Digital Commons Network^™

Attitudes Of Occupational Therapy Students Toward The Mentally Disabled, Patricia Mccarthy

Masters Theses

Thirty-nine undergraduate occupational therapy and fifty-seven entry-level graduate occupational therapy students from eight randomly selected academic programs were surveyed using the Opinions About Mental Illness Scales ([OMI], Cohen and Struening, 1959) and the Mental Health Information Questionnaire ([MHIQ], Nunnally, 1961). Results revealed that both student groups’ knowledge toward the mentally disabled was more similar to the general public’s knowledge. Using a one-tailed t-test to compare the MHIQ factors revealed there was no statistically significant difference between the occupational therapy student groups.

Both student groups’ OMI factor scores were similar to an expert group for Factors A B, and D; however, …

Correlates Of Job Satisfaction Among Private Sector Employees In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Al-Helelah

Masters Theses

The primary objectives of the present study were to explore the level of job satisfaction and commitment among private sector employees in Saudi Arabia, and to examine the relationship between job satisfaction and employees' commitment.

Seven alternative hypotheses were tested against seven null hypotheses. Chi-square (x^2) was the test statistic for all seven hypotheses. The critical value of chi-square was determined by the degrees of freedom (df) and an alpha level of.05. Three hypotheses were confirmed that related job satisfaction to employees' commitment, satisfaction with length of working hours, and satisfaction with opportunities for interaction with co-workers on the job. …

The Use Of Activity Analysis By Occupational Therapists In Treatment Decisions, Hiromi Yoshikawa

Masters Theses

The use of activity analysis in occupational therapy daily practice was examined by survey. One hundred occupational therapists who serve as fieldwork educations received survey forms with thirty seven usable questionnaires being returned. The study found that all therapists were doing activity analysis as a mental process; however, only 2 therapists were using a written activity analysis form in their daily practice. Most subjects indicated that activity analysis is important to occupational therapy but that formal activity analysis is too time consuming. Several therapists recognized the benefits of completing formal activity analysis. The respondents identified selecting activities for treatment which …

Effects Of Checklists And Feedback On Interviewer Documentation Errors, Ann Lynn Linklater

Masters Theses

A multiple baseline design was used to compare the effectiveness of checklists and feedback to improve marketing research telephone interview documentation. Three measures based on the combined errors of four interviewers were obtained: (1) errors per completed interview, (2) errors per interview with errors, and (3) most frequently occurring error in each of three error groups. The effects of three additional factors believed to affect interviewer performance were also investigated: (1) marketing research project, (2) complexity of the interview, and (3) lead worker responsible for editing completed interviews.

Only slight, mostly positive changes were visually evident across the dependent measures. …

The Acute Effects Of Cocaine In Pigeons Performing Under A Progressive-Ratio Schedule, Claudia Ann Jones

Masters Theses

Although the progressive-ratio (PR) schedule has been used frequently to quantify the reinforcing effectiveness of self-administered drugs, it has seldom been used to examine the effects of drugs on food-maintained behavior and has never been used to evaluate the effects of cocaine on such behavior. In the present study, the effects of acute administrations of cocaine were evaluated in pigeons responding under a PR schedule of food delivery. Overall, cocaine produced a dose-dependent effect on food-maintained behavior. In general, acute administrations of cocaine at 0.56 to 3.2 mg/kg increased breaking points, whereas doses above 5.6 mg/kg decreased breaking points. Low …

Offense Perceived, Appropriate Actions And Possible Solutions: A Research Of Censorship, Sharon K. Van Poolen

Masters Theses

Students at Western Michigan University were asked via a survey to read lyrics and indicate an offensiveness rating. Lyrics containing vulgar or sexual language or derogatory statements about religion received higher offensive ratings. Actions deemed acceptable in response to offensive lyrics include picketing and boycotting. Prevalent themes identified in the lyrics are antagonism toward religion, sexism and unhealthy sexual relations. Groups cited most frequently as potentially harmed by lyrics are children 5-12, adolescents and women. Respondents were questioned about participation in certain activities and what alternatives to direct censorship are acceptable. Most would prefer to be involved indirectly, for example, …

Using American Sign Language With A Direct Instruction Mathematics Program To Affect The Mathematics Achievement Of Deaf Students, Annette J. Bass

Masters Theses

The effectiveness of supplemental instruction using a scripted direct instruction program, Connecting Math Concepts (Englemann & Carnine, 1992), with four lower elementary deaf students was compared to the effectiveness of supplemental instruction in their traditional math curriculum, Mathematics Today (Abbott, 1985). A two-phase multiple baseline design across students was used. During the first phase, the students' achievement on curricula-based math probes was assessed while using the Mathematics Today as a supplement. During the second phase, the students' achievement was assessed while using Connecting Math Concepts as a supplement. The teacher presentation scripts in this program were translated into American Sign …

