Digital Commons Network^™

Preferences Of Students For The Hutchings "Low Stress" Compared To The Conventional Algorithm Under Conditions Of Differentially Increasing The Number Of Problems With And Without Reinforcement, Pamela G. Buitendorp Drew

Masters Theses

This study was an attempt to determine which computation procedure students would select under varying classroom conditions. It is a systematic replication of previous research by Gillespie (1976). Algorithm preferences of 14 third grade students, 10 high accuracy and four low accuracy on a math facts test, were investigated under conditions of differentially increasing the number of problems with and without reinforcement, Reversal designs were used. The students completed 4X5 array problems and chose which algorithm to use, but after choosing the same algorithm for three consecutive sessions, they were required to use the alternative algorithm the next session. Preference …

Effects Of Withdrawing Diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin) On Matching To Sample Performance In Mentally Retarded Persons, Vicky June Davis

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to examine the effects of gradual DPH withdrawal on the matching to sample performance of three mentally retarded persons. The percentage of correct responses per session served as the dependent variable and the sample and comparison stimuli were red, green, and blue illumination of translucent response windows. The results showed that doses of diphenylhydantoin considerably lower than the suggested optimim therapeutic level can impair the performance of mentally retarded individuals on a simple discrimination task. As doses were reduced for each subject, there were increases in the percentage of correct responding with the highest percentage …

An Analysis Of The Role Of Reinforcement Magnitude In The Transfer Of Stimulus Control In A Receptive Discrimination Task, Beverly S. Adler

Masters Theses

The role of reinforcement magnitude in the transfer of stimulus control was analyzed using a delayed prompting procedure. A delay was gradually lengthened between the presentations of the relevant discriminative stimulus and an imitative prompt. During one condition, the contingencies of reinforcement were arranged such that the reinforcement available for anticipatory and prompt-controlled responses were equal. During another condition, responses which preceded delivery of the prompt were given more reinforcement than prompt-controlled responses. Two subjects were exposed to these conditions in the context of acquiring a series of receptive discrimination tasks. Results were inconclusive. Mean trials to criterion showed little …

Relationship Of Gravity Anomalies To A Drift Filled Bedrock Valley System In Calhoun County Michigan, James W. Farnsworth

Masters Theses

Gravity geophysics along with well data were used to delineate and map the locations of buried river valleys in Calhoun County, Michigan. The valleys are filled with thick sequences of glacial fluvial deposits which can serve as important aquifers.

One hundred and sixty-four gravimeter observations were made at approximately one-quarter mile intervals in a 35 square mile area. Four short-interval profiles were also established perpendicular to suspected valleys. A three-dimensional trend surface polynomial was fitted to the total Bouguer anomaly to approximate the regional effect of gravity. By comparing the observed residual gravity to theoretically derived anomalies, models were developed …

Physical Properties Of Dna From Synchronously Grown Mesophilic And Thermophilic Bacteria, Carol A. Cox

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Relaxation Training Effects And Generality Using Biofeedback And Verbal Instructions, John W. Kesselring

Masters Theses

Training and self-control conditions within each session were incorporated in a multiple Baseline design with replications across subjects. The generality of relaxation skills acquired through relaxation training to a self-control condition where the subjects relaxed without assistance was assessed. EMG biofeedback was initially employed as a training technique; however, it was not effective in assisting the subjects to relax. A training procedure using verbal instructions was then introduced to replace the biofeedback. Verbal instructions were effective in assisting the subjects to relax, and the relaxation skills tended to show generality to the self-control condition. To assess the effects of the …

The Development And Application Of Service Management By Objectives Within One Program Of One Division Of A Michigan Intermediate School District, James Harper Kaye

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Faunal Remains From The Schwerdt Site, A Late Prehistoric Encampment In Allegan County, Michigan, Michael J. Higgins

Masters Theses

Analysis of faunal remains from the Schwerdt site, a fifteenth century encampment on the Kalamazoo River, reveals a temporary late spring occupation with an exploitative strategy aimed primarily at the spawning sturgeon. The position of Schwerdt in a larger subsistence/ settlement system is examined through comparisons with other contemporaneous sites in the southeastern Lake Michigan region. Changes in subsistence strategies on the northern periphery of effective maize agriculture.

Teaching Self-Protective Behaviors To Preschool Children Using A Videotape Training Program, Paul James Yoder

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of a videotape training program to teach self-protective skills to preschool children. Children were taught to say, "I have to ask my teacher/parent," and to run to their teacher/parent when presented with one of two lures commonly used by child molesters. The videotape incorporated the direct instructional techniques of active pupil responding; the model, lead, and test format; and use of minimally different stimuli to teach children to discriminate between correct and incorrect responses. The results showed that although none of the subjects showed any improvement in responding after only one viewing, five of the …

The Effects Of Cumulative Review In An Interspersal Procedure On The Acquisition And Retention Of Sight Words, Kathleen M. Wright

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Calculation Speed And Accuracy On Two Levels Of Problem Difficulty Using The Handheld Calculator And Hutchings' "Low Stress" Algorithms And Traditional Subtraction, Allman A. Todd

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The 1973 Oil Embargo Arab Oil Diplomacy, Amal Mustafa Shamma

Masters Theses

The Arab oil producing countries, following years of a stalemate in the Arab-Israeli dispute,- decided to put their oil resource in the service of the Arab cause using it as an instrument of pressure against the West. Their objective was to induce a change in the Western world Middle East policy and to work toward achieving a lasting and peaceful solution for the Arab-Israeli problem.

