Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Cognitive Status Of Risk: A Response To Thompson, L. James Valverde

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Discussing the role that probability theory should play in Risk analysis and management, Dr. Valverde argues that Thompson's approach puts too much emphasis on the distinction between Risk subjectivism and Risk objectivism in addressing the question, "When are Risks real?"

Risk Perception And Drug Safety Evaluation, Ilan B. Vertinsky, Donald A. Wehrung

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors present a Risk communication framework based on a survey of empirical research concerning public Risk perceptions. They also apply it to the area of pharmaceutical regulation to suggest more effective regulatory strategies.

The Organizational Impact Of Smoke Break Management In Strategic Air Command, Glenn G. Hinken

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the organizational impact of smoke break management in Strategic Air Command. Analysis of data from a survey questionnaire showed that although the smoking and smoke break issues touched the majority of the people in SAC and almost every smoker surveyed reported taking smoke breaks, just 27 percent of respondents reported their organization had a smoke break policy. Most of these respondents indicated the policies were lenient in terms of regulating the time and duration of the breaks. Smokers reported spending an average 41.09 minutes per day taking smoke breaks. This figure differed significantly from the time smokers …

Dysfunctional Attitudes, Life Stress And Coping Processes, Deborah Desalliers

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The findings of recent investigations earmarked chronic daily stressors as being highly related to stress levels. In addition, researchers are promoting a more integrative model of stress. The stress response is no longer thought of in strictly linear terms, i.e. an event causes stress. Rather, cognitive factors, existing within the human mind itself, strongly influence our coping processes and the chronic stress we experience.

Canonical correlation analysis was used to study how dysfunctional attitudes, a negative cognitive factor, were related to individuals' daily hassles and coping processes. An increase in dysfunctional attitudes was found to correspond to an increase in …

Analytical Prediction And Experimental Verification Of Blade Loads Experienced By Two, Three-Bladed, Fixed Pitch, Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines, Scott M. Klingenstein

Theses and Dissertations

Wind turbine blade structural designers need measured blade structural load data to project blade life. These data are necessary to validate analytical predicton models and to optimize advanced blade structural designs. The objective of this work is to furnish designers current blade load data and to compare the analytical blade load predictions to the measured loads.

This analysis is based on ninety hours of wind turbine loads data collected in 1990, on the SERI 7.9 m and Aerostar 7.5 m blades. The blades were installed on identical turbines, located adjacent to each other. The data were collected covering a wide …

The Drama Of Alienation: An Interpersonal Examination Of Edward Albee's The Zoo Story And Sam Shepard's Buried Child, Lisa Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined alienation from an interpersonal communication perspective in order to find a connection between aspects of alienation and interpersonal communication.

Alienation occurs at two levels according to scholars in sociology and psychology. At the social level, one's culture influences behavior in interpersonal relations. At the psychological level, one's perception of self worth influences interpersonal relations. This study used Srole's five aspects of alienation (isolation, estrangement, powerlessness, unpredictability, and meaninglessness) to analyze interpersonal relationships between those alienated on both levels.

Two plays were chosen to exemplify how alienated people need close interpersonal communication. The Zoo Story, by Edward Albee …

Temporal Contiguity As A Defining Feature Of The Terms Reinforcer And Discriminative Stimulus: A Survey Of Journal Editorial Staffs, Julie Ann Fillhard

Masters Theses

Behavior analysis is a science that requires a consistent set of terms to describe independent and dependent variables and the relations between them. However, a review of literature indicates that behavior analysis is plagued by terminological inconsistencies, even with such basic terms as reinforcer and discriminative stimulus.

In the present study, 193 journal editorial staff members were surveyed to determine the importance of temporal contiguity in defining the terms reinforcer and discriminative stimulus. Eighty-seven editors (45%) responded to the survey which described two hypothetical scenarios and contained a series of questions relevant to each.

