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A Modification Of The Dry-Bed Training For The Treatment Of Nocturnal Enuresis, Abubaker Muftah Abdurrazek

Masters Theses

The present study explored the effectiveness of the Dry-Bed Training (DBT) method without positive practice (20 trips to the toilet) and urine alarm. It also compares the efficacy of the DBT with and without the urine alarm. Eight nocturnally enuretics, aged 6 to 12 years, were assigned to two groups, experimental and control; each consisted of three boys and one girl. During the first phase of treatment, the experimental group underwent the DBT without positive practice and urine alarm, whereas the control group underwent the DBT with positive practice but no alarm. Subsequently, the urine alarm was introduced to both …

Self-Monitoring Of Cursive Writing Skills In A Second Grade Normal Classroom: Differential Effects Of Behavioral And Academic Monitoring Requirements, Kim Charles Snyder

Masters Theses

This study was designed to assess the contributions and differential abilities of two types of self-monitoring interventions (academic and behavioral) in securing immediate and sustained (generalizable) increases in academic productivity. Fifteen second grade children participated in a study in which the experimental groups were required to either monitor on-task behavior or the component skills of a cursive writing task. While academic increases were demonstrated by both of the experimental groups during treatment, the study clearly demonstrated that academic self-monitoring was superior to behavioral self-monitoring in producing immediate and sustained academic results without the aid of reinforcement.

The Marriage Beliefs Inventory, Timothy P. Peters

Masters Theses

The Marriage Beliefs Inventory is designed to measure biblical versus unbiblical held beliefs about marriage. The HBI contains five sub-scales of marriage problem areas including finances, fulfillment, communication, companionship and sex. Each sub-scale includes fifteen belief statements with which the participant chooses the degree to which he agrees or disagrees. The MBI was given to thirty couples of a Sunday school class. The test-retest reliability correlation was high (r= .76). Research relevant to the construction of the inventory, conclusions and suggestions for further research are given.

Rhythmicity, Rate, And Perceived Effort Level Of Fluent And Disfluent Children And Their Parents, Lorraine Destefano Proctor

Masters Theses

Finger tapping and CVC syllable repetition measures of 7 four to eight year old fluent and disfluent children and their mothers were evaluated. Perceptual ratings of speech rate and effort level were also completed by the children, their mothers, and nine graduate students. These procedures were used to test hypotheses that mean interval durations for tapping and for speech, and perceptual ratings of speech rate and effort level are individual in nature.

Results indicated that the subjects1 measures of mean interval durations for tapping and for speech as estimates of rhythmicity, and perceptual ratings of speech rate and effort level …

The Effects Of Directive And Non-Directive Techniques And Locus Of Control On Preference For A Therapist, Perceived Therapist Effectiveness, And Attendance Rates Of Geriatrics In A Music Therapy Setting, Katrina Alison Picha

Masters Theses

It was hypothesized that external locus of control subjects would prefer directive techniques and perceive them as more effective while non-directive techniques would be preferred and perceived as more effective by internal locus of control subjects. Nineteen external and internal geriatric residents in a healthcare facility were divided by randomized matched pairing into two groups, both led by the same therapist. Subjects participated in either a directive or non-directive group and rated the therapist on bipolar semantic differential scales for perceived effectiveness and preference. No significant main or interaction effects were found for type of treatment, locus of control, or …

The Problem Of Reductionism In Theories Of Hemispheric Specialization And Recovery Of Functions, Grant Jackson Butterbaugh

Masters Theses

A selective review of functional and anatomical hemispheric asymmetries in humans confirms the doctrine of hemispheric specialization. However, the post-insult phenomenon of recovery of functions challenges theories that posit too strict a correspondence between anatomical structures and functions. Follow-up studies on hemispherectomized and hemidecorticated patients, who later recovered language, support a hypothesis of hemispheric redundancy, rather than "invariant" hemispheric specialization for language. Thus, through an evolutionary selection process, the brain may have developed as two potentially similar organs. Neuropsychological research on recovery phenomena is criticized as neglecting environmental contributions to recovery. Several models of hemispheric specialization are compared with recovery …

The Effects Of Quantitative Information Content On Selection Strategies In A Complex Concept Formation Design, Tony B. Croke

Masters Theses

Thirty adult undergraduates and graduate students were placed in one of three quantitative information content groups. The Ss received either High, Medium or Low Information Content (IC) in a concept formation paradigm designed to study the types of problem solving strategies used by Ss under varying amounts of information content. High IC Ss produced the optimal strategy— focusing— sooner and more often than Medium or Low IC Ss. Medium IC Ss did better than low IC Ss. High IC Ss increased their use of focusing over trials, while Medium and Low IC Ss only used focusing intermittently. Medium and Low …

A Comparison Of Teacher And Student Absenteeism In Three School Districts Of Different Size, John Clifton Huffman

Masters Theses

This paper compares absentee rates for teachers and students in three Michigan school districts. The districts under investigation vary greatly in enrollment. This first chapter relates the problem of teacher and student absenteeism to maintaining an assumed level of teacher/student contact time.

