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A Prevention Program At Spoon River Valley Schools And Its Role In The Fulton County Prevention Network, George Ellis Tanner

Masters Theses

Statement of the Problem

The area to be discussed is the development of a prevention program for the Spoon River Valley Schools, and the role of this program within the Fulton County Prevention Network. The primary focus of this paper will be the school's effort to prevent substance abuse by the students, but also addressed are prevention activities which combat other self-destructive behaviors such as teen pregnancy and suicide.

Procedure

The method of research used in this study is descriptive. The components of a prevention program which have evolved during the 1980s, both at Spoon River Valley Schools, and as …

The Relationship Between Untrained Listener Perceptions And Disordered Voices, Donald S. Finan

Masters Theses

The ability of trained listeners to make judgments of voice quality has been well documented. This study is designed to investigate untrained listeners' ability to make quality judgments of male and female produced normal, breathy, harsh, and hypernasal voice qualities. Research purposes are as follows:

1. To test if untrained listeners tend to reliably assign specific positive or negative descriptive adjectives according to vocal quality.

2. To determine if specific disordered vocal qualities carry more negative rating than others.

A series of actors and actresses were trained to produce the disordered voice qualities of breathy, harsh, and hypernasal according to …

Gender Identity Development: A Study Of Caregivers In A Preschool Setting, Salisa Hortenstine Shook

Masters Theses

This study observed the present conditions of attitudes toward gender roles, as communicated by caregivers in eight east central Illinois preschool settings. Two research questions were formulated in order to categorize responses for the purpose of identifying prevailing gender role attitudes. Those questions were: "How do caregivers in a preschool setting affect gender role stereotypes?" and "What are key communication events that may create or perpetuate gender role stereotypes in the preschool setting?" The data was obtained from personal interviews and the Bem Sex Role Inventory. The results indicated caregivers in the preschool setting did not see gender roles and …

Causes Of Political Revolution, Alazar Gebil

Masters Theses

This essay is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in political science at the graduate school of Eastern Illinois University. The essay intended to elaborate the basic definitions, theories, ideologies and causes of political revolution.

This thesis relates historical facts and events of the American, Russian, Cuban and Iranian Revolutions to the causes, definitions, theories, and ideologies of general revolutions. The main theme is that governments' failures caused the continued social unrest such as demonstrations, strikes and upheavals. When an opposition group was well organized and represented by intellectuals equipped with political …

Analysis Of Nursing Care Hours In Selected Diagnostic Related Groups Using Patient Classification System Methodology, Gail H. Venner

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore if Patient Classification System (PCS) methodology provides reliable information which can be used to identify differences in resource use within specific DRGs. This descriptive study utilized t-tests, standard deviations and product-moment correlations to examine the variability of mean Nursing Care Hours (NCH) and Length of Stay (LOS) and to determine if any relationship existed between these two variables for 227 subjects in four DRGs at two study sites. A significant difference in mean Nursing Care Hours between sites was noted for DRG #14 (CVA), which also displayed the greatest amount of variability …

The Effects Of Aids Education On Knowledge And Health Care Beliefs Of Nursing Students, Catherine Taliaferro Earl

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of AIDS education on knowledge and health care beliefs of nursing students. There were two hypotheses tested. Hypothesis one: nursing students presented with factual information about AIDS have more knowledge about AIDS than nursing students without AIDS instruction. Hypothesis two: strength of health care beliefs related to AIDS susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, and health motivation of students with AIDS instruction differ from those without AIDS instruction.; The study was conducted using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The sample included 29 second term nursing students enrolled in the nursing curriculum of an …

Alcohol Use In The Industrialized West: One View, E. Michael Smith

Masters Theses

Alcohol has great antiquity and is used by most of the world's cultures. Invariably, there are many theories which account for its use. Regardless, whether psychological, biological or sociological they tend to represent alcohol use, alcohol abuse and alcoholism as stages of the disease process. The present paper uses a multidisciplinary approach to the study of alcohol use, incorporating ideas that are psychological, sociological, biological and anthropological. Alcohol use in the industrialized West may, in part, be accounted for because of "subsistence insecurity."

