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Using Protocol Analysis To Help Determine The Behavioral Function Of Conducting Safety Observations, Alicia M. Alvero

Dissertations

Recent research endeavors have demonstrated the existence of an observer effect . In other words, conducting safety observations increases the safetyperformance of the observer, and may result in safety-related verbalizations. The purpose of this study was to help determine whether observers make self-verbalizations regarding their safety performance and whether these reports are functionally related to safety performance. In order to answer these questions two experiments were conducted using both protocol analysis and the silent dog method. Protocol analysis is used by cognitive scientists to analyze thethoughts of a person as they perform a task, and the silent dog method allows …

Interspecies Encounters: An Ethnography Of A Veterinary Hospital, Dana Atwood-Harvey

Dissertations

There were three broad reasons for this research. The larger goal was to continue to advance the incorporation of 'other' animals and the rest of nature in general in sociological theory and research. The second was to suggest to those who have incorporated 'other' animals into their research, to include them as participants. The third was to redirect the focus of those who have incorporated 'other' animals as participants, to the impact that ideological structures and other social factors have on human-'other' animal encounters. Toward this end, I directed the focus of my study to examine human-'other' animal encounters ina …

Using Journal Writing To Promote Reflective Practice In The Counseling Practicum: A Multiple-Case, Narrative Study Of Counselor Development, Jean Mauriello Germain

Dissertations

The present study investigates the development of reflective practice for beginning counselors. A review of the literature provides support for the benefits of counselors developing reflective practice, and for the use of tools such as portfolios and written journals in order to assist counselors in the development of reflection. However, because these tools have not been systematically implemented and investigated, little is known about the nature of counselors' development of reflective practice. A narrative, multiple-case methodology is used in order to examine the process of development in depth. Methods were employed to achieve trustworthiness of the data. Four participants took …

Emotional Intelligence And Its Relationship With Sales Success, George C. Chipain

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Emotional intelligence is a theoretical framework that organizes and integrates empirical research regarding emotions. Personal selling is the most effective marketing communication vehicle available to organizations because of its ability to adapt to specific customer needs. While two bodies of research have evolved regarding emotional intelligence theory and sales success predictors, little research has been carried out to link these two concepts together. This exploratory study tested a model of emotional intelligence and a measure of sales performance. The participants for the investigation were sales representatives in the personal home products industry. One hundred twenty-eight adult sales professionals completed a …

University Reporter - Vol. 07, No. 10 - June 2003, University Of Massachusetts Boston

1996-2009, University Reporter

No abstract provided.

Organizational Power And Politics: More Than Meets The Eye In Program Planning, Susan Shaver

Dissertations

Organizational power and politics influence corporate training in ways not often discussed. This study explores the effects of organizational power and politics on program planning and how planning, with its inherent power and politics (see Cervero & Wilson, 1994a), influences the daily practices of corporate trainers.

This study was informed by the literature of systems theory and constructivism. Von Bertalanffy’s (1968) general systems theory, in which the whole of a system is considered to be greater than the sum of its parts, Senge’s (1990) systems view that interrelationships within organizational structures, (not events), underlie complex situations, and Lincoln & Guba’s …

Extradition And Life Imprisonment, Vanessa Maaskamp

Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review

No abstract provided.

Experiences And Meanings Of Maternal Ambivalence With First-Born, Early Adolescents, Teresa M. Distefano

Dissertations

A phenomenological method of qualitative inquiry is used to capture the experiences of maternal ambivalence while mothering first-born, early adolescents. From the nave descriptions of seven participants a description of and response to maternal ambivalence are examined. Major findings include three overarching domains: (1) maternal context, (2) shared essence of maternal ambivalence, and (3) participants' responses to maternal ambivalence. Findings relevant to contextual variables identified as influencing mothers' daily lives with their adolescents include: (a) perceptions of their adolescent, (b) perceptions of their adolescents changing context, and (c) participants' marital status. Data comprising the shared essence of maternal ambivalence include: …

Treatment Of Specific Animal Phobias And The Relationship Of An Opiate Antagonist To Outcome, Andrea T. Kozak

