Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Appropriate Behavior Using Antecedent Physical Exercise In Mentally Retarded Adults, Steven Degroot

Masters Theses

In order to ascertain if aerobic exercise would facilitate task performance, two mentally retarded adults exercised five days a week and performed three discrimination tasks three days a week. Baseline performance was determined for the two subjects on the tasks which involved shape discrimination, picture discrimination, number discrimination, and sequencing. After their baseline performance was determined, the participants began an exercise program which worked toward increasing their pulse rates to an aerobic level (150% of resting pulse). Subsequently, the subjects performed the discrimination tasks immediately after exercise. After this intervention period, baseline performance was again determined. The results indicated that …

Responding Under Homogeneous Versus Heterogeneous Chained Variable-Interval Schedules, Stephen P. Starin

Masters Theses

Four pigeons responded under chained variable-interval schedules in which the required response topographies were either similar [i.e., a homogeneous chain] or dissimilar Ci.e., a heterogeneous chain]. Subjects were exposed to all possible combinations of initial-link key pecking or treadle pressing and terminal-link pecking or treadling. Three of four subjects displayed higher initial-link response rates under the homogeneous chains. The present results were explained in terms of an induction effect in which the strengthening effect of reinforcing a particular terminal-link response topagrapahy generalizes to similar responses earlier in the chain, but not to topographically different responses.

A Comparison Of Wais-R Scores With Wais-R Scores For Mentally Handicapped Students With Iqs Below 70 And For Regular Education Students, Kimberly A. Brennan

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the utilization of WISC-R scores as a basis for placement and continuation of services for mental retardates in special education classes throughout their school careers. A comparison of the WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs with the WAIS-R counterparts and a statistical analysis was conducted. Regular education students were also tested to determine if the two scales were equal.

The WAIS-R was found to yield higher Verbal and Full Scale IQ scores, but comparable Performance IQ scores. These results suggest that the differences between the two instruments for children of …

Assessment And Training Of Visual And Tactual Stimulus Equivalence, Brooke Ann Rigney

Masters Theses

Visual-tactual equivalence was examined within the stimulus equivalence paradigm originally developed by Sidman in studies of verbal behavior (1971). Experiment I assessed for equivalence between tactually and visually presented objects. In Experiment II, colors and textures were added to the objects and the effect of modality distinctive stimuli on equivalence was examined. Experiment III then studied the establishment of equivalence with these modality distinctive stimuli using the Sidman stimulus equivalence paradigm.

Visual-tactual equivalence was demonstrated in Experiment I. Experiment II demonstrated that equivalence could be disrupted by modality distinctive stimuli. Experiment III then showed that equivalence could be demonstrated between …

A Study-Support Program For High-Risk, Black College Freshman Enrolled In A General Psychology Course, Angela Michelle Williams

Masters Theses

As a replication of Jackson's (1984) work, this research compared the performance of three groups of college freshmen. The groups consisted of black, high-risk students who voluntarily enrolled in a study-support group because of their initial quiz scores. The support program required the students to study each week's psychology objectives in four smaller segments, rather than studying all the week's material at once. The assumption was that this would increase the students' contact with the study material and improve their performances. An ABA design was used. The participants in the support program received higher quiz scores and final grades than …

The Effects Of Methsuximide And Mephenytoin On The Repeated Acquisition Performance Of Pigeons, Dawn D. Delaney

Masters Theses

Learning impairment is a potentially serious side effect of antiepilepsy medications. The present study investigated the effects of methsuximide and mephenytoin on learning in pigeons performing under a repeated acquisition procedure. Given acutely, methusuximide (25, 50, 75, 100 mg/kg) and mephenytoin (60, 120, 240 mg/kg) produced generally dose-dependent decreases in rates of responding; increases in percent errors were largest at doses that produced the greatest decrease in response rate. An analysis of the within-session distribution of errors revealed that certain

Teaching Paragraph Construction To Second Grade Students Using A Structured, Sequential Instructional Program, Sheryl Ann Miller

Masters Theses

The present study proposed that specific methods of teaching writing could be implemented through the application of established principles of behavioral, educational technology. A group of eight second grade students took part in a five week sequential writing program designed to teach them to construct a paragraph incorporating the following components: title, name, introductory sentence, three explanatory sentences, and a conclusion sentence.