For the purpose of this paper "subsistence insecurity," in the industrialized West, will be represented by the …

The Effects Of Added Purpose On Fine Motor Performance In Learning Disabled Children, Sarah Lynn Austin

Masters Theses

The idea that occupations which offer added levels of purpose elicit a high quality of performance is widely accepted within occupational therapy. In this experiment involving fine motor performance, fifty-three learning disabled children were randomly assigned to two groups. It was hypothesized that children cutting out a circle, presented as a wheel which would complete a paper truck, would cut more accurately than those who cut out the same circle without the suggestion of it being used as a wheel. Accuracy was assessed by measuring the area of the children's cutting errors. The experimental design included the use of a …

Analogical Processing Skills In Three Modalities In Fifth, Eighth, And Eleventh Graders, Amy Sirrae Cashen

Masters Theses

This study examined the ability of fifth, eighth, and eleventh graders to complete multiple modality analogy tasks. Three groups, for a total of 201 subjects--68 fifth graders, 66 eighth graders, and 77 eleventh graders--solved word, picture, and figure analogies. A significant difference was found in the performance of the three groups, indicating that analogical processing skills increase with age. No significant difference was found between males and females on the combined analogy tasks. A significant difference was found for modality, indicating that the three sets of analogies were different in difficulty. The grade-by-modality interaction also was found to be significant, …

Comparison Of Traditional And Computer-Assisted Administrations Of The Ppvt-R With Trainably Mentally Impaired Students, Wanda Balla

Masters Theses

A group of 20 trainably mentally impaired students, ages 6-24, was randomly assigned to two groups, one of which received the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (Dunn & Dunn, 1981), manual administration, and the other a computer-assisted version, which required a switch closing response. Two weeks later, the order of administration was reversed. The results showed a difference of - 1.73 points in the manual to computer administration, and a -3 point difference from computer to manual administration. Overall difference between both administrations was -2.36 points, favoring the manual administration. Recommendations include systematic evaluation and/or training of TMI or lower- functioning …

Computer Assisted Drill And Practice: An Instructional Aid To Increasing Rate Of Acquisition Of Addition Math Facts, Paula G. Frandsen

Masters Theses

This study supplemented existing math instruction and drill and practice (flash cards and worksheets) with computer assisted drill and practice (CADP) to facilitate addition math fact attainment of first grade students. The six students selected were introduced to (CADP) on an individual basis using a multiple baseline across subjects research design. Timed tests were used to select subjects, as baseline measures, and as probes throughout the study to measure the students' rate correct per minute (the dependent variable).

All subjects showed an increase in their individual rate correct per minute after the introduction of CADP. This rate increase is important …

Techniques For Increasing Writing And Reading Proficiency Of International Students, Abatah D. Daher

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine and develop a program to increase the language proficiency of international students.

The subjects for this study consisted of 44 international students enrolled in the course entitled, "Effective College Reading for International Students." The subjects were divided into two groups, the experimental group and the control group.

Gates and MacGinitie Reading Survey E (1978) was used in assessing language proficiency. Speed and accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension scores were obtained for the experimental and control groups. An analysis using the Fry formula (1977) to identify the grade level score for their stories was …

Leisure Satisfaction Of Alcoholics And Cocaine Addicts, Tamera F. Stanback

Masters Theses

A role for occupational therapists is to help substance abuse clients achieve a healthy balance across occupational performance areas, including leisure. The literature suggests that alcoholics have deficits in leisure, but cocaine addicts have not yet been studied systematically in terms of leisure. This study compared twenty alcoholics from two Midwestern in-patient treatments centers to fourteen unmatched cocaine addicts at the same centers in terms of their leisure satisfaction. Then, nine male subjects from each group were matched in terms of age and family status, and t-test comparisons were made once again. The Leisure Satisfaction Scale was used as a …

The Myth Of Tereus And The Nightingale Motif In Classical And Medieval Literature And In The Works Of Chauce, Betty Vanderwielen

Masters Theses

In the myth of Tereus a woman is metamorphosed into a nightingale, in which form she perpetually laments her killing of her son. An investigation into the use of the myth in classical literature ranging from Homer to Ovid shows that certain themes recur: truth reveals itself in a non-conventional manner, sorrow is paradoxically linked with joy, the victim is the perpetrator of her own suffering.

