Digital Commons Network^™

A Descriptive Study Of Offenders Sentenced To Special Alternative Incarceration From 1988-1990 In Kalamazoo County, Sherri Deboef Chandler

Masters Theses

This is a descriptive study of the first two-year cohort of offenders sentenced in Kalamazoo County to Special Alternative Incarceration (SAI). Data were compiled from the Kalamazoo County Probation Department records which indicated 84 young men were sentenced to SAI from its inception in 1988 to 1990. Data were gathered on these offenders spanning 1988 to 1992. Successful graduation from SAI, completion of the probationary period, and recidivism were compared to offense, race, SES, education, employment, and other variables. The data of this group were also compared to national data of those sentenced to Special Alternative Incarceration programs. This group …

The Importance Of Recreational Reading, And Its Impact On Children's Motivation, Attitude Towards Reading, As Well As Reading Achievement, Lisa Marie Digiovanna

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether children's voluntary/recreational reading and their attitudes toward reading would affect their overall, reading achievement. Third, fifth and seventh grade students were the subjects for this study. Student surveys, parent questionnaires, teacher observations and standardized test scores were used to assess students' attitudes, time spent on recreational reading and overall achievement. Students were placed in an "above average", "average", or "below average" achievement group according to overall achievement. Significant differences were found among the three achievement groups. The "above average" and "average" achievers, from all three grade levels, showed greater amounts of …

Examining The Use Of An Instructional History For Learning Disabled Students, Lynette J. Witte

Masters Theses

The main purpose of this research study was to explore the use of instructional histories as learning disabled students progress through school. The study is confined to the area of reading histories. A review of the literature provides evidence to support the use of instructional histories as a basis for the curriculum planning for learning disabled students. The literature focuses on the areas of effective curriculum development and differences in the learning styles of LD students. A survey was used to determine if teachers of LD students were using instructional histories in reading. Suggestions based on survey results and literature …

Investigating The Influence Of Pre-Theoretical Assumptions On Clinical Reasoning, Barbara R. Hooper

Masters Theses

This study explored what internal beliefs a therapist holds about the nature of reality and how those beliefs influence how he/she delivers occupational therapy. A single-case study design was utilized. Data were collected from three in-depth interviews and observation of multiple treatment sessions.

The results suggest that this therapist's view of the world could be categorized into four areas: (1) What she believed about ultimate reality; (2) What she believed about life, death and eternity; (3) What she believed about human nature; and (4) What she believed about the nature of knowing. The study also suggests that this core world-view …

The Effects Of Cross-Level Peer Facilitated Learning On The Mastery Of A Structured Reading Program, Elaine R. Bartos

Masters Theses

This study examined the effects of cross-level peer facilitated learning on the total amount of time needed for special education students who attended a southwestern Michigan inner-city elementary school, to complete to 100% mastery the teacher-directed portion of the reading lesson. Cross-level peer tutoring was defined as a process in which a more proficient student worked with a less proficient student on a one-to-one basis in the academic area of reading. The tutoring took place prior to the teacher instruction with 20 students from three special education reading groups. The tutoring sessions took place for a duration of 5-9 weeks. …

Kinematic Analysis Of Sprinting With And Without The Speed Chute, Douglas Roy West

Masters Theses

The problem under investigation was to determine if kinematic differences existed when sprinting with and without the speed chute. Eight Western Michigan University Track and Field Athletes were filmed at 100 frames per second as they sprinted two trials with and without the speed chute.

Three ANOVAs and descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the effects of sprinting with and without the speed chute. Descriptive statistics provided information for numerous dependent variables. Although statistically significant differences (R < .05) existed between sprinting with and without the speed chute, those differences may not be practical for the coach to use in terms of evaluation of sprinting technique, because the differences would be difficult for the human eye to see. Therefore, the speed chute may be a viable training tool as kinematics were only minimally affected.

A Comparison Of The Differences Of The Chinese Language And The English Language Using Voice Analysis, Chia-Lin Hsieh

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to see if differences exist in Taiwanese students when speaking in their native Chinese language as compared to a secondary language (English) using voice analysis. Not only was the study intended to compare pitches and octaves of 2 languages, but it also hoped to identify the possible factors that influenced the voices of 2 languages.