Samples of the student's writing were obtained at the beginning and end of the program. Changes in writing style were analyzed for the absence or presence of each component. Every child demonstrated some improvement regarding one or more …

The Church In China And Contemporary Christian Strategy, Samuel Fang

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Norm-Referenced, Traditional, And Computer-Assisted Language Assessments, Michel P. Helmke

Masters Theses

Current literature in the field of communication disorders suggests that traditional norm-referenced tests may yield erroneous or misleading information regarding a child's level of language acquisition. Additional research suggests that the most valid and reliable technique for determining a client's level of linguistic expertise is language sampling and analysis. Language sampling and analysis has traditionally been rejected as a means of evaluation, especially for the school-age child, due to the length of time necessary to complete such analyses. In recent years, language sampling and analysis techniques have been redesigned as computer software application programs. Computer software application programs may significantly …

Evaluation Of The Language Arts Curriculum In Cerro Gordo Community Unit School District #100, Keith Ashcraft

Masters Theses

Cerro Gordo Community Unit School District #100 in Cerro Gordo, Illinois has a student population of approximately 700 pupils. The schools are located within Cerro Gordo, a village of 1600 residents, but gain students from surrounding areas in the ninety-nine square mile district. Most of the parents are employed in farming or in Decatur which is twelve miles to the east.

During the 1985-86 school year teachers were surveyed as to what academic area needed evaluation. The teachers selected language arts as the subject for study. A committee of volunteers was formed and began meeting.

The researcher served as committee …

Student Perceptions Which Affect Initiation Of The Counseling Experience, Julia A. Shuppert

Masters Theses

In effort to determine student perceptions which inhibit initiation of counseling, 235 seniors from two randomly selected, mid-Illinois high schools were surveyed. The two schools were chosen according to geographic location and student enrollment. The 50 item survey consisted of 26 internal items (reasons within the student) and 24 external items (reasons lying with the counselor or counselor circumstances), which could further be divided into eleven categories: perceived lack of empathy; perceived lack of acceptance; perceived lack of confidentiality/trustworthiness; perceived counselor incongruency; perceived counselor authoritarianism; perceived counselor inadequacy; perceived problem in time or scheduling; perceived negative consequences; perceived apprehensions; lack …

Nutritional Aspects In Alcoholism Treatment Programs In Regions 3b And 2 Excluding Chicago, Koralie Murad

Masters Theses

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between nutrition and alcoholism in general, specifically how nutritional therapy and education can benefit the recovering alcoholic, and to explore the degree to which nutritional aspects have been developed and practiced in residential and inpatient programs in region 2, excluding the city of Chicago, and in region 3B as defined by the Division of Alcoholism, Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, January 15, 1980.

Procedure

A standardized questionnaire was used in a telephone survey of 40 alcoholic treatment programs in the two regions. The addresses, …

“What Thyng It Is That Wommen Moost Desiren”: Image And Self-Realization In The Wife Of Bath's Prologue And Tale, Thomas W. Köhn

Masters Theses

The Wife of Bath is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating of the Canterbury pilgrims. At the same time she is one of those literary figures whose complex character constantly seems to elude the reader's judgement. Alisoun presents herself as a feminist advocating male subjection and female sovereignty in marriage, but her self-assertive behaviour cannot conceal an equally powerful longing for love and acceptance. Some critics therefore praise the psychological depth of the Wife's portrayal while others label her a stock character and join in the derisive laughter they believe her fellow pilgrims to bestow on her.

