively. This project was concerned with the relationship between these modes of consciousness and the measures employed in this study. The measures employed were an ongoing mentation report (OMR), a paired-associate learning (PAL) task, the Betts vividness of imagery questionnaire, the Gordon test of imagery control, and the visual imagery scale of Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI). EEG and EOG measures were recorded during the OMR, and lateral eye movement was taken as …

A Comparison Of Three Measures Of Waking Fantasy, Carey Sue Edney

Dissertations and Theses

This project compared three techniques of assessing waking fantasy, or daydreaming. The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI), and time-sampled ongoing mentation reports (OMR) were the three measures employed. Seven qualities were compared, as measured by the three methods, using a multitrait-multimethod correlation matrix. Neither extensive convergent nor extensive discriminant validity was demonstrated among the three measures. This suggests that one should use caution in comparing research findings which utilize different measures of waking fantasy.

Art Therapy As A Mechanism For Increasing Life Satisfaction In Later Life, Phyllis Laulainen Mcgraw

Dissertations and Theses

It was hypothesized that art therapy with the elderly would increase the quality of an informal life review and motivate them toward greater psychological well-being (life satisfaction). To test this hypothesis, 30 subjects between the ages of 61 and 83 were assigned to three experimental conditions: Art Therapy Group, Discussion Group, and Control Group.

Comparison Of Two Receptive Language Tests (Ppvt And Tacl) Used With The Developmentally Delayed, Paul H. Lamb

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the results as recorded in mental ages of the PPVT and TACL when used with developmentally delayed children. One aspect was to observe how well the mean mental age from each test would compare with the mean mental age obtained from psychometric testing (WISC-R or SB-LM results). Another aspect was to determine how well the data from the PPVT and from the TACL would correlate with the psychometric testing results.

Comparisons Of Videotape Observation To Direct Observation, John W. Hanlan

Dissertations and Theses

This research examined the validity of videotaped analyses of clinical sessions in comparison to direct (live) observations. The subjects were eleven student clinicians and their respective clients, enrolled Fall Term, 1979, in Portland State University's Speech and Hearing Sciences Articulation and Language and Urban Language Clinics. The Boone-Prescott Interactional Analysis System, a numerically coded system, was used to record clinician/client interactions. Data were obtained for a randomly selected five-minute period from each of thirty clinical sessions.

An Observational Study Of Service Provider Client Dyadic Interactions, Joan Dayger Behn

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation reports on the evolution of an observation instrument designed to examine a series of dyadic interactions between service providers and elderly clients. The encounters took place in the physical context of the client's home and under the auspices of two different kinds of urban service agencies. Staff members and elderly clients of In-home Nursing and Interaction agencies participated in the study. The coding system (Service Provider/Client Dyadic Interaction Coding System or SP/CDICS), is comprised of 28 carefully defined and described behavioral categories. The categories were developed through literature reviews and a series of preliminary observations conducted in agencies …

Alienation Under The Rainbow: A Survey Of Oregon Graduate Students, Robert Michael Travis

Dissertations and Theses

Nisbet's theory of alienation entails three propositions: 1) alienation is a unidimensional phenomenon; 2) alienation is a generalized phenomenon; and 3) power relations foster loss of community which engenders alienation. All three propositions were tested on a population of graduate students at a university in the Pacific Northwest.