In the Middle Ages the nightingale motif is associated with joy rather than lament and connected with love (both lascivious and sacred). References to the nightingale seem to have little connection with the myth, …

Temporal Discrimination Training Of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury Using Computer-Based Operant Procedures, Robert Edward Obrecht

Masters Theses

Computer-based interresponse time (IRT) and matching-to-sample (MTS) procedures were employed in two experiments to assess and effect changes in temporal discriminations made by adults with a history of traumatic brain injury. The results of Experiment One support the interpretation that maintaining correct IRT > t performance was a function of stimulus conditions that included signalled IRTs, values of t less than 3-seconds, a contract agreement to maintain performance, and other contingencies not explicitly part of the design. The results of Experiment Two, that minimal response latencies on MTS tasks are mediated equally well by an experimenter's verbal prompting as well as …

The Effects Of Monthly Expenses On Worker Choice Of The Percent Age Of Incentive Pay To Expected Total Pay: A Simulation, Shezeen Oah

Masters Theses

Because studies that examine factors that affect worker preference for different pay systems are difficult to conduct in the workplace, the feasibility of using a laboratory simulation was assessed. The dependent variable was subject choice of the percentage of incentive pay to total pay. The independent variable was the percentage of monthly expenses to monthly income. The higher the incentive percentage the greater the potential earnings, but the greater the variability of pay and the probability that subjects would be unable to pay expenses. Work performance was simulated by the roll of a die. Thirty college students worked in groups …

Psychophysiological Assessment Of Panic Disorder, Kent A. Koehn

Masters Theses

This study compared physiological and psychological measures between 9 subjects meeting the DSM-III-R criteria for panic disorder (PD) and 9 control subjects to identify psychophysiological differences that might be relevant to the etiology and maintenance of panic attacks. The subjects were assessed through a number of self-report measures and across three laboratory sessions involving five experimental conditions: baseline, role play, relaxation, mental arithmetic, and cold pressor. We measured electrodermal (EDG) and electro-myographic activity (EMG), heart rate (HR), and blood volume pulse (BVP) in terms of absolute values, reactivity, and habituation. Both groups were also assessed in their ability to accurately …

Aids Prevention Through Printed Media: Knowledge And Communication Behaviors Of Gay College-Aged Males, Cheryl L. Knight

Masters Theses

AIDS prevention research has established the effectiveness of multiple component group interventions. It has not identified whether the effectiveness is due to the format of the intervention (i.e., rehearsal, feedback, etc.) or its instructional content. This study investigates the impact of instructional content delivered in the inexpensive and readily obtained printed medium. Thirteen gay or bisexual college-aged men received an information pamphlet and an AIDS-related communication skills training booklet. Subjects were evaluated on measures of knowledge, safe and risky behaviors, and communication behaviors in each of three assessment sessions. Visual analyses and repeated measures analyses of variance did not support …

A Comparison Of Selected Old And New Right Wing Groups: Involvement With Law Enforcement, Elvin W. Keith

Masters Theses

This study has determined that current right wing extremist groups in the U.S. have no greater propensity for damage to the national security than older right wing groups.

Although right wing groups are dangerous due to the popularity of conservative causes and the proliferation of modern weaponry, an examination reveals that dedication and increased military capability are offset by more efficient law enforcement response and lack of support by the general populace.

A careful examination of the American right wing, both old and new shows the disparity between the two groups. Emphasis is placed on exploring the old right wing …

Compliance With Universal Precautions By Health Care Workers In A Rural Community Emergency Room, Jane E. Devries

Masters Theses

Performance feedback has been used in various organizations to correct problems in the areas of safety, customer service, absenteeism, and tardiness. The present research examined the effects of performance feedback to increase compliance with universal precautions in an emergency room department. Four subjects (Registered Nurses) were observed for glove wearing in any of six different situations common to the emergency room. These included cleaning instruments, cleaning a laceration, giving an injection, phlebotomy, inserting an intravenous catheter, and obtaining and/or transporting specimens other than blood. A multiple baseline experimental design was employed in this study. Results indicated that performance feedback increased …

The Task /Time Management Component Of The Learning To Learn System, James B. Cook

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a task/time management training (consisting of breaking large tasks down,planning and practice) on academic task completion for 29 students in an undergraduate psychology study skills course. A training package and individual training and practice were provided by self management coaches. A multiple baseline across groups design was used. Individual meetings were conducted between self management coaches and students to assess the percentage of task completion based upon a 10-point scale. The mean group task completion scores did not show asignificant rate of change as a result of the intervention.

Interpersonal Skills In The Employment Interview: Intended Meaning, Sharron Mccarthy Meisenhelder

Masters Theses

Recently employers have been including references to communication skills in their advertising for employment opportunities. This research examined what people in business and industry mean when they use the phrase "interpersonal skills." A questionnaire was developed and administered to 60 people associated with personnel practices in business and industry. Content analysis of questionnaire responses found the subjects to identify the interpersonally skilled employee to be "effective," to be "sensitive" and to have a "positive attitude."