The second chapter reviews literature related to student and teacher absenteeism. This includes those studies which evaluate absenteeism based on personal and organizational factors associated with absence.

The third chapter relates the procedures which were used in the comparison. The fourth chapter lists the results of the data collected from the three school districts. The data are compared …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Student-Generated Versus Instructor-Generated Questions On The Comprehension Of Written Material, Helen Diann Pratt

Masters Theses

Twelve college students volunteered to participate in a special section of an introductory psychology course at Western Michigan University. A multiple baseline design across groups was used to assess differences in reading comprehension between students who received study objectives written by the instructor and students trained to write their own study objectives. Quizzes and examinations were used to assess students' reading comprehension of course materials. A comparison of pre- and post-test scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Comprehension Test was used to determine whether students had acquired skills which aided their comprehension of other materials. Results indicated no statistically significant differences …

A Program To Teach Multiple Verbal Relations Involving A Small Number Of Response Forms, Kimberly Lou Richter

Masters Theses

As a consequence of reviewing the results of non-behavioral and behavioral approaches to language training for the language deficient, further development of an alternative approach seemed warranted. This study attempted to develop a procedure for training a functional verbal repertoire involving a new language system which consisted of originally meaningless words and symbols. Young "normal" children participated as a first step in developing this procedure. Two preschoolers were taught a few verbal responses, each controlled by several different variables. A new verbal response was then taught under the control of a few variables. Transfer of the new verbal responses under …

The Oral Self-Administration Of Nicotine In Two Groups Of Rats, Jay D. Hansor

Masters Theses

Six, adult male, Spraque-Dawley rats served as subjects in this experiment which examined whether they would self-administer a 32 microgram per milliliter or a 64- microgram per milliliter (32 ug/ml and 64 ug/ml) nicotine tartrate solution when presented concurrently with distilled water. Subjects in Group I had access to a 32 ug/ml nicotine solution and Group II subjects had access to a 64 ug/ml nicotine solution during both phases. During Phase II an "AB" reversal was implemented to ascertain whether the subjects had a side preference or if they preferred to injest nicotine. It was found that each subject in …

Social Skills In Vivo: An Experimental And Theoretical Analysis, Stephen Earl Eversole

Masters Theses

A multiple baseline across behaviors was employed to demonstrate generalization effects across settings. A 14 year old shy female was presented with social skills treatment package to increase the rate of eye contacts, verbalizations and smile sin vivo. One of the intervention phases included role-playing of social situations with a peer. A second phase required the occurrence of desired responding while playing foosball-- the same activity which took place in vivo during generality data collection. A third intervention required interaction assignments to be completed in vivo. Results indicate inconclusive evidence of an increase due to the treatment package. A general …

The Training Of A Few Response Forms Under Multiple Controlling Variables, Mary-Ann Wiermanski

Masters Theses

This study investigated the acquisition of a few response forms under different controlling variables using both a topography based language (TB) (i.e., signing) and a stimulus selection based language (SSB) (i.e., touching symbols) with three language deficient developmentally disabled individuals. The subjects were taught to name, to ask for, and to touch keys that opened boxes that contained some form of reinforcement. Most of the keys' names were trained across more than one set of controlling variables per session. Before training began for a given key under a new condition, a transfer test was conducted, investigating the possibility of stimulus …

Feature-Value Effect, Nedra N. Zerbel

Masters Theses

Feature-value effect concerns the asymmetry obtained in the discrimination learning of pigeons and young children, based on the presence (feature-positive) versus the absence (feature-negative) of a single distinctive feature. Subjects master the discrimination problem when the distinctive feature appears on the positively-reinforced (S+) display but not necessarily when the distinctive feature appears on the non-reinforced (S-) display. This thesis replicates and examines the first (three) extensions of traditionally experimental research to human preschool populations. Six 3-5 year old children attending the Child Development Center preschool served as subjects in the experiment. The feature-positive discrimination training conditions consisted of the presentation …

Interview Training For College Students: A Behavioral Approach Versus A Self-Help Approach, Toni Yvette Woolfork

Masters Theses

This study was designed to train college students to interview effectively for a job. Ten upper-level students were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group participated in a 16-hour training program consisting of modeling coaching, behavior rehearsal, peer and trainer feedback and instructional training. The techniques were used to train students to interview effectively, using the appropriate verbal behavior and nonverbal behavior. The control group's training consisted of a videotape and reading materials. There were significant differences between groups on the verbal behavior, but not on the nonverbal behaviors.

