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Performance Contracting As A Support System For Minority Graduate Students: A Feasibility Study, Monica Porter

Masters Theses

This study analyzed the feasibility of implementing a performance- contracting program for black graduate students so they could achieve or maintain a grade-point average of a 3.0 or above. Students attended weekly contracting meetings where academic tasks and deadlines were identified and task completion was monitored. The total number of tasks assigned per student for the entire study ranged from 12 to 44, with a mean of 32.6. Task completion ranged from 42% to 100%, with a mean of 68.4%. Nine of the ten students achieved a semester grade point average of 3.0 or above, although the present study did …

An Ethnographic Study Of Punk Rock In Western Michigan: Identity In A Youth Subculture, Robert P. Pomeroy

Masters Theses

This thesis presents an ethnosemantic analysis of the punk rock subculture of western Michigan. Assertion of personal identity is demonstrated to be the underlying principle which organizes punk terminology for their music, cultural environment, and members of the subcultures. An analysis of punk song lyrics, visual style, and verbal style demonstrates that this assertion of identity is accomplished through opposition to the dominant American culture. Punk rock can then be understood as a subculture of cultural rebellion which allows its members to assert their individuality through violation of culturally accepted aesthetic values.

The Effect Of Feedback Given To Nurse Aides On Response Latency To Patient Call Lights In A Geriatric Nursing Home, Patricia L. Matuszak

Masters Theses

Feedback has been used in staff performance and management systems in various human service settings. It was applied to four female nurse aides in a geriatric nursing home to decrease response latency to patient call lights. A multiple-baseline-across-subjects design was used with each aide receiving feedback on her mean response time to assigned patients' call lights. Two of the four subjects demonstrated a decrease in mean response times, while two showed little effect after feedback.

An Investigation Of The Effects Of An Applied Behavior Management Program On Selected Measures Of Worker Performance In A Financial Institution, Daniel A. Schroeder

Masters Theses

Twenty CRT operators from an operations department at a financial institution were used to evaluate whether a behavior management program utilizing feedback and incentives would improve their work performance on real job tasks. In accordance with predictions, results revealed that the group performed significantly better (p<.05) under the behavior management program than they did during a baseline period. Behavior management was significantly effective for most, but not all, work areas. The program also produced some unexpected, but positive, side-effects.

Analysis Of The Effects Of Goal And Feedback Specificity On Subsequent Task Performance, Gregory Mark Van Dahm

Masters Theses

The effects of goal and feedback specifically on subsequent task performance were examined to text the hypothesis that specific goals and feedback facilitate performance to a greater degree than general goals and feedback (Ilgen, Fisher, & Taylor, 1979). Ten subjects, in each of the four conditions, were assigned one of two levels of goal specificity and feedback specificity and were then required to perform a simple assembly and sorting task utilizing multiple size and color fasteners. No significance was discovered between correctly assembled and sorted products of the four groups although there was a general trend in the hypothesized direction. …

Use Of A Changeover Key To Train Serial Learning In The Pigeon, Rhoda Kay Yutzy-Ryan

Masters Theses

Three pigeons were presented with a serial learning task involving a sequence of three colors: yellow, green and red. The colors appeared on a lit key one at a time in random order. The pigeons were required to peck the colors in the correct order and to use a second lit key (the changeover key) to change the color when it was incorrect. The data show that the pigeons were able to learn the task and generalize to novel arrays at a high level of accuracy. This extends the findings on serial learning with pigeons to a type of sequence …

Detection Of Deception In The Laboratory As A Function Of Motivation And Set Size, Daniel Mark Tuckett

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of the polygraph in a controlled laboratory setting. The Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT) was the procedure employed in conjunction with the galvanic skin subjects over the two trial each. Overall the polygrapher was correct 44 times, out of 80 trials. This number of detections exceeded chance (p<.001) levels. The manipulation of subject motivation with a monetary reward increased detection rates significantly (p<.05) in comparison to those offered money. With each subject being tested over two trials, there appears to be a habituation effect as indicated by a decrease in detection from trial one to trial two. The relationship fell slightly short of significance at the (p< .05) level. In general the level of the subject motivation may play a major role in the detection of subjects who attempt deceit.

Curbing Noncontractual Absences In A Mental Health Setting Through The Application Of Contingent Rewards, Craig A. Crawford

Masters Theses

In this study, the effects of contingent rewards on attendance behavior of direct care staff in a psychiatric institution were investigated. The intervention consisted of a letter of commendation and an opportunity to win a lottery for the staff exhibiting perfect attendance for a two week pay period. A multiple baseline analysis of three units failed to show significant declines in absenteeism although there were areas of significant improvement.

The Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home's Foster Shelter Care Unit: Toward An Evaluation, Michael John Underwood

Masters Theses

A formative evaluation of the Foster Shelter Care Unit was conducted in order to analyze the success/failure of the program during its firs t year of operation. Data on 77 cases were analyzed, and nine Independent variables and one dependent variable were bivariately tested 1n order to provide a theoretical explanation of the success/failure rate.

The evaluation was conducted 1n order to supply the Foster Shelter Care Unit with recommendations to enhance its success/ failure rate and to modify its existing policies.

The success rate for the unit was 48.1%, and it was found that the only significant association with …

The Relationship Of Job Performance To Exercise In A Hospital Fitness Program, Sheryl A. Porter

Masters Theses

An investigation of the relationship between job performance and exercise was conducted over a one year period among a group of hospital employees. Participation in the in-house fitness program was voluntary. The experimental group was employed a minimum of one year prior to the study and exercised at least twice a week the first year the fitness program began. Job performance ratings were compared to a matched group using a correlated t-test. The findings were non-significant.

The Effects Of Instructions And Cue Controlled Relaxation Training On Cardiovascular Reactivity To Social Stressors, Patricia A. Fettes

Masters Theses

Cue controlled relaxation (CCR) training was compared to simple instructions to relax and control blood pressure on the basis of their effects on cardiovascular reactivity to role played social stressors. The CCR intervention consisted of training subjects to say a cue word ("calm") that had been previously paired with muscular relaxation responses, during presentation of stressors. The instructions intervention was associated with significant reductions in blood pressure reactivity, regardless of whether this condition preceded or followed the CCR condition. Factors that may relate to the relative ineffectiveness of CCR are discussed, as well as those that may have been responsible …

A Study Of The Reliability And Validity Of A Social Skills Rating Scale For Use With Chronically Mentally Ill, Susan J. Egeler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and concurrent validity of the Social Skills section of the Day Treatment Client Assessment, a series of rating scales used to assess behaviors of chronically mentally ill adults. Forty-one clients enrolled in a day treatment program formed the 4 subject groups. Each group met for three 1-hour music therapy sessions specifically designed to foster social behaviors. Three observers participated in each group and rated the clients' behaviors using the Social Skills scale. The observers' ratings were correlated with each other to determine the scale reliability and were correlated with staff …

The Effects Of Two Contracting Methods On Altering The Eating And Exercise Behavior Of Seven Obese Adolescents: An In-Home Weight Treatment Study, Donald Edward Montgomery

Masters Theses

Seven obese males and females, ages ranging 12-15 years, served as participants in an eight-week in-home treatment program. The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of two contracting methods to influence eating and exercise patterns. Individualized exercise and nutrition programs were designed for each participant based on their health and behavior patterns at the time of the study. Four subjects were assigned to Group A (Self-Management) where contracting was established with each adolescent and based their compliance with the program. In Group B (Parental Modeling) contracting was established with the mothers of three subjects who participated along …

Auditory Stimulation-Induced Analgesia In Rats: Its Irreversibility By Naloxone, Ilsun Miranda White

Masters Theses

After receiving intermittent exposure to a tone (3000 Hz, 100 db, SPL), rats were tested on a hot plate for analgesia. Rats that received tone alone showed a higher average paw-lick latency than rats that received either naloxone or saline alone. This result indicates that the auditory stimulus used in this study can be considered a neurogenic stressor and may be added to the list of various noxious stimuli that prouces analgesic effects. Naloxone given to tone-treated subjects produced mean paw-lick latencies were comparable to control group latencies for the first two treatment sessions and to tone group latencies for …

An Analysis Of Potential Adjunctive Behavior In Two Developmentally Disabled Subjects, Nancy K. Brhely

Masters Theses

Past research on adjunctive behavior in humans has generally not employed methods which are comparable to those included in studies of adjunctive behavior in nonhumans. Consequently, the results of these studies of adjunctive behavior in nonhumans. Consequently, the results of these studies are often difficult to interpret. The present study examined locomotor movement and salient self-stimulatory behaviors in two developmentally disabled students exposed to four fixed-interval (FI) schedules of food delivery (FI 16-, 60-, 120-, and 240-sec). Results of this study were analyzed according to whether the seven defining characteristics of the prototype of adjunctive behavior, polydipsia, were present. Locomotor …

Effects Of Seating Arrangement On Affective Meanings And Group Interaction In Healthy Senior Citizens, Judith Ann Boughton

Masters Theses

Occupational therapists state that environmental factors (seating arrangements) influence behavior. This ex post facto study examined the effect of peripheral versus central seating arrangement on interaction (verbalizing and looking), affect, and group climate in 41 healthy senior citizens. Nine men and 32 women aged 62 to 83 participated in two collage activities (creative and imitative) in either a parallel/nonsharing group or a project/ sharing group. Seating arrangement was added to an earlier study's independent variables (creative and imitative activities, and sharing and nonsharing groups). Dependent variables consisted of three factors of affective meaning from the Osgood Semantic Differential, evaluation, power, …