Fifty Chinese students were randomly selected from a population of 84 Chinese students who were from Taiwan, had established residence in the USA for at least 6 months, and were enrolled in WMU with TOEFL score of at least …

Behavioral Contracting: The Effects Of Metacontingency Contracting On Math Performance Of At-Risk Students, Vernard V. J. Jones

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of behavioral contracting in providing parents with a means of assisting their child with homework from school. Following the baseline condition, the subjects were introduced to the intervention [behavioral contracting including parent(s)] one at a time to provide a concurrent check between baseline and treatment conditions.

Six students from the Kentwood Public School District served as participants in the study. All participants were between eleven and thirteen years of age. Each participant was identified by the teacher as "at-risk" based on their sustained academic performance.

Four out of six participants …

The Testing Of A Protocol For Validating Claims Of Facilitated Communication, Jorge Teodoro

Masters Theses

Facilitated Communication (FC), is a new and controversial augmentative communication technique. This study examined the facilitated messages of six severely mentally impaired school children, produced under naturalistic, yet controlled, experimental conditions. The students were removed from the presence of their facilitators and experienced out-of-classroom events. When the students returned, their facilitators read descriptions containing True, False or No Information about the students' experiences. Messages produced in the ensuing facilitation sessions indicated that the facilitators influenced the facilitated messages, although they appeared unaware that they were doing so. Meanwhile, students showed little resistance to the testing procedures. Based on these results …

Social Change And Attitudes Of Educated Elite Toward The Role Of Women In Qatari Society, Jassim Al-Nasr

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes of educated elite toward \ the role of women in Qatari society. Attitudes were viewed as reactionary, traditional, and liberal.

A questionnaire technique was used to gather data for this study. Five hundred eighty-two questionnaires Were distributed at eighteen Qatari ministries and official establishments. The response rate was 62.37%.

The six hypotheses tested in the study examined the relationships between the independent variables of gender, level of education, major and place of study, religious commitment, and job status, and the dependent variable of attitudes of Qatari educated elite toward the role …

Investigation Of Past Performance And Sources Of Motivation On Team And Self-Efficacy Of Collegiate Soccer Players, Kevin P. Demers

Masters Theses

This study investigated the relationship between past performance and sources of motivation on team and self-efficacy of collegiate soccer players. The subjects of this study were 92 male collegiate soccer players who participated in MIAA competition in the fall of 1992. Data were collected from team and self-efficacy questionnaires modified for this study. A sport motivation scale from Butt's (1987) Sport Protocol was also used to collect data. The findings of this study indicated that (a) past performance is the primary variable in predicting team efficacy; (b) the coach's rating of player ability was a stronger source of self-efficacy than …

Quantitative Analysis Of Steroids By 13C Nmr Spectroscopy, Pei Wang

Masters Theses

Steroids are usually analyzed quantitatively by using HPLC with ultraviolet detection and are confirmed by FTIR, GC-MS. Quantitative ¹³C NMR method provide an alternative means to analyze steroids. Chromatographic separation and subsequent identification by match with a spectroscopic data base spectrum is not required for quantitative analysis of mixture components. Instead, equivalent information is obtained by creating subspectra from resonances with equivalent peak areas within a quantitative NMR spectrum. Techniques for eliminating Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement (NOE) effect is described.

Elderly Hispanics In The United States: Their Use And Non-Use Of Social Services, Paulina X. Ruf

Masters Theses

The Commonwealth Fund Commission on Elderly people Living Alone (1988), conducted the National Survey of Hispanic Elderly, 1988. Using data from this survey, the present descriptive work, examines the use and non-use of selected social services by general demographic characteristics of the elderly Hispanic sample. In addition, general characteristics of this sample are discussed. A summary of the findings and recommendations for future research conclude this thesis.

The findings indicate that although the elderly Hispanics in the United States reported needing the selected social services used in this thesis, many of them reported not using these services. Additionally, as the …

The Effects Of The Skills For School Success Curriculum Upon The Mainstream Academic Performance Of Special Education Students, Jennifer Fabricant

Masters Theses

Since the implementation of PL 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, over 4 million students have been identified as exceptional (Higgins, 1976). Of these children, 4.41% are placed in general education classrooms for at least part of their school day. The prior research evaluating the effectiveness of general education classroom placement has centered around instructional techniques. This study examined a different aspect of general education placement: study skills. The present study employed a multiple baseline across subjects experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Skills for School Success" program. The subjects were two students identified by their …

A Socio-Historic Analysis Of The Multicultural Education Movement And Its Relationship With Higher Education, Barbara D. Muncey