The purpose of this thesis is to show that the application of Arab oil diplomacy has been effective into producing a more even handed policy in the area, and into breaking the deadlock in the …

A Partial Component Analysis Of Modeling As A Technique For Increasing Normative Work Rates In Rehabilitation, Ralph G. Pifer

Masters Theses

The acquisition of an acceptable percentage of normative output in a rehabilitation setting is a common problem in vocational rehabilitation. Consistently effective techniques do not exist for the teaching of clients to work at what would be considered a high percentage of normative output. The present effort studied selected components of modeling to attempt to provide a cost-efficient, effective method for rate acceleration. The percent of normative output was' the dependent variable. The study was terminated by implementing the most effective condition as a training tool to produce the highest normative rate possible.

Proximity to a fast worker had little …

The Development And Validation Of Concept Programmed Materials Based On A Direct Instruction Model, Curt E. Lalonde

Masters Theses

The experiment validated a set of instructional materials designed to teach behavioral concepts. Twenty-two subjects matched on the basis of their scores on a pretest covering these concepts comprised the experimental and control groups. Following a pretest, subjects in these two groups completed both sets of materials. After exposure to the instructional materials, they took an alternate-form posttest on the same concepts. Gain scores on the posttest were significantly higher (p<.05, means = .91, -.55) for subjects who completed the experimental materials than for the subjects who completed the control materials, materials contained sequences of examples and nonexamples of the behavioral concepts which were designed to maximize learned of those concepts.

Roethke’S "Meditations Of An Old Woman": A Myth And Ritual For Dying, Christopher K. Bennett

Masters Theses

In "Meditations of an Old Woman," Theodore Roethke poetically encountered death, speaking through the persona of an old woman approaching the end of life. The pattern she follows, wandering through her memory in search of the maiden she once was, is also found in the myth of Demeter and Persephone, which was ritualized in the Eleusinian Mysteries of ancient Greece. The poem, myth, and ritual taken together reflect a single archetypal pattern for approaching death; comparing them will reveal the essence of each. Through recollection, the old woman finally unites with her lost youthful self in an epiphany similar to …

The Effects Of A Teacher-Designed Classroom Management Plan On Behaviors In A High School Home Economics Class, Elizabeth Garcia

Masters Theses

A classroom management plan designed by the teacher was implemented in three high school sewing classes and measures of off-task behaviors were taken prior to, during, and after the implementation of the plan. The teacher designed the plan as part of the requirements for a graduate class that she was enrolled in at the time. It consisted of management objectives, monitoring progress on projects and cumulative points toward grades which were given contingent on amount of progress. A gradual decrease in off-task passive and disruptive behaviors was noticed in two of the classes where the plan was implemented. When follow-up …

A Study Of The Varying Degrees Of Creativity Manifested By Kindergarten Children From Open Or Traditional Classrooms, Susan Spelman Lewis

Masters Theses

Visual and verbal techniques derived from Wallach and Kogan’s test of creative thinking abilities (1965) were administered to fifty-seven Title I kindergarten children from four different kindergarten settings in an attempt to assess the impact of open versus non-open situations on children's creativity. Classroom populations were similar socioeconomically, racially, and with regard to the student-teacher ratio. Kindergartens were chosen in order to test young children not influenced by other school situations. The degree of classroom openness was determined using Evans' Classroom Rating Scale (1971).

Creativity scores varied positively with the degree of classroom openness. Differences among the mean scores of …

The Effects Of Behavioral Contracting On The Self-Administration Of Tetraethylthiuram Disulfide, Alan G. Lewandowski

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Treatment Package To Improve Academic Performance, Lynn Daniel Larrow

Masters Theses

Six high school students volunteered to participate in a research project to improve their academic grades. Of these six subjects, it was found that subjects with low grade point averages (GPA) were the main beneficiaries of a behavior treatment package consisting of contingency contracting, graphing, and a self-management lecture. In addition, this study demonstrated that a contingency contract, employing a weekly consequence, and graphing can control an academic behavior, note taking. Finally, it was shown that a cost effective treatment package could produce GPA increases comparable to more expensive and time consuming treatments. It is hoped that the findings of …

The Effects Of Self-Recording On The Academic Performance Of Elementary School Students, Saundra Eileen Epps Landry

Masters Theses

Third-grade, regular education students participated in an experimental program that sought to examine the effects of self-recording on elementary student academic achievement. The experiment employed a multiple baseline design across 31 subjects, two settings, and curriculum (reading and mathematics). The subjects were introduced to the following conditions: Baseline, self-recording, baseline, self-recording, baseline. Results indicated that self-recording, alone, is an effective procedure for increasing academic achievement. Random responding, by some, indicated that further research is needed in this area.

