Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Productivity And Affective Responses To Work Tasks And Leisure Activities In Type A And Type B Individuals, Susan Jean Paske

Masters Theses

The Type A Personality Index, a measure of whether an individual tends to be a Type A or a Type B personality, was given to 30 male and 30 female college students who then participated in a planting activity, presented as either a work task or a leisure activity. Productivity was measured by number of pottings, and affective responses to the activity in the areas of evaluation, power, and action were determined by Osgood's 12-scale short form semantic differential (OSD). No significant correlations were found between personality type and productivity or OSD scores in either the work or leisure conditions. …

Choice Responding In Pigeons Exposed To Sequences Of Fixed-Ratio Schedules: Effects Of Multiple Components, Susan Goeters

Masters Theses

The present study used a discrete-trials procedure to examine choice in pigeons presented with two- to five-component sequences of fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement. Results of the first phase indicate that the majority of choice responses were allocated to the schedule containing the shorter initial fixed-ratio component regardless of the number of components assayed. These findings support the notion that temporally prior reinforcers minimize the effects of subsequent reinforcers and overall response requirements. Phase two findings indicate, however, that under some conditions, fixed-ratios other than the first, lawfully, although weakly, influence choice.

An Analysis Of Four Empathy Variables As Predictors Of Marital Satisfaction, Teck Seong Chee

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine if empathy was predictive of marital satisfaction, and which, if any, of the four empathy variables from Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index (1980), would serve as predictors of marital satisfaction. Correlation and regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationships of fantasy, empathic concern, perspective taking and personal distress with marital satisfaction. Variables of secondary interest included those of sex. birth order, length of marriage and age married. Both Individuals and couples were used as units of analysis.

Empathic concern and perspective taking were found to be predictors of marital satisfaction. No significant …

Effects Of Response Requirements And Reinforcement Probability On The Latency To Depress A Foot Treadle, Terri Deborah Starin

Masters Theses

Previous studies have shown response latency to be a sensitive measure of die effects of many experimental manipulations. However, when key pecking is the required response topography, it is difficult to ascertain whether latency is exclusively due to the effects of the independent variable or is confounded by respondent influences. The present study attempts to separate operant from respondent influences on response latency by requiring a response topography that is unlikely to have respondent components. Three pigeons responded under a multiple fixed-rado fixed-ratio schedule of food delivery with a 5 s intertrial interval separating trials. For two subjects, the independent …

The Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of Ethosuximide In The Pigeon, Rodney D. Clark

Masters Theses

After initial exposure to 80 mg/kg ethosuximide, pigeons trained in a two-key drug discrimination procedure rapidly learned to discriminate 120 mg/kg ethosuximide from saline. When 40 to 160 mg/kg doses of ethosuximide were administered during generalization tests, the percentage of the responses directed to the ethosuximide-appropriate key varied directly with dose. Time-effect determinations revealed that the discriminable properties of ethosuximide were evident as early as 15 min after, and as late as 2 hrs after, intramuscular injection. The discriminative stimulus properties of ethosuximide failed to generalize to the anticonvulsant compounds clonazepam (0.5-4 mg/kg), methsuximide (25-200 mg/kg), and phenytoin (5-15 mg/kg). …

Repeated Acquisition With The Developmentally Disabled, Jeannie Madsen

Masters Theses

Repeated-acquisition data were obtained from four developmentally disabled adults. The task was selecting the poker chip with the sticker on its underside in a sequence of sets of chips. When a sequence was mastered (four consecutive errorless runs) the subjects were given a new sequence to learn. Money was reinforcement for correct sequence completion. Total errors before mastery was the dependent variable.

In Phase 1 the subjects completed as many sequences as possible during each 15-minute session. Errors per sequence was a reasonably stable dependent variable within subjects, and between-subject differences were what would be expected on the basis of …

Utilizing Daily Repertoire Behavior To Facilitate The Acquisition Of Generalized Imitation In Profoundly Mentally Retarded Adults, Scott A. Kremser

Masters Theses

Two procedures were compared in teaching the skill of generalized imitation. One procedure incorporated some of the subject's daily behavior repertoire into the imitation training paradigm. Another similar procedure utilized non-repertoire responses during training. Two male profoundly mentally retarded adults were trained with each procedure. Overall, the acquisition of generalized imitation was facilitated by incorporating daily repertoire behaviors into the imitation training packages. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in levels of generalized imitation as a function of training condition. Results were variable across subjects however, and it is questionable whether the difference is clinically significant. Further and more refined …

Factors That Relate To Job Retention For Former Welfare Recipients, Lisa Spadafore

Masters Theses

This descriptive study attempted to determine the factors that relate to job retention for former welfare recipients. Welfare recipients (15 women and 17 men), who were participating in a job club program, completed the Wonderlic Personnel Test (Wonderlic, 1985), the 16 Personality Factors Test (Eber, Cattell, & IPAT Staff, 1985), and a Background/Monetary Questionnaire. Thirty-two clients who obtained jobs were divided into two groups, those who retained their job for 90 days (n = 21) and those who did not (n = 11). Of the 31 factors analyzed, four showed a statistically significant relationship with job retention; amount of jail …

Training Mildly Retarded Adults To Generate Effective Solutions To Daily Living Problems, Dennis Munk

Masters Theses

Two mildly mentally retarded adults, living in a semi-independent residential program received training in solving common social problems. The subjects were trained to perform five problem-solving component skills: (1) identifying the problem, (2) defining a goal, (3) evaluating a solution, (4) evaluating alternative solutions, and (5) selecting a best solution. The five component skills were trained in sequence, as a multiple-baseline across skill behaviors design. It was hypothesized that the training program would successfully improve the subjects' ability to perform the component skills when solving trained and unfamiliar problems. The unfamiliar problems were included to test generalization of skill. The …

Age And Sex Differences In The Responses Of Adolescents To The Hand Test, Sonya R. Castle

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate age and sex differences in the responses of adolescents to the Hand Test (Wagner, 1962). This instrument was administered to 44 14-year olds (26 males and 18 females), 40 15-year-olds (23 males and 17 females), 45 16-year-olds (19 males and 26 females), and 34 17-year-olds (13 males and 21 females) who were enrolled in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 of a public high school. Data for the 24 Hand Test variables was normalized using a Z-score transformation on the group mean of all subjects to allow for simultaneous analysis of …

Attitudes Of Teachers And Teacher Trainees Towards Faculty Unionization, Caroline M. Rodriguez

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.