Masters Theses

The focus of this thesis is a socio-historic analysis of the multicultural education movement and its relationship with Higher Education. This research has four objectives: (1) to identify the multicultural education movement as a social movement; (2) to identify the historical background of the multicultural education movement and explain its relationship to the social movements of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s; (3) to identify and discuss the social theories developed to explain and understand these movements and their relationship to each other; and (4) to review and analyze data gathered concerning the impact of the multicultural education movement on higher …

Using Differential Outcome To Teach Medication Discriminations To Head Injured Adults, Scott C. Votava

Masters Theses

In attempt to replicate the DOE in teaching medication discriminations, the efficiency of differential outcomes and nondifferential outcomes procedures was compared. Additionally, the effects of the differential outcome procedures and nondifferential outcomes procedures upon generalization probes to novel medications were investigated. Finally, the effects of differential and nondifferential outcome procedures on probes to real medications were investigated. The results showed the differential outcome procedure employed produced the desired discrimination more rapidly than the nondifferential outcome procedure. No conclusive statement can be made regarding data obtained in generalization probes or in probes with real medications.

The Reliability And Validity Of An Object Assembly Task, Dane'l A. Koonce

Masters Theses

A computerized object assembly task (COA) was constructed and compared to the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) object assembly subtest (OA). The two tasks, the COA and the OA, were administered to seventy-one college undergraduates. The correlation between the WAIS-R OA subtest and the two COA conditions, Preview and NoPreview, combined was moderate and statistically significant. The findings support the feasibility of constructing a computerized version of the OA task.

Comparison Of High School Adolescents And Court Ordered Adolescents On Perception Of Parental Unconditional Love: A Short Pilot Study, Wanda Sandy Reid

Masters Theses

This project was conducted to determine if a difference exists in the perception of parental unconditional love between a group of high school students and a similar group of court ordered adolescents.

The subjects were fifty high school age students and fifty court ordered individuals ranging in age from eleven to eighteen.

The subjects were asked to complete a ten-question instrument with a response scale of one to seven. When the data was analyzed, the scale was reduced from seven to three in order to make the data more meaningful.

The results show that there was not a significant difference …

A Biosystematic Study Of Three Plant Pathogenic Fungi, Richard James Langham

Masters Theses

Isolates of Chalara australis, Eucalypt Ceratocystis, and Ceratocystis virescens were grown on Potato Dextrose Agar, Malt Extract Agar, and Czapek Agar and examined as part of a biosystematic study on these fungi. Basic micromorphological and macromorphological data on the cultures were recorded and the taxa were found to be morphologically similar. Tissue isolates and single spore isolates were crossed within these taxa and an interspecific cross performed. Chalara australis was found to be either asexual or have only one mating type present in the cultures studied. Eucalypt Ceratocystis was found to have a mating system characteristic of bipolar …

An Exemplary Early Childhood Program: Program Directors' Perspectives, Anita K. Pond

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to develop exemplary guidelines for the implementation of an early childhood program. A survey of 78 early childhood programs in Southern Illinois was conducted. Participants surveyed were asked to respond to questions relating to the early childhood staff, screening and assessment procedures, the policy manual, meeting the needs of each child, parental involvement and the program director. In addition, a review of current literature associated with early childhood programs was presented. Included in the review of literature were books and articles related to the multiple components necessary to create an exemplary early childhood …

Training Profiles Of Collegiate Swimmers: A Survey Of Ncaa Division I, Ii, And Iii Coaches About Their Male Freestyle Swimmers During The 1993-94 Swimming Season, Sean M. Cabbage

Masters Theses

The lack of information about how the majority of college swimming teams train encouraged the author to conduct the following study.

A cover letter and questionnaire, regarding training methods, were sent to all 377 NCAA men's swimming coaches (Division I, II, and III) in the United States, as listed in the 1993-94 NCAA Directory. Approximately 50 percent of all surveys were returned with an equal response rate from each of the respective divisions.