The Effects Of Methylphenidate On The Learning And Performance Of A Child Diagnosed Addh, Kendra Leigh Heath

Masters Theses

The effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin) on the learning and performance of a child diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADDH) was evaluated using a repeated acquisition apparatus. A placebo and three dosages of methylphenidate were evaluated in both the learning and performance components of the experiment. Dosages tested included the subject's therapeutic dosage, a dosage 5 mg higher, and a dosage 5 mg lower. Methylphenidate produced no effect of consequence on the number of errors per session, suggesting that the medication neither impaired nor facilitated learning or performance at the range of dosages investigated. Data were also collected on social …

The Effect Of A Change Intervention Within The Framework Of Organization Development On The Frequency Of Use Of Nursing Diagnosis, Sandi Nuberg Gladstone

Masters Theses

Although 64% of the 32 registered nurses who comprised the staff of a pediatric unit had been formally educated in the use of nursing diagnosis, only 27.4% of individualized additions to the nursing care plans were accepted nursing diagnoses. An intervention based on Change Theory as incorporated in an Organization Development framework was initiated to increase the addition of accepted nursing diagnoses to the standard nursing care plans. The effect of the process was followed through the audit of 229 nursing care plans over a thirteen month period using a time series design. Following the intervention, 74.4% of individualized entries …

New Directions Within Applied Anthropology, Eleanor Mary Dominek

Masters Theses

This study explores the relationship between applied anthropological research and traditional anthropological research in terms of structural and methodological differences. The methods and techniques of Social Impact Assessment, as practiced in North America, and of international development anthropology are also compared. It is found that different kinds of applied anthropology modify methods and techniques (a) to meet the specific needs of supporting research institutions, (b) in response to the unique nature of individual applied problems, and (c) in order to create a type of research product which is very different from that of basic research.

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Daily Tests On The Retention Of Knowledge Of Malaysian Students In The Re-Orientation Program, Rokiah Mohamed

Masters Theses

Seventy Malaysian students participated in the 7-day Re-Orientation Program and were divided into two groups; 20 students were in Group 1, the group that took the daily tests and 50 students were in Group 2, the group that took the final examination only. The results of the final examination revealed a significant difference between the two groups, t (68) = 5.895, p< .05. The means of Groups 1 and 2 were 30.75 and 24.26 respectively. The correlations between the scores of the daily tests and the final examination scores were also statistically significant at p< .05 where n = 20. A post hoc analysis was done to further support the data. It is suggested that further research can be done using knowledge tests in programs that run for longer periods of time to improve students' retention of knowledge.

The Effects Of Reinforcement Magnitude On The Transfer Of Stimulus Control, L. Martin Grabijas

Masters Theses

Communication training for the developmentally disabled is becoming a vital component among residential training facilities. Such education necessarily entails the transfer of stimulus control from a prompt stimulus to a stimulus inherent in the task. The current study investigated the effects which different values of a reinforcer may have on the transfer of stimulus control. Three severely, mentally retarded adults were taught manual sign language, while two values of the reinforcer were varied according to two classes of response: preprompt and postprompt responding. A within subjects design was incorporated with a delayed prompting procedure in identifying the precise moment of …

The Relationship Of Selection Criteria To Success In A Graduate Psychology Program, Cheri R. Stein

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive validity of the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test (GRE) for the Department of Psychology at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. Subjects were 138 psychology doctoral students.

Predictor variables included in the research were GRE-Verbal (GRE-V), GRE-Quantitative (GRE-Q), GRE-Total (GRE-T), Miller's Analogy Test (MAT), and undergraduate grade point average (UGPA). Criterion measures were trichotomous faculty ratings and points earned in three psychology courses.

GRE-V, GRE-Q, GRE-T, and MAT were significantly correlated with faculty ratings (p< .001), and the GRE scores were also significantly related to points earned in classes. Results indicated that MAT scores added no predictive value over and above GRE scores. GRE-T correlations were consistently equal or greater in magnitude than GRE-V and GRE-Q correlation coefficients. It was suggested that GRE-T scores alone be used in selection, with a cut-off point of 1100.

Menstrual Cycle Status, Body Composition And Dietary Characteristics Of Female Collegiate Gymnasts, Dance-Majors And Non-Athletes, Robyn Lesley Mills

Masters Theses

This study investigated the incidence of regular menstrual cycles, secondary amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea in collegiate female gymnasts, dance-majors and non-athletes. Menstrual cycle characteristics and eating attitudes were surveyed by questionnaire. Dietary status was determined by a 5 day dietary diary, and body composition was measured by hydrostatic weighing to determine the relationship of these variables with menstrual cycle status.