The Use Of Alternative Behaviors, Covert Sensitization And A Package Intervention In Treatment Of Bulimia, Janice Marie Arone

Masters Theses

Bulimia is a complex eating disorder that involves bouts of binge eating which are usually followed by a purge to rid the individual of the unwanted food. This disorder occurs primarily in females and may lead to several medical and psychological complications. The efficacy of two single component treatments and a package intervention designed to decrease variables related to binge eating were investigated with three bulimic females. The results of the research indicated that individuals who were exposed to the package intervention experienced the largest decrements in the binge eating when compared to the single component procedures.

A Study Of The Dual Role As Athletic Director And Principal, James A. Cook

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate job satisfaction perceptions of individuals holding positions which combined the functions of principal and athletic direction. Specifically, this study compared actual workload with desired workload, (i.e., that which would provide a reasonable amount of job satisfaction). The study was predicated on the research findings that indicate that the amount of work is relative to a given individual as opposed to being an absolute quality.

A review of the research and literature revealed that few publications have been targeted toward workload and the dual educational administrator. The implications of job-related work, as it …

An Analysis Of The Administrative Operation Of Project Abe (Arts In Basic Education) In Community Unit District #1, Charleston, Illinois, Suellyn Garner

Masters Theses

The purpose of this field experience was to analyze the administrative operation of a project called Arts in Basic Education (hereafter referred to as Project ABE), of which the author was director. The project was developed through ESEA Title IV-c grants in the six elementary schools of Community Unit District Number One in Charleston, Illinois, from 1978-1982. In 1983, through a contract from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (Chapter II), Project ABE began a dissemination program which allowed 60 other schools in Illinois to adopt it. This paper is a result of …

The Effect Of Applying The Cognitive Dissonance Theory On Improving Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes Toward Individuals Labelled Exceptional, Kelly Randick

Masters Theses

This thesis study developed from an interest in and an awareness of the need to modify attitudes of pre-service teachers toward those who are labelled exceptional. The effects of negative attitudes toward those labelled exceptional have been repeatedly reported in the literature. Negative attitudes toward those labelled exceptional are reported to have resulted in differential treatment toward and lowered self concepts/esteems of those with disabilities. There had been an inclination for individuals without disabilities to place emphasis on the differences between people with disabilities and those without. These differences were reported to have negative connotations. The central purpose of this …

The Effects Of Immediate Vs. Delayed Knowledge Of Results On The Acquisition And Retention Of Multiplication Tasks, Lynn Ruth Kidwell

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of three feedback conditions on a multiplication task. Data were obtained over a nine week period of instruction with a single individual. Both correct and incorrect responses were charted and analyzed in the results. A pretest and two posttests, one immediate and one after six weeks, were given to obtain information about the retention of the multiplication tasks.

Results of this study showed that practice with immediate feedback and practice with delayed feedback were significantly better than no feedback without practice for correct responses. Practice with immediate feedback was significantly better than …

Time In John Cheever's The Housebreaker Of Shady Hill, Charles M. Elliott

Masters Theses

The problem of time is a central concern in John Cheever's short story collection The Housebreaker of Shady Hill. The characters in these stories--upper-middle class suburbanites--live in a sometimes chaotic and disconnected world in which they find it difficult to attain some sense of continuity in their relationships with time. In trying to come to grips with their time and space, many of Cheever's characters express an immoderate devotion to their past, present, or future and neglect to see the bits and pieces of their experiences as interrelated. The characters who are happy and whole in these stories, however, …

Sexual Sterilization Of The Mentally Retarded, Nancy Ann Wallace

Masters Theses

For more than 50 years, sterilization of mentally retarded persons was an accepted practice in many states as a way to reduce the number of persons born with mental defects. In recent years, the practice has come under heavy challenge, both medically and legally. In the United States between 1907 and 1963, approximately 12,500 sexual sterilizations were performed. In 1970, 27 states had particular grounds on which sterilization could be ordered. As of 1979, only 19 states still had statutes that allowed sterilization for eugenic reasons. This paper examines the history of the sterilization laws and the grounds for invoking …

Similarity/Dissimilarity Of Couples Communication Competence In Relationship To Their Marital Satisfaction, Thomas Kenne Worthen

Masters Theses

Research has shown that similar communicator styles leads to effective communication, and effective communication leads to relationship satisfaction. Using an extension of balance theory, this study analyzed the relationship between spouses similar/dissimilar communication competence ratings and their marital satisfaction.