Dissertations

Previous research with non-humans, and humans to a lesser degree, suggest the endogenous opiate system is at work to assist an organism in times of pain or stress. One-session exposure treatment is an effective treatment for specific animal phobia and entails modest degrees of stress during implementation. At the present time, the mechanisms at work that facilitate the success of this intervention have been incompletely investigated. The focus of the present study was to determine whether the endogenous opiate system is activated during the treatment of persons with specific animal phobias. In a double-blind investigation, 15 individuals with specific animal …

An Evaluation Of Methylphenidate Preference In Adults Diagnosed With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Emily Kathleen Macdonald

Dissertations

Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used in the treatment of ADHD, and is associated with positive effects across a wide range of domains. In spite of the clinical effectiveness of MPH, concern has arisen with respect to its abuse potential. The present study examined the reinforcing effects and participant-rated effects of MPH in adults diagnosed with ADHD. Participants included 10 volunteers (ages 18-22) diagnosed with ADHD who were receiving MPH treatment. The reinforcing effects were assessed using a double-blind choice procedure with 4 sampling and 8 choice sessions. During sampling sessions, participants completed a self-report questionnaire before receiving either placebo or …

Using Behavioral Systems Analysis To Improve The Placement Service Of The Association For Behavior Analysis, Lori H. Miller

Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrated the use of behavioral systems analysis tools in the development of a useful service in a non-profit association. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to design a placement system that would add value to the field of behavior analysis by placing behavior analysts in appropriate jobs, internships, and graduate programs; (2) to develop a data collection infrastructure that would assist the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the assessment of the trends related to the human resources of the field; and (3) to advance the knowledge and methodology of behavioral systems analysis.

Six objectives were …

Affective Expression And Behavior In Sex Offenders, Peter F. Rausch

Dissertations

This analytic variable study examined potential differences that exist among juvenile and adult sex offenders on the emotional expressiveness variables of alexithymia and affective orientation, and three behavior variables including self-defeating behavior, risk taking, and reckless behavior. In addition, the adult sex offenders' attachment style in current relationships was examined.

Research questions were tested by t -tests. The significance level for all analyses was set at the .05 level. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the primary attachment style of the adult sex offenders in current relationships.

Participants in this study were 47 juvenile sex offenders from …

A Behavior Systems Analysis Approach To Designing A Hlgh-Impact Knowledge Management System, Jacalyn S. Smeltzer

Dissertations

Behavior systems analysis is an approach to designing and managing systems that incorporates the human-performance-technology model of systems analysis and considers the basic principles of behavior when analyzing causes of performance deficiencies and in selecting interventions to address those deficiencies. Behavior systems analysis focuses on three major conditions that influence behavior: (1) the motivation of the individual, (2) the immediate environmental cues, and (3) the consequences of behavior (Malott & Garcia, 1987; Suarez, 2001). The present study used behavior systems analysis to design a knowledge management system (independent variable) for a small business, a consulting firm in the employer-provided training …

Effects Of Moral Sensitivity And Moral Climate On Moral Reasoning, Marita Louise Mahoney

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

As healthcare professionals, psychology students and psychologists are expected to behave ethically and morally. It is assumed that moral and ethical reasoning in psychology students develops through exposure to ethical dilemmas within ethics classes and during clinical training experiences. Rest's Four Component Model of Moral Behavior, a neo-Kohlbergian approach to understanding moral development, posits an interaction of Moral Sensitivity, Moral Motivation, Moral Reasoning and Moral Character. Moral sensitivity, or awareness of a moral dilemma, is posited to cue the moral reasoning process, though little is known about how the training environment can facilitate or hamper such developments. Fifty".'two psychology-graduate students …

Commencement Program: 2003, Governors State University

Commencement Documents and Videos

No abstract provided.

Digital Divide And Purchase Intention: Why Demographic Psychology Matters, Syed H. Akhter

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

The author examines the issue of digital divide from a demographic perspective. The influence of gender, age, education, and income on the likelihood to purchase over the Internet is empirically examined. Hypotheses are framed in the context of psychological correlates of the demographic variables. Findings show that these variables significantly influence the likelihood to purchase over the Internet and can be used to profile, segment, and target markets and develop public policies to bridge the digital divide.