Questions regarded team division and size, the coaches experience level and recent training changes, months of peak training during the 1993-94 collegiate season, peak training volume and …

Burnout And Job Dissatisfaction Among Practicing Illinois School Psychologists, Kathryn M. Niebrugge

Masters Theses

Survey materials including a Maslach Burnout Inventory, a School Psychologists Stress Inventory, and specially designed demographic and job satisfaction questionnaires were completed by a random sample of members of the Illinois School Psychologists Association (N=139). Results suggested that symptoms of burnout frequently occur among this group of professionals. Although job related stressors (e.g. lack of resources, time management) were related to burnout, demographic factors (e.g. satisfaction with supervision, case discrepancy index) were found to be the best predictors of burnout. Results suggest that supervising psychologists are considered to be primary figures in resistance to burnout. Further research could aid in …

The Relationship Between Ca And Humor, Michael Sean Mcmurtry

Masters Theses

Research has shown that communication apprehension is seen as a negative effect of speaking in public as well as in other situations. The nervous and anxious feelings experienced in these contexts take away from understanding and add to the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, humor is found to be an excellent coping mechanism to deal with embarrassing and fear-related anxieties and it adds to group cohesiveness. The relationship between CA and humor was of investigated to determine what effects CA has on humor and how well the use of humorous messages alleviates the problems associated with CA. …

An Evaluation Of Pre-Intake Attention On Kept Intake Appointments In An Outpatient Setting, Lauren Roberts

Masters Theses

The present study attempted to reduce the no-show rate for scheduled intake appointments at a local CMHC through the use of two interventions. Thirty-seven subjects who called for an intake appointment were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: an Orientation and Standard Intake Procedure or an Orientation and Modified Intake Procedure. Both treatment groups were compared to a Base Group consisting of intake appointments scheduled during the same time period the previous year. Individuals assigned to OMIP revealed a reduction in the no-show rate from 51% during baseline to 36%. Individuals assigned to OSIP did not reveal similar …

A Burkean Analysis Of The Rhetoric Of Sexual Harassment: An Examination Of The Polarization Of Attitudes Related To Consensual Relationships On Campus, Loretta Lovelace Wiman

Masters Theses

A history of sexual harassment traces the recognition and development of the issue as a social problem in the workplace and on college campuses. A review of research literature reveals both percentages of students involved and the effects on those students of academic or teacher/student sexual harassment. A brief overview of institutional policy statements shows that some colleges/universities have responded to the issue with a ban on all consensual amorous relationships between teachers and students; some ban such relationships only when a supervisory relationship also exists, and some do neither. Some policies include sanctions on those who violate bans; others …

From Innocence To Experience In William Blake's The Book Of Thel And The Visions Of The Daughters Of Albion, Ann B. Moutray

Masters Theses

My thesis focuses on William Blake's challenge of the conventional Christianity of his time and his questioning of what he perceived as the hypocritical moral codes of the Church of England. Blake blames these codes for dominating and imprisoning humanity by preventing individuals from acting through their use of the imagination. For Blake, the imagination does not simply imply a creation of the imaginative faculty; instead, it refers to an imagination that is transforming and that becomes a measure of salvation and deliverance from the man-made codes that imprison humanity. These codes, while originating from and propagated by the Church …

The Relationship Between Involvement In Extracurricular Activities And Academic Achievement Of Students At Flora High School, Linda J. Spicer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study was to determine the effect of participation in extracurricular activities upon academic achievement. Senior students at Flora High School were asked to respond to several survey questions that provided information concerning their participation or lack of participation in extracurricular activities. In addition, they expressed opinions related to their own personal involvement in extracurricular activities. The cumulative grade point averages of participants and nonparticipants were also reported.

The results indicated that the respondents of the Class of 1994 of Flora High School strongly felt that participation in extracurricular activities had an effect upon academic achievement. …

Academic Achievement Motivation In Hispanic Students, Lisa A. Schuck

Masters Theses

There is a lack of research on academic achievement motivation in Hispanic students, and instruments which measure achievement motivation have not been validated with Hispanic students. Fifteen regular-education teachers rated 67 third through fifth grade Hispanic students on the Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation (TRAAM). Students completed the Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS). Construct validity was investigated by examining the relationship of the TRAAM with the AMS. Criterion-related validity was established by examining the relationship of the TRAAM with Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) scores and grades. The TRAAM, AMS, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) scores, and grades were used to …

Forced Entries: A Novel, Thom Schnarre

Masters Theses

The allure of a creative thesis for me was the unique blending of literary study and personal exploration. I have always felt my writing a cathartic activity as I grappled with the textual issues and gained personal insights through the struggle. For this reason, I chose the creative option as a culmination of my graduate studies at EIU. While I have dabbled in all three genres -- poetry, playwriting and fiction -- in my graduate career, it is the extended fiction genre of the novel that I have chosen to pursue in this project. The thesis is comprised of two …

Perceived Differences In Family Characteristics Among Women Exhibiting Varying Levels Of Eating Disorders, Emily K. Altemus

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.