Availability And Utilization Of Student/Personnel Services For Academic And Personal Development At Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Verlyn R. Knowles

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Changing Appointment Making Procedures On Increasing The Number Of Initial Appointments Kept At A Family Planning Agency, Carla A. Jones

Masters Theses

The procedures for making initial client appointments at a family planning clinic were manipulated to increase the number of kept appointments. Receptionists and counselors made appointments on the two appointment forms used. Questions on the appointment sheet varied depending on the age of the caller. The 1,432 women participating in the study were placed into three groups (a) 19 years of age and under (b) 20 to 30 years of age and (c) 31 years of age and over. The results showed that the occupation of the person making the appointment at the agency did not affect the number of …

Wife Battering: A Theoretical Model And Treatment Approaches, Joan Woods

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present thesis is to provide a theoretical framework to deepen understanding of the dynamics which lead to wife battering behavior and to illuminate its original causes and the process maintaining it.

Learning principles explicated by three learning based theories are utilized as premises to explain the process the batterer engages in which produces his violent behavior. Some existing sociological theories of wife abuse and family violence serve as bases for some of the antecedent variables postulated in the model presented. Other cognitive-perceptual and emotional intervening variables are postulated to explain the process of wife battering behavior. …

The Effect Of Lead On Developing Rat Brain Lipids, Larry J. Stegink

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of lead on the brain lipids of developing rats.

Lead acetate was added to the drinking water of two pregnant rats. A' control dam was maintained on the same diet without the lead. Following birth and weaning the lead concentration was reduced and an equal number of pups from each litter were sacrificed on days 19, 22, 26, 30, and 35 after birth. The brain lipids were isolated and fatty acid distribution analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography.

Variations in fatty acid distribution between the control and experimental pups were noted for …

Studies On The Scorpions Of Libya, Nuri Milad Barbash

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Culture Conflict As It Relates To A Psychocultural Therapeutic Model For Chicanos, Armando Tena

Masters Theses

Since the Chicano culture is the synthesis of the Mexican and Anglo/Saxon cultures that meet in the American society, social and behavioral scientists have developed the idea of how the concept of culture conflict can be utilized in the psychological assessment and treatment of Chicano clients.

The authors reviewed in this work have expounded on the concept of Culture Conflict to develop a psychocultural mode for the Chicano population. This clinical strategy is based on the premise that the Chicano individual, because of his life experiences in this society, will find himself in situations where his cultural identity is not …

Citizen Advisory Committees: The Relationship Between Member Satisfaction And Committee Variables, Linda Kimmel Pifer

Masters Theses

The relationship between the satisfaction members of locally initiated citizen advisory committees have with their committees and the following types of independent variables were examined: (a) shortcomings of the committees; (b) external influences on the committees; (c) information available to the committees; (d) specific actions performed by the committees; and (e) personal characteristics of the members. The membership of eight citizen advisory committees in Kalamazoo, Michigan comprise the sample. A questionnaire was distributed to the members to collect information on the five groups of independent variables, member satisfaction with the committees, and socio-economic characteristics of the members. A satisfaction scale …

A Report Of An Internship In The Portage Public Schools, Diana Lung Castell

Masters Theses

The purpose of this report is describe a seven week internship in the Portage Public Schools during which the intern engaged in a variety of administrative activities. Chapter I contains the rationale for the selection of the Portage Public School, a brief description of the school system and the prospectus which structured the experience.

Chapter II describes the experiences during the internship, which involved elementary supervision, curriculum development, and administrative tasks and procedures.

Chapter III is an analysis of the organizational structure and leadership style that the intern observed at the Portage Public Schools.

Chapter IV includes conclusions and recommendation …

A Study Of School Finance As It Relates To Cash Flow, Reserves, Negotiations, Board Philosophy, Inflation, And Budget Philosophy, James Alvin Brouwer

Masters Theses

The community of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, has a long history of providing an outstanding educational program for youth. Over the past few years with spiraling in flation, negotiations with labor unions, and declining enrollments, there have been political and financial stresses affecting the entire community which could influence the quality of educational programs in the future.

This study focuses on the East Grand Rapids school district and identifies the impact of selected factors upon the areas of f is cal responsibility, curriculum, staff assignment and appropriate use of space. It describes the Board of Education budget philosophy as it …

A Petrographic Analysis Of Black Mesa, Arizona Ceramics, Elizabeth M. Garrett

Masters Theses

Seven ceramic types from excavated Anasazi sites on Black Mesa were examined petrographically in order: (1) to obtain an accurate description of the geologic tempering m aterial; (2) to determine if specific ceramic types from Black Mesa and the surrounding area share a common area of manufacture; and (3) to compare the tempering material in the ceramics with the mineralogical components in the Wepo and Toreva Formations in order to determine if the ceramic items contain locally available material.

Each of the ceramic types examined appear to have had more than one manufacturing locus. Only Black Mesa Black-on-white has temper …