The Effect Of Systematic Cursive Instruction On The Length Of Writing Samples, John Kendall Vail

Masters Theses

This research study investigated the effects of a systematic cursive writing instruction program on the quantity of written product generated by sixth grade students identified as having poor cursive writing (legibility). A Direct Instruction curriculum was chosen to remediate the students' cursive writing skills. Subjects received three to nine weeks of four 20-minute sessions per week of cursive instruction. A multiple baseline across subjects design was used. During the baseline phase, students were asked to write a story based on story starters provided. The total number of words generated was determined for each story. In the intervention phase, subjects received …

The Effects Of Parental Tutoring On Reading Achievement, Cara K. Krumrie

Masters Theses

Supplemental parent tutoring was investigated to determine its effects on student reading and error rate. This study used a multiple baseline design and was implemented in classrooms at Project Help, a remedial reading center, located on Western Michigan University's campus. Seven subjects were involved in this research, four serving as experimental subjects and three serving as controls. Both groups were observed during their reading checks. Results of the study indicate no observable difference in reading and error rate between those students receiving supplemental home tutoring and those receiving no supplemental tutoring.

Failure Of Methamphetamine Withdrawal To Produce Behavioral Disruptions In Pigeons, William F. Potter

Masters Theses

Methamphetamine, a widely used recreational drug, is not known to produce physiological dependence. Few studies to date have examined whether behavioral dependence occurs upon sudden withdrawal from methamphetamine. In this study, pigeons (n=4) were trained to respond under a multiple FR 25 IRT > 6-s schedule of reinforcement, allowing for examination of drug effects upon a relatively high rate of responding (FR) and a relatively low rate of responding (IRT > t). Acute adminstrations of methamphetamine showed rate-dependent effects at low doses, while higher doses decreased responding under both schedules. Tolerance was demonstrated for all subjects except one at the highest dose …

Signal Processing With Neural Networks, Pero Smrzlic

Masters Theses

In this study, we introduce the Adaptive Back Propagation (ABP) learning algorithm, computationally superior to the standard Back Propagation. The ABP is based on the new activation function, with its corresponding adaptive learning parameter. By using the combination of computer simulations and analysis in the domain of activation function, the Method of One Hidden layer was developed for the effective utilization of units in one-hidden layer networks. A parallel version of the ABP was designed and implemented on a nCUBE-2 supercomputer with 128 processors.

The simulation results suggested a strong correlation between frequency of signals and the role of hidden …

Functional Outcomes Of Workman's Compensation Patients With Sub-Acute Mechanical Low Back Pain: A Descriptive Retrospective Study With Post-Treatment Follow-Up, Dan Peterson, Kirk Randall, Rex Holden

Masters Theses

This study used functional outcomes of workman's compensation (WC) patients with low back pain (LBP) to examine the efficacy of physical therapy (PT) treatments within a Functional Restoration Program (FRP). Of the 46 possible participants, 16 patients (10 males and 6 females) with mean ages of 43.2 and 39 years respectively, returned the questionnaire with information pertaining to current working status, patient preferred treatments, management of pain, psychosocial issues, work simulation, home exercise program compliance and back care education among others. Due to the pausity of subjects, the data is not clinically applicable. However, the results of this study appear …

Physical Therapy Job Mobility And Satisfaction, Teresa A. Bortolameolli

Masters Theses

This research study attempts to explore staff physical therapists job mobility as it relates to job satisfaction. It discusses the use of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and their affect on job mobility and job satisfaction in the hospital setting. Several key motivators were identified as they relate to job satisfaction. The impact that these motivators have on the retention of staff physical therapists was examined. In addition, the importance of identifying the key motivators that affect job satisfaction is noted.; A questionnaire was constructed by the investigators and mailed to 337 physical therapists in the lower peninsula of Michigan who …

Language Skills Of Adolescents With Emotional Disorders, Diane T. Hardy

Masters Theses

The language abilities of adolescents with emotional impairments were examined to determine the differences that may occur between this population and that of a control group of similar age, race, and gender. Ten adolescents with emotional impairments and ten students in general education were examined using two procedures. The Screening Test of Adolescent Language (STAL) (Prather, Breecher, Stafford, & Wallace, 1980) includes four subtests: vocabulary, auditory memory span, language processing, and proverb explanation. A language sample was also gathered using a cartoon video narration task (Dollaghan, Campbell, & Tomlin, 1990) which examined for syntactic, semantic, and discourse variables.