The Use Of Musical Wind Instruments As An Expiratory Therapy With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients, Ellen R. Griggs Drane

Masters Theses

The use of musical wind instruments as an expiratory therapy with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients was compared to the traditional inspiratory treatment of the Inspiratory Muscle Trainer (IMT) during a twelve week pre - posttest study. Sixteen subjects, attending an out patient respiratory rehabilitation program, were randomly assigned to either the experimental group, receiving musical wind instruments, or the control group, receiving the IMT.

Measures for the study were: Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) as measured by the Pulmonary Function Test; physical endurance measured by the Twelve Minute Walk Endurance Test; …

The Effect Of Study Skills Training On The Academic Performance Of Learning Disabled Students In Mainstream Classes, Kathleen M. Allen

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Of College Students Toward Affirmative Action Policies For Women And Minorities, John Porter Lee

Masters Theses

This study used two contrasting theoretical perspectives in an assessment of college students' attitudes toward affirmative action policies for women and minorities. One perspective was Wellman's (1977) Interest Theory of Discrimination and the other one was based on the Minority Identity Development Model constructed by Atkinson, Morten and Sue ( 198 9) . Survey methods were utilized to gather data from 479 undergraduate students enrolled in a midwestern university. Following the development model, it was argued that white female students and black students (both males and females) would have favorable attitudes toward affirmative action policies because of their minority status. …

Smoking Cessation In Relapsed Smokers: A Competing Schedules Approach, Catherine E. Ellis

Masters Theses

Recent research in cigarette smoking reveals that social support and reinforcing alternative behaviors to smoking may be instrumental for sustained abstinence. This study examined the efficacy of these approaches with a group of relapsed smokers. Subjects were fifteen male and female Southwestern Michigan residents between the ages of 22-48. Both the treatment and control group attended two initial smoke-stopping sessions. The independent variable was a relapse-prevention package administered to the treatment group over the third through seventh sessions. Dependent variables were Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels, Saliva Thiocyanate (SCN) levels, and the daily number of cigarettes smoked. A two-way analysis of …

An Analysis Of High Dimensional Data, Ravishankar Swamy

Masters Theses

Projection of a high dimensional data set into a two dimensional subspace can lead to very interesting projections. Note that P dimensional data can be projected onto P orthogonal two dimensional planes, which completely determines the original data. Two dimensional orthogonal projections can be analyzed for patterns in several ways.

In this work we will be trying to explore an unknown P dimensional data set by comparing its test projections with a set of standard patterns. A set of P dimensional data is transformed into K.K grid counts and the whole process of recognition is done using these K.K grid …

A Study Of The Preservation Of The Classical Tradition In The Education, Language, And Literature Of The Byzantine Empire, Germaine Manuel

Masters Theses

The medieval Byzantine world can be perceived as a cultural anomaly in the history of western civilization. During the entire course of its existence, those who endeavored to preserve the light of learning drew inspiration from the classical heritage of Greece and Rome. The education, literature, and language of Byzantium were modeled on what had been bequeathed by the classical world of centuries past.

This paper endeavors to examine the integral role played by the ancient pagan legacy in the curriculum that was followed in Byzantine schools; to illustrate the very potent influence exerted by Homer in the learning and …

'Pleonexia': A Modern Pathology Of Self, George R. Ingham

Masters Theses

This study is an examination of the compulsion to shop or acquire commodities seen as a culturally and historically distinctive pathology of the modern self. The Greek term 'pleonexia' ('acquisitiveness') is borrowed as a covenient and more accurately descriptive term than the common 'shopaholic'. Pleonexia is seen as a complex, habitual, impulsive behavior which attempts to maintain order and continuity in the sense of self. Pleonexia represents a failure in self­cohesion, an attempt to counter feelings of emptiness created by the fragmentation and objectification of desire in our commodity culture. Such internal functions as regulation of feelings, self-esteem, as well …

A Survey Of Fifth And Sixth Grade Parents At Jefferson Elementary School, Charleston, Illinois, James M. Louthan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field study was to survey parents/guardians of fifth and sixth grade students concerning their opinions of programs, practices and procedures used at Jefferson Elementary School in Charleston, Illinois. An instrument was designed and given to students to take home to be completed by their parents/guardians and returned to school via the student. Results of the survey indicated that, in general, most parents were satisfied with the programs, practices and procedures except for the schoolwide discipline program, certain curricular offerings (handwriting, math and physical education) and the amount of homework assigned. Opinions of the parents surveyed will …