Subjects consisted of 44 married couples from a midwestern university and the surrounding area. The Communication Adaptability Scale was used to measure communication competence. The Marital Adjustment Test was used to measure marital satisfaction. Using a t-test no significance was found.

The overall competence score of each spouse was broken down into six separate factors (appropriate disclosure, articulation, social experience, social …

The Effects Of Dogmatism, Rhetorical Sensitivity, And Attitude Valence On Selected Speech Ratings, Chris B. Geyerman

Masters Theses

This study empirically examined the demand characteristic construct and the information processing construct of the rating error paradigm. The findings of this study indicated that the position advocated by the speaker with respect to the attitude valence of the raters significantly influenced the speech evaluation process. This study provides support for the demand characteristic construct and the information processing construct of rating error theory. Implications in terms of pedagogy, theory, and future research are discussed.

An Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Modularity On Resource Consumption In Software Development, Alan D. Christiansen

Masters Theses

"Many authors have encouraged the use of modular programming techniques in software development. In fact, there is almost total agreement within industrial and academic circles that modularity is a desirable feature of any software package. Unfortunately, the desirability of modular design is almost always voiced without support from experimental evidence.

This thesis consists of an experiment comparing the resource consumption of programmers based on the modularity practices employed during the design and programming phases of software development. The experiment tests the effectiveness of modularity in reducing psychological complexity of software.

The results of the research show that in some cases …

Aesthetic Experience As An Epistemological Concept, Patricia Avellano

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to give definition to aesthetic experience as an epistemological concept. The need for the study was based on the lack of continuity and focus of definition and description for aesthetic experience which has been highly diverse in the literature of aesthetics which began foremost with Baumgarten in 1750. The scope of the study focuses on: four intelligences defined as an intelligence faculty of (1) general intelligence, (2) imaginative-intelligence, (3) creative-intelligence, and (4) poetic-intelligence; two perceptual ordering capacities defined as (1) an innate aesthetic sense, and (2) an acquired aesthetic sense; and two primordial …

A Comparative Study Of Filipino And American Student Essays: Common Errors And Sentence Length, Paz Navarro Canilao

Masters Theses

Error analysis and modified contrastive analysis were used to examine what type of writing difficulties were common to a selected group of De La Salle University (Philippines) and Eastern Illinois University freshman students, and what the average length and range in variation of length of the essays were in each group. The essays analyzed in the study were descriptive, and written within a span of fifteen minutes.

The results of the analysis showed that De La Salle and Eastern Illinois students have the following major difficulties: syntax, spelling, agreement, the use of comma, and the use of the s marker. …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On The Disruptive Behavior Of Students Identified As Severely Behavior Disordered, Claire Thompson Vanvickle

Masters Theses

The study investigated the effects of self-monitoring on the disruptive behaviors of four male senior high school students who were identified as having severe behavior disorders. Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, the students were randomly assigned to 30, 25, 20, and 15 days, respectively, of intervention conditions. The independent variable consisted of self-monitoring of ten appropriate behaviors that had been cooperatively identified by the students and teacher; each student was required to classify his behavior as appropriate or inappropriate at five intervals during their mathematics class. The dependent variables, measured daily, were the mean frequency of occurrence of …

Operant Conditioning In The Water Snake (Nerodia Sipedon), Angela R. Deitz

Masters Theses

Six subjects of Nerodia sipedon were tested for runway acquisition. Five of six subjects met criterion for runway learning, demonstrating a significant decrease over the 25 day testing period in mean latency and running times. Four subjects completed 170 trials in a T-maze to test two-choice discrimination and reversal learning. All subjects met criterion for the initial discrimination and one reversal while two subjects completed four reversals and one subject met criterion for six reversals. Results are similar or superior to those previously reported for reptiles and other non-human vertebrates.

Operant Conditioning In The Psittacine, Amazona Amazonica, Gloria J. Nadolski

Masters Theses

Two Orange-winged Amazon Parrots, (Amazona amazonica) were subjected to operant conditioning involving three tests: two-choice spatial discrimination and reversal, three-choice color discrimination and reversal, and the oddity principle. Results of the habit reversal tests were compared to those of Gossett (1968) to determine the phylogenetic ranking of the learning capabilities of psittacines. In the first two habit reversal tests, the subjects completed twenty reversals using sunflower seeds as positive reinforcements. In the oddity principle test, the parrots completed the equivalent of 20 reversals, again using sunflower seeds. Criterion was met when they completed 8 consecutive correct choices with …