Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Experimental Analysis Of The Effects Of Reading Interventions In A Small Group Reading Instruction Context, Christine M. Bonfiglio

Dissertations

The validation of specific reading intervention components in increasing oral reading fluency is evident within the literature for academic responding. However, much of the literature examines these components using single-case designs on an individual basis across students. This study utilized response-guided experimentation in the context of a small group reading instruction with four 4th graders (three male and one female) while examining individual patternsof student responding for oral reading fluency. Acquisition, fluency, and consequential components were examined in a dismantling fashion. Sequential modifications of the treatment package and its components were utilized within a multiple-baseline design in order to identify …

Study Of The Efficacy Of A Christian-Based Inpatient Hospital For Treating Eating Disorders, Depression, And Spiritual Distress, Robert Alan Darden

Dissertations

Problem . Outcome studies continue to indicate that a substantial proportion of individuals with eating disorders have a dangerously limited response to treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a Christian cognitive-behavioral-based inpatient hospital that specializes in eating disorders was an effective program for treating eating disorders. Next, this study sought to determine if this inpatient hospital was effective in treating both depression and spiritual distress. Finally, this study examined the relationship between depression and spiritual distress with treatment outcome.

Method . Five hundred and eighty-two patients were admitted to an inpatient hospital between July 1, …

Preparation For The Gre, Corina Groeger

Dissertations

The present research consisted of two empirical studies and a literature review. The first study was a systematic replication of the studies by Miller, Goodyear-Orwart, and Malott (1996) and Vunovich and Malott (1997). Fourteen undergraduate students and one graduate student participated in four intensive, extensive, structured Graduate Record Examination (GRE) preparation courses that met for seven weeks and lasted between 99 and 140 hours. The courses offered a monetary reward for students who met a minimum of 92% for attendance and participation during the course. The results of this study showed statistically significant mean improvements of 145 points for the …

Self Concept And Family Relations Of American-Lebanese Children: A Descriptive And Comparative Study, Tagrid T. Chartouni

Dissertations

Problem. There is a great current need to assist and understand American children, especially minorities, through their familial and cultural backgrounds. The purpose of the study was to examine the Kinetic Family Drawings of American-Lebanese children to gain information about their relationship with other family members while comparing them with American-Caucasian children.

Method. The Kinetic Family Drawing was administered to 150 American-Lebanese, and 150 American-Caucasian, age 4-17, through Christian church-activities in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The data were analyzed by t-tests and analysis of variance.

Results. (1) There are few differences between the family drawings of American-Lebanese males and females either …

A Validation And Comparative Study Of Kinetic Family Drawings Of Native American Children, Sheryl A. Gregory

Dissertations

Problem. Research on how Native American (NA) children draw their families and how perceptions of their families are reflected in their family drawings is lacking. The purpose of the study was (1) to validate the Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD) as an appropriate instrument for use with this population, and (2) to compare Native American and Caucasian children's KFDs.

Method. The KFD and Semantic Differential Scales were administered to 52 Native American children from the Potawatomi and Iroquois tribes, ages 6-14. A matched sample of 104 KFDs of Caucasian children from Southern Michigan was used for comparison. The data were analyzed …

The Effectiveness Of Feedback Procedures On Machine Set-Up Time In A Manufacturing Setting, Connie J. Wittkopp

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment package designed to improve and maintain set-up time in the extrusion department of a rubber manufacturing company. Subjects were exposed to various behavioral techniques including training and a feedback system in the form of both written and verbal supervisory comments with an emphasis placed on improving performance through use of videotaping. An attempt was made to maintain treatment gains by teaching supervisors how to give information concerning set-up performance to their employees. Results indicate that average weekly set-up times for each machine were significantly below baseline …

Stimulus Overselectivity: An Investigation Of Determinants, Margaret T. Mcglinchey

Dissertations

Stimulus overselectivity refers to a phenomenon in which, after discrimination training with a multiple component stimulus, behavior fails to come under the control of all of the components of the stimulus. After a screening process based on past research, a group of children with specific learning disabilities was categorized into one of two groups: overselective and non-overselective. Both groups were exposed to training and testing for generalization. All children in both groups evidenced "stimulus overselectivity" during these tests for generalization. Generalization training subsequently reduced stimulus overselectivity for all students. There were few differences between the two groups. The results suggest …

Personality Predictors Of Academic Success In Underachieving First Year College Students, Carolyn Wilson-Garrison

Dissertations

In this study, the role of nonintellective variables as predictors of academic success in underachieving first year college students was explored. Traditional predictors of college grades, high school grade point average and standardized scores on the American College Testing examination (ACT), were also examined.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether college grades at the end of the first year would differ according to underachieving students' personality styles, expressed concerns, and behavioral correlates thereby offering the possibility that such nonintellective factors may be useful in the prediction of grades.

The sample was a randomly selected group of eighty-seven …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of The Relation Between Degree Of American Acculturation And Androgyny, Chui-Liu Serena Gui

Dissertations

Problem. Research has identified culture as one of the factors which reinforces sex-appropriate behaviors and punishes inappropriate behaviors for each gender. The purpose of this study was to validate the theory that culture is an influencing factor in the development of sex-role acquisition through studying two diversely different cultures.

Method. This study employed the Bem Inventory for the measurement of sex-role typing. There were a total of 374 college-age females from either a Chinese culture or Anglo-American culture who participated in the study.The subjects were divided into five groups according to the degree of American acculturation. Three null hypotheses were …

A Study Of The Self-Esteem Of Delinquent Male Adolescents And The Perceived Degree Of Their Parents' Child-Rearing Practices, Dayton Chin Chong

Dissertations

Problem. Many developmental psychologists are concerned about how par­ents' child-rearing practices influence adolescents' self-esteem, for self-esteem provides one of the foundations for the development of personality. Is it possible that parents' child-rearing practices contribute to the development of a low self-esteem which in turn influences behavior? This study was conducted to determine the relationship of self-esteem of delinquent male adolescents to the perceived degree of their parents' child-rearing practices.

Method. The study involved 132 delinquent male adolescents who matriculated during the fall semester of 1979 at Starr Commonwealth, Albion, Michigan. The males ranged from 12 to 18 years of age, …