Results indicated …

A Comparison Of Two Resistance Training Programs On Gains In Strength And Endurance, Pamela S. Canavan

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to find how two different resistance training programs would contribute to each subject's overall fitness level. Fifty-five subjects were tested to determine their 1RM and the maximum number of repetitions performed at 60% of 1RM. Subjects were then divided into three training groups: control (N=19) , strength (N=20) , and endurance (N=16). The strength group performed three sets of five repetitions each and two sets of three repetitions. The endurance group performed three sets of 15 repetitions. At the completion of the six week training programs, the subjects were retested. A significant difference was …

Effects Of Familiarity With A Sample-Stimulus In Selection-Based Learning Of Verbal Behavior, Robert J. Wallander

Masters Theses

Selection-based verbal behavior involves indicating a stimulus in some way from a set of stimuli. Twenty undergraduates served as subjects in this study of familiarity with a sample stimulus in a selection-based paradigm. The study utilized twenty Japanese Kanji characters as the comparison stimuli to be selected. Half the subjects were presented English names of animals as sample stimuli and the other half of the subjects were presented Japanese Katakana symbols (which appear as little more than nonsense figures) as sample stimuli.

T-tests were performed on the average number of twenty-trial blocks needed to meet criterion (two consecutive blocks without …

The Use Of Music Therapy To Influence The Self-Confidence And Hostility Of Adolescents Who Are Sexually Abused, Joy Clendenon-Wallen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether music therapy would be an effective therapeutic medium for reducing hostility and increasing the self-confidence of sexually abused adolescents. The study utilized an experimental and control group which is unique in the sexual abuse literature. Most studies are descriptive or quasi-experimental in nature. Some of the subjects increased their self-confidence and decreased their hostility although no statistical significance was achieved for either group. This study describes the treatment problems of sexually abused adolescents and offers examples of non-confrontational and goal directed treatment strategies which can be achieved through music therapy. Music …

Multicultural Literature: The Need For Inclusion, Barbara Gripton

Masters Theses

Since Muskegon Public Schools serves a multicultural population, and since the canon of the textbooks used in the secondary language arts classes reflects neither this diverse population nor the current publications of the diverse cultures of the society, this study, in the form of a survey will show the need for the district to include literature contributed by ethnic minority writers from the American literature scene. The study shows the increasing need for such inclusion as well as offering rationale for doing so.; Finally, this paper will propose a three year pilot class, minority literature, similar to the minority history …

A Comparison Of The Hutchings’ Low-Stress, Factor Analysis, Hand-Held Calculator, And Conventional Addition Algorithms For Speed, Accuracy, And Preference With Regular Education Students, John C. Hampel

Masters Theses

Three repeated measures experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency with which medium and low math-achieving, fourth- and fifth-grade students computed two sizes of addition problems using each of four different algorithms. The experimenter selected the conventional algorithm and the hand-held calculator because they are currently in popular use. The experimenter selected the Hutchings' low-stress and factor analysis algorithms because of their demonstrated performance enhancing characteristics and unique design features. The three written algorithms represented a design continuum that facilitated a powerful deductive analysis.

In all conditions the Hutchings' low-stress algorithm produced incrementally superior performance consistent with its unique features. …

Lounge Chair Criteria For The Elderly, Edna M. I. Bosco

Masters Theses

This study investigated relationships between lounge chair design, functional positioning and comfort for the elderly. Thirty-five elderly residents from two local congregate living residences were assessed utilizing lounge chairs located at the residence. Measurements of the chairs were taken, coded and compared to specific norms established by Harris and Mayfield (1983b). Measurements consisted of armrest dimensions, seat depth and height, seat slope, and backrest dimensions. Each chair was scored based on the number of recommended standards for comfort met in the Harris and Mayfield research (1983b).

Frequency counts were taken and descriptive data collected and analyzed to determine relationships between …

Comparing Selection-Based And Topography-Based Language Systems With Verbal Adults Learning Japanese Words, Matthew A. Stratton

Masters Theses

This study compared selection-based with topography-based learning of similar verbal relationships. In two previous studies, using developmentally disabled subjects, topography-based relations were easier to learn. The previous researchers suggested that the advantage of a topography-based system would increase as the number of relations to be learned increased.

To investigate this possibility, the present study used a 5 and 20-stimulus version of each system. Four independent groups of seven college students each were used in a two by two design. The selection-based task consisted in learning to point to the Japanese character appropriate for each English sample. The topography-based task consisted …

The Impact Of Freshman Seminar On The Academic Social And Personal Development As Perceived By Students Completing The Course At Eastern Illinois University Fall Semester 1989, Margaret Ann Knapp Messer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem And Achievement In An Rotc Leadership Development And Assessment Setting, Robert W. Dinnen