This thesis explores …

The Relationship Between Role Supplementation And The Level Of Marital Functioning In Couples Living With Cardiac Disease, Laurie Ann Demull-Bok

Masters Theses

Eighteen couples experiencing the onset of heart disease (Myocardial Infarction or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft procedure) participated in this study. Nine couples participated in a role supplementation program consisting of role modeling and role discussion. Role modeling was facilitated by exposure to a role model couple in a group situation. The role discussion component utilized a tool that allowed each partner to identify his/her responsibility for the treatment plan.;The hypothesis of the study was that couples who participated in a role supplementation program would have a higher level of marital functioning than couples who did not participate in role supplementation. …

The Relationship Between Functional Disability Of Chronic Low Back Pain To Depression, Janice Ellen Looman

Masters Theses

This study is proposed for the purpose of determining if a relationship exists between the functional disability of chronic low back pain (LBP) to depression. In the investigation a random sample of 40-50 clients from area back clinics, at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center and Butterworth Hospital will be selected. The clients who have had LBP over six months will be asked to take a modified Dartmouth Pain Questionnaire (DPQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The modified DPQ includes two parts relating to the client's self perception and activity level prior to the LBP event. The self-administered BDI which measures …

Effect Of Nurse's Attire On Patients' Perceptions Of Trustworthiness, Marcia Diane Westrate

Masters Theses

This descriptive study was an investigation of the difference in patients' perceptions of trustworthiness in the nurse based on the nurse's attire. Eighty-nine men and women who presented to emergency departments in three West Michigan hospitals for treatment of non-acute illnesses or injuries completed a Trust Perception Questionnaire before being seen for treatment. Subjects were shown one of three photographs of the same nurse model in different nursing attire and were directed to choose statements concerning elements of trust that applied to the person in the photograph. Analysis of variance performed on data indicated a significant difference (F(2, 86) = …

The Wall Of Anxiety: Moderating Variables Of Empathy In Romantic Relationships, H. Alan Oathout

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigative Study Of Twelve Dropouts In Villa Grove High School, Ann L. Krejci

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Technical Achievement Of C. Rossetti In Goblin Market And Other Poems, Jay D. Fisk

Masters Theses

During Christina Rossetti's lifetime (1830-1894), and for some fifty years after her death, critical attention focused on her life, more specifically on how that life affected her poetry. Critics tried to show how her Italian ancestors, artistic brothers, spiritual mother and sister, and her many illnesses influenced her works. Other than these basic facts, little else was known.

Later, psychological critics found much sexual symbolism in the "repressed" poet's works. "Goblin Market," with its tale of strange little goblin men seducing innocent maids with their fruits seemed particularly well-suited to a Freudian approach. This poem received so much attention that …

Emergent Leadership In A Classroom Situation: As Affected By Birth Order, Gender, Age, And Parental Marital Status, Mary Christine Foley

Masters Theses

This thesis studied leadership with the variables of birth order, parental marital status, age, and gender in mind. Four hypotheses were developed around each of those variables. Other areas that were developed included a review of the literature concerning birth order and birth order characteristic tendencies; parental marital status and its effect of children; and general leadership principles. The results obtained from the experiment proved nonsignificant in all four hypotheses. A survey was also given to the subjects to assess their attitudes on leadership characteristics.

The Effect Of Early Childhood Special Education Teaching Theories On Their Classroom Environments, Cheryl L. Mortimer

Masters Theses

With passage of P.L. 99-457 educators in the United States are going to need to take a very close look at early childhood special education. There will be many new programs beginning in areas where teachers and administrators may be poorly informed. Early childhood special education is effective,but an examination of what part of these programs make it effective needs to be addressed. This study examined how a teachers theoretical orientation toward teaching can affect their preschool special education classroom environment. The environment was evaluated by a section on a survey in which points were accumulated for different environmental factors …

Family Problems In The Background Of Mental Health Professionals, Linda Elaine Mccarter

Masters Theses

It has been proposed by some that students choose to study in mental health related fields in an effort to find solutions for their own personal emotional or family problems. Some believe that those who assumed or were assigned a family role of the good or parentified child (a role which requires that the needs of others be placed ahead of one's own) are over-represented among mental health professionals. Others contend that there are no significant differences in family background between psychotherapists and other individuals with a similar level of education. Little empirical investigation has addressed these issues. Studies which …

Effect Of Proximal Thermal/Pressure Cutaneous Stimulation On The Discomfort Of Intramuscular Injection, Michael Edward Desrocher

Masters Theses

The discomfort from receiving an intramuscular injection is pain that may be reduced by proper nursing intervention if the gate control theory is applied. A group of 71 adult preoperative patients were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group received a warm (43.5{dollar}\sp\circ{dollar}C), 800 gram pack proximal to the site of injection. The control and experimental group scores were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test of significance for the intervention. The intervention was not significant in reducing the discomfort from an intramuscular injection at the.05 level.