Health Risks, Past Usage, And Intention To Use Weight Loss Products In Normal Weight Women With High And Low Body Dysphoria, B. L. Whisenhunt, D. A. Williamson, Richard G. Netemeyer, J. Craig Andrews

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: There are many health risks involved with the use of weight loss products by normal weight women. The mass media may compound this problem through the promotion of weight loss products and a thin body size. This study tested women's perceptions of different weight loss product ads to determine if body dysphoria (i.e., an over concern with body size and shape in normal weight people) was associated with risk beliefs, past behaviors, and intention toward using weight loss products.

Method: Normal weight women (age range = 18-41 yr), who were classified as either high (n=45) …

Decision-Making Styles: An Exploration Of Preferences Of On- And Off-Campus Faculty, Kristine Saunders, Tom Gallagher

Journal of Extension

Collaboration between off-campus agents and on-campus specialists is often strained. We hypothesized that the strain relates to the groups having different styles of decision making. We administered a variation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to on-campus specialists and off-campus agents in Utah. Although the groups share many MBTI preferences, there was a highly significant different on preference in the "judging" function, with 72% of the specialists indicating a Thinking preference and 60% of agents indicating a Feeling preference. This suggests major communication challenges when working together. We offer that the solution is in understanding the differences and using them as …

Using Research And Planning To Develop Community Outreach: A Case Study In Helping Clientele Cope With Stress, Thomas W. Blaine, Luann Freppon, Joseph Konen

Journal of Extension

Extension educators collaborated with local agencies to conduct a survey on sources of stress in the lives of local residents. Results reveal that five variables emerge as statistically significant factors associated with reported stress levels: financial problems, stress on the job, having too little time, number of major life changes in the past year, and being a woman. Educators followed with a Vision to Action Program that identified specific goals aimed at helping community residents cope with and reduce stress levels. Combining applied research with existing Extension programming is an effective way to engage the public on issues of local …

Money On The Bookshelf: Using Children's Books To Reach Limited Resource Families With Money Management Education, Patricia A. Behal, Kymberley K. Bennett, Alice M. Crites, Dan Weigel

Journal of Extension

Helping families develop financial management skills and improve their communications about money is the goal of Money on the Bookshelf, a program built around children's books and used by Nevada Cooperative Extension to target limited resource audiences. Results showed significant improvements in how often parents: (1) talked with their children about things that relate to money, (2) included their children in talks about how family money is used, and (3) used everyday events as opportunities to talk with their children about money.

Voices From College Student Mentors: Implications For Extension Programming With Latino Youth, Byron L. Zamboanga, Lisa Knoche

Journal of Extension

Changing demographics and unique cultural factors relevant to Latinos have prompted the need for culture-specific programming. This article draws on a qualitative study of six college student mentors (M age = 22; four women) and serves as a basis for discussing improved programming with Latino youth. Mentors' comments are presented, followed by recommended practices for Extension staff.

Fetal Attachment Among Pregnant Substance Users, Trisha Paulette Barcley

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Identification of factors that may lead to child maltreatment is important for intervention at the earliest point in time. Substance use can adversely impact the developing bond between mother and child. The formation of an insecure attachment relationship may place the child at a greater risk for child abuse or neglect. If the mother-child bond can be assessed during pregnancy then intervention relating to attachment and prevention of child abuse may be possible. The relationships between childhood history of and the potential for child abuse, substance use, and fetal attachment were investigated utilizing a sample of 56 pregnant women from …

Repetition Of Retention Practices: Does Retention Improve Academic Achievement?, Brenda Demar-Williams

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

In 1996, the Chicago Board of Education adopted a new promotion policy to address the issue of low academic achievement and to hold schools accountable for the progress of its students. This policy led to many students being retained in grade, some are retained multiple times. Retention was supposed to offer remediation and bring students up to grade level criteria. This has not happened. Thus, the major purpose of this study was to determine if retention had a statistically significant effect on the reading and mathematics achievement scores of third grade students as measured by the Iowa Test of Basic …

Retention: The Controversy Continues, Beverly Gray Greene

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and determine if there existed significant differences in the mathematics and reading achievement levels of students (n = 8) who were retained in sixth grade and their promoted seventh grade counterparts (n = 8), as measured by grade equivalent (GEQ) scores earned on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). The study also sought to discover if being retained raised the academic achievement levels of the retained students. Finally, the study explored the relationship between retention and self-concept using the Student Self-concept Rating Scale (SSCRS).