Masters Theses

This study was designed to determine whether there was a positive relationship between an individual's self-esteem and their achievement in a leadership development and assessment setting. While correlational studies have been conducted utilizing self-esteem and achievement as variables, no known study has been conducted with achievement at ROTC Advance Camp as a dependent variable. The hypothesis tested focused on determining if there is a positive relationship between self-esteem and achievement at ROTC Advance Camp. Sixty-six ROTC cadets from five select universities in the state of Illinois were administered the Barksdale Self-Esteem Evaluation Number 35. The results of their evaluation was …

A Review Of Alcoholism Typology And A Study Of Type I And Type Ii Alcoholism In A Treatment Sample, Kevin L. Elliott

Masters Theses

Matching alcoholics to appropriate intervention methods increases the likelihood of successful treatment. In order to better accomplish this, researchers have sought to identify distinct types of alcoholism. One promising approach is the Type I/Type II model of alcoholism. Type I alcoholism is characterized by a later onset and less severe social complications. It seems to be inherited from either natural parent and can affect children of either sex; it seldom occurs without the presence of a stressful environment. Type II alcoholism is distinguished by early onset and greater severity of consequences. It appears to be inherited only from father to …

Raiders Of The Lost Ark And The Hollywood Tradition: Nostalgia, Parody, And Postmodernism, Michael F. Deters

Masters Theses

The film Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in 1981 to immediate success. Using a noticeably retrospective style, Raiders appealed to the public's desire to experience once again the same kind of viewing pleasure that Hollywood offered in the classical period. Accordingly, the film's nostalgic recreation of classical Hollywood entails a reliance on type characters, tough dialogue, and stock situations--with an overarching emphasis on maintaining a breakneck pace in its action. The appeal for the viewer, then, involves the satisfaction of a need to return to a superficially "simpler" time when the movies themselves were "simpler"--as they fulfilled the …

The School Breakfast Program: A Study Of Variables In Its Implementation, Chris S. Long

Masters Theses

The major purpose of this study was to examine variables in implementing a school breakfast program in Shelbyville Community Unit School District 4, Shelbyville, Illinois. All students in grades kindergarten through eight are eligible to participate in the program.

A review of the literature indicates a link between nutrition and academic achievement as well as behavior and attitude toward learning. One in three school children either does not receive an adequate breakfast or receives no breakfast. Children who are hungry cannot learn. Federal subsidies that provide school lunches to the economically disadvantaged are also available for school breakfast programs. Few …

The Relationship Of Career Evaluation Systems (Ces) Test Batteries With Work Production In A Sheltered Workshop, Blake Hegarty

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between performance on Career Evaluation Systems' (CES) test batteries and performance on production tasks at CCAR Industries' Manufacturing Plant. Fleishman's factor analytic studies of psychomotor performance were reviewed to demonstrate the conceptual basis for the development of the test batteries. Hester's development of the CES batteries and the factors they measure were discussed.

The subjects were 112 CCAR Industries' clients who were administered Career Evaluation Systems' test battery during vocational evaluations at CCAR Industries' Manufacturing Plant between 1986 and 1992. Fifty-nine subjects met the criteria for inclusion in the final …

The Test-Retest And Inter-Rater Reliability Of The Teacher Rating Of Academic Achievement Motivation, Rachel P. Pitcher

Masters Theses

The Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation (TRAAM) is in development as a measure of academic achievement motivation. To examine the scale's test-retest and inter-rater reliability, teachers rated 90 third through sixth grade students. Results indicated that the TRAAM, in general, is reliable. The test-retest reliability coefficient for the TRAAM Total Score was .96. The four factor scores of the TRAAM were also found to be consistent over time with reliability coefficients ranging from .85 to .93. Inter-rater reliability of the TRAAM was also found to be adequate for the Total Score (r=.77). The inter-rater reliability coefficients of the factor …

Perceptual Ratings Regarding Individuals With High Functioning Autism, Melanie A. Manhart

Masters Theses

A perceptual rating scale evaluating appropriateness/inappropriateness of eight communicative behaviors was designed to determine if the general population perceives adult individuals with high functioning autism as different. In addition, the rating scale results were examined to determine which of the eight communicative characteristics were perceived as most different. The results were also evaluated to determine if a rating difference between genders existed.

The subjects consisted of 453 college students who viewed videotaped interviews with five individuals, two considered "normal" and three diagnosed with high functioning autism who had received varying levels of remediation. After viewing each interview, subjects rated the …

Retention Study: Development Of A Policy For South Central Community Unit School District #401, Steven W. Laur

Masters Theses

This field experience investigated the opinions of administrators and current educational practices in regard to student retention in K-8 school buildings located within the Illinois Educational Service Center #17. The investigation was accomplished by conducting a survey of building administrators in the region. The results of the survey indicated that a majority of the administrators responding to the survey do not agree with the practice of retaining students. The results also show that more boys than girls are retained and that only about half of the schools have written policies in regard to retention. Another fact that emerged was that …