Effects Of Cued Intertrial Intervals On Response Latency In Pigeons, Franklin Paul Whitley

Masters Theses

Six White Carneaux pigeons were exposed to fixed-ratio schedule components in a systematic replication of a study by Michael et al. (1981). Separation between median latencies for the two schedule components was demonstrated consistently, reproducing the general features of that research. In a subsequent manipulation, differential stimulus conditions were introduced into the intertrial intervals preceding onset of schedule components in an effort to enhance the likelihood that differential "waiting behaviors" would develop. Two subjects demonstrated a clear decrease in the magnitude of the latency splits following introduction of the cued ITI condition, while other subjects evidenced a similar but less …

Effects Of Feedback And Incentives On The Use Of Academic Skills, Jose E. Candia

Masters Theses

This research investigates the notion that the combination of feedback and incentives are essential components for the maintenance of effective academic skills with undergraduate students on academic probation. This notion is in contradiction to the assumption underlying remedial activities in most universities, where it is assumed that once the students have acquired the skills through workshops or texts they will continue to use them.

The use of the academic skills of lecture note-taking, comprehensive reading, and critical reading was studied with three undergraduate students. That use was measured prior to the intervention, during workshops of training, when feedback alone was …

Peyote And Peyotism, Brian P. Akers

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to provide a general comparative discussion of the native use of peyote, past and present.

Historic sources and ethnographic accounts are reviewed in light of relevant botanical, pharmacological, and ethnological considerations.

A Time-Management Procedure For Helping Graduate Students Accomplish Academic Tasks, Yousef Abdulwahab Abuhmaidan

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of time-management and a task checklist on task completion, the amount of study time and students' grade point average (GPA). A package consisting of a time-management calendar and a task checklist was provided to five Jordanian students. A multiple-baseline across subjects design was used. Individual weekly meetings were conducted to assess the progress of the students on the use of the time-management calendar and task checklist. Students were asked to bring proof of accomplishments for the completed tasks. During the study the completion of tasks went from 64.6% to 92.2% …

The Effectiveness Of Video Tape Monitoring Of Direct Instruction Procedures Across Teachers, John H. Cottrell

Masters Theses

A multiple baseline across subjects experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of monitoring subject performance and providing feedback regarding the implementation of Direct Instruction (DI) procedures from video taped recordings of the subject's presentations of the DI lessons upon the implementation of those DI procedures. The subjects were two junior high school special education teachers who teach reading using the SRA Corrective Reading; Decoding B program. The DI lessons were recorded on VHS video tape and observational data were recorded during baseline. During intervention, a monitor also provided feedback on the subjects performance using examples from the video …

The Effects Of Adventure Activities On An Objective Measure Of Self-Concept, Marjorie Ellen Bethke

Masters Theses

Although a plethora of studies have linked experiences in adventure education to the enhancement of self-concept, virtually all have been faulted on methodological grounds. In this study the inferential leap from test performance to actual behavior was narrowed, if not eliminated, by utilizing systematic direct observation as an alternative to self-reports. A single behavior, hugs, was isolated as an indicator of self-concept. Eighth grade Outdoor Education students were observed over a baseline period, then engaged in a short-term, intense, adventure education experience. A second baseline revealed an appreciable increase in the rate of hug behavior under select circumstances. The data …

Increasing The Participation Rate For International Behaviorists At The Convention Of The Association For Behavior Analysis, Marsha Lee Benz

Masters Theses

This is a descriptive study that reviewed past participation of International behaviorists at the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) convention, to provide sore help to these presenters to improve the experience, and to disseminate behavioral information outside of the United States by trying to Increase International participation at the ABA convention.

These methods were used to Invite the behavioristsi (a) call for papers, (b) personalized invitations, and (c) poster invitations. Procedures used to improve the convention experience weret (a) an interest questionnaire, and (b) pre- and post-convention surveys.

Comparisons were made between the number of International presenters from years 1981 …