The frequency of amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea and regular cycles differed significantly (p<.05) between activity groups. The gymnasts reported the highest incidence of amenorrhea (16%) and oligomenorrhea (32%). A significant difference (p<.05) was found between activity groups for age at menarche, percent body fat, dietary status and eating attitudes.

Statistical analysis of the main effect of menstrual cycle status showed a significant difference for caloric intake and eating attitudes. The amenorrheic subjects consumed fewer calories and scored higher on …

Ipsilateral Electromyographic Activity Of Shoulder Muscles During Unilateral Maximal Resistance Of Grasp In The Prone-On-Elbows Position, Bryan John Wodaski

Masters Theses

This study reports the relationship between electrical output of the deltoid muscle and the pectoral is major muscle (clavicular portion) ipsilaterally, following maximal resistance to grasp of the non-dominant hand while in the prone-on-elbows position. Forty-two normal college students were recruited from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental subjects' shoulder muscles' electrical activity was measured for changes from baseline to maximal contraction during two trials. The control group was measured in the same manner but they were not asked to contract their hand against resistance. For both groups electrical activity was …

Comparing Three Ways Of Obtaining Exercise Adherence, Maria Sonia Acosta

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of various incentives, including course bonus points, social reinforcement, and partner assignment to encourage exercise among college students. Participants were assigned to one of three groups. Members of the structured group exercised at a specific time and location, members of the partner group exercised with a companion determined to be their best match, and members of the individual group exercised on their own. In addition to a maximum of five bonus points, members of the structured group received social praise in terms of verbal statements such as "I'm glad …

Comparison Of Individual Vs. Group Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training On State And Trait Anxiety, Janet L. Niefert

Masters Theses

This study investigated the relative effects of group and individually administered progressive muscle relaxation on the reduction of state and trait anxiety. A six-week training program was conducted for 12 graduate and undergraduate volunteers. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Relaxation State Behavioral Checklist were administered prior to and immediately following training. A Subjective Stress Record was maintained daily for two weeks prior to training and for the s ix weeks of training. No decrease was found in trait anxiety scores after training. A significant decrease in state anxiety scores was found in both individually trained and group trained subjects. …

The Use Of Repeated Acquisition As A Technique For Establishing A Behavioral Baseline With Victims Of Alzheimer's Disease, Michelle D. Stone

Masters Theses

Three subjects suspected as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) victims were trained on a behavioral chain of three sets of three poker chips, each set differing in color and position, to investigate subtle changes in learning and performance behaviors over time. For each session the subjects learned a new three-response sequence with a marked poker chip serving as the correct response for each set. A within-session learning curve resulted for all three subjects with the errors in the learning trial (LT) exceeding the errors for the performance trials (PT1 and PT2). Only Subject III demonstrated a stable pattern of learning, with the …

Becoming A Nurse: A Study Of Aspects Of Professional Socialization, Arlene Christian

Masters Theses

This study examined aspects of the professional socialization of student nurses into the role of the professional nurse. Comparisons were made between senior and freshmen nursing students, between those 25 years of age and over with those under 25, between those who had two or more years of college with those who had less than two, and between those who were nursing externs with those who were not.

The results of the data analysis offered mixed support for the hypotheses proposed. Senior nursing students exhibited higher levels of professionalism in two aspects, while the older students, those with more college, …

Gender-Related Language Usage As Related To Psychological Sex Role Orientation, Kathleen Mulder Parker

Masters Theses

The relationship between gender-related language and psychological sex role orientation is explored. Research findings are cited that support the existence of sexist language and the influence of language on thought. Evidence of the behavioral expectations re la tin g to psychological sex role orientation is presented. A relationship between psychological sex role orientation and gender-related speech usage is hypothesized. An instrument for measuring gender-related speech was developed and subsequently administered to a group of community college students along with the Bern Sex Role Inventory. The hypothesis is only supported for psychologically feminine participants who report significantly high use of feminine …

Increasing Key “Sales Related” Behaviors Through The Use Of A Self-Monitoring Checklist, Susan M. O'Brien

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the effects of self-monitoring alone to increase targeted key sales related behaviors with an outside sales representative. The data collected over a five-month period of time revealed a temporary increase in the overall percent of targeted behaviors performed on each sales call when self-monitoring was implemented. Performance dropped to baseline levels near the end of the first treatment phase prior to the reversal phase. The data were inconsistent across behaviors as to whether implementing self-monitoring caused them to change in the desired direction or not. Additional measures which were not directly influenced by the self-monitoring technique …