Both quantitative and qualitative methodology and analyses …

Lives, Life-Years, And Willingness To Pay, Cass R. Sunstein

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

In protecting safety, health, and the environment, government has increasingly relied on cost-benefit analysis. In undertaking cost-benefit analysis, the government has monetized risks of death through the idea of "value of a statistical life" (VSL), currently assessed at about $6.1 million. Many analysts, however, have suggested that the government should rely instead on the "value of a statistical life year" (VSLY), in a way that would likely result in significantly lower benefits calculations for elderly people, and significantly higher benefits calculations for children. I urge that the government should indeed focus on statistical life-years rather than statistical lives. A program …

“Growing Pains And Challenges”: Grandfamilies House Four-Year Follow-Up Evaluation, Alison S. Gottlieb, Nina M. Silverstein

Gerontology Institute Publications

During the past decade, there has been increased awareness of issues facing grandparent caregiver families on the part of policymakers and service providers. This awareness has prompted efforts to document the numbers of children being raised by grandparents, to identify challenges faced by grandparents raising grandchildren, and to provide services to meet the needs of these families. National estimates suggest that the numbers of grandparent caregiver families are increasing. Recent estimates suggest that 1.4 million (2%) of all children under 18 live in “skipped generation” families in the United States; similarly, 29,000 (nearly 2%) of all children in Massachusetts live …

Long-Term Care: Informed By Research, Francis G. Caro

Gerontology Institute Publications

Health services research has contributed to health policy and service developments that have led to major improvements in the quality of long-term care in the United States. This policy brief highlights a few areas in which publicly and privately funded research has informed the long-term care field.

Personality And Coping Strategies During Submarine Missions, Gro M. Sandal, Inger M. Endresen, Ragnar Vaernes, Holger Ursin

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Relations between personality profiles, measured by the Personality Characteristics Inventory (PCI), and habitual coping strategies, measured by the Utrecht Coping List (UCL), were investigated in a sample of submarine personnel and office employees. The predictive validity of these instruments were examined for reported stress, health complaings, and salivary cortisone measures during 3 submarine missions. PCI and UCL were completed before the missions, and questionnaires and saliva were collected weekly. The results showed no significant relations between PCI profiles and coping strategies. Interpersonal orientation, achievement motivation, and habitual coping strategies were predictors for coping during the submarine missions. Problem-directed strategies and …

From The Inverted-U To The Extended-U: The Evolution Of A Law Of Psychology, Peter A. Hancock, H. C. Neil Ganey

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

The Yerkes-Dodson relationship is one of the oldest 'laws' behavioral research. It is used repeatedly as an explanation for stress effects on performance and is a fixture of undergraduate psychological texts. However, as is the case of most classics, it is more cited than read. In actuality, Yerkes and Dodson's report dealt with animal learning under states of compulsion and is only tangentially related to human performance in stress filled conditions. Our re-evaluation is motivated by two primary circumstances. The first is the evident failure of the unitary arousal notion, which has commonly been invoked as the causal source to …

Psychological Issues Relevant To Astronaut Selection For Long-Duration Space Flight: A Review Of The Literature, Daniel L. Collins

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

This technical paper reviews the current literature on psychological issues relevant to astronaut selection for long-duration space flights. Interpersonal problems have been and remain a recurring problem for both short and long-duration space flights. Even after completion of the space mission, intense psychological aftereffects are reported. The specific behavioral problems experienced during United States and Soviet Union space flights are reviewed, specifically addressing contentious episodes and impaired judgments that occurred during the Mercury, Apollos, and Skylab missions. Psychological tests used in the selection process for the space program have focused primarily on the detection of gross psychopathologies in potential candidates. …