The results of the study indicate …

The Effects Of Goal Setting And Supervisory Feedback On Staff Performance In A Human Service Setting, Michael D. Mack

Masters Theses

Goal setting and supervisory feedback were examined to determine their relative effects on the performance of direct care staff. The performance of five staff from a day treatment program for developmentally disabled adults was measured. The specific performance measure of interest was staff implementation rates of daily training programs with clients. The results demonstrated that adding performance feedback to goal setting had minimal impact on staff performance. Yet, goal setting alone as an initial technique was effective in improving the performance of staff. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of goal setting alone may be less desirable than these initial data indicate. …

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Laboratory Learning Program On The Interpersonal Behavior Of Participants, Brett A. Bennink

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The effects of the Oregon Leadership Development Program on the assertive and aggressive behaviors of participants were measured by the scales of .the Interpersonal Behavior Survey (IBS). The program, administered by Oregon Leadership Institute (OLI), uses an experientially oriented laboratory format which includes training group (T-group) participation, brief lectures, and various interpersonal and group exercises. The program seeks to increase the interpersonal effectiveness of participants. No previous formal evaluation has been done on the OLI program and prior laboratory learning studies have not examined assertive and aggressive behaviors as outcome variables. Participants included adults who were employed by a variety …

A Parent Training Program For Teaching Preschool Children Independent Self-Care Skills, Dalene Rooks Degraaf

Dissertations

Teaching children to be independent is a challenge for parents. Initially, parents directly prompt and consequate their children’s behavior. Later, the parents fade prompts and delay consequences expecting their children to use self-management skills and environmental cues to complete tasks. The purpose of this study was to observe some of the methods which parents use to teach their 4-year-old children independent self-care skills and test the effects of a parent training program. The program was designed to transfer stimulus control from the parent’s physical or verbal prompts to textual and picture prompts on a poster listing the morning self-care skills …

The Effects Of Methylphenidate On The Repeated Acquisition Performance Of Children With Attention Deficit Disorder, Christopher P. Giuliano

Dissertations

The effects of methylphenidate on the repeated acquisition performance of three children between the ages of 9 and 13 were examined. The repeated acquisition task was programmed on a micro computer and daily doses of 0.6 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg of methylphenidate were compared with an active placebo (caffeine). There was no discernible effect for two of the subjects. One subject showed only a very slight facilitative effect at the 1.0 mg/kg dose, using trials-to-criterion as the dependent measure. Methylphenidate had no effect on errors or rate of responding for any of the subjects. Teacher ratings of behavior indicated improvement …

Effects Of Interactive And Linear Video On Patient Understanding Of Risks In Medical Procedures, Christopher P. Giuliano

Dissertations

Three methods of providing information relevant to informed consent where a vaginal birth after cesarean section was being considered were evaluated; (1) the traditional and common method (physician presentation), (2) Linear Video Tape (LVT), and (3) Interactive Video Disc (IVD). The traditional and common method of presenting information led to only limited acquisition of knowledge resulting in patients making less than fully-informed decisions. Both the linear video tape and the interactive video disc led to significantly greater understanding of the risks and benefits of the procedure than did the physician presentation. The interactive disc and the linear video tape were …

Ease Of Learning And The Emergence Of Equivalence Class Formation: A Comparison Of Topography-Based And Selection-Based Paradigms, Riad M. Wraikat

Dissertations

Michael (1985) identified two types of verbal behavior, topography-based (i.e., speaking or using sign language) and selection-based (i.e., symbol board). Sundberg & Sundberg (1990) and Wraikat (1991) compared these systems in terms of the ease of learning object naming (tact) and giving the correct sign or pointing to the correct symbol on hearing the object name (intraverbal). Sundberg & Sundberg (1990) also compared them for the spontaneous development of a new relation, identifying the object when hearing its name (stimulus class formation or equivalence). The results of both studies favored the topography-based system, but in each case some subjects were …

Effects Of Differential Force Requirements On Choice Behavior Under Concurrent-Chain Schedules, Randal D. Reynolds

Dissertations

Concurrent-chain research shows that choice behavior is sensitive to differential delays to reinforcement but apparently insensitive to differential response-requirement factors. To date, however, no studies have directly investigated the effects of differential force requirements on choice behavior under concurrent-chain schedules. This relationship will be the focus of the present study.

In Experiment 1 rats responded on conventional concurrent-chain schedules and were given a choice between different terminal-link force requirements. The force requirement on one terminal-link lever was 0.25 N while the force requirement on the other lever was varied from 0.25 N to 1.51 N across conditions. For comparative purposes, …

Nonidentity Matching Training As A Supplement To The Audio-Visual Combination Test, Melissa Wilson

Masters Theses

The Audio-Visual Combination Test is an assessment tool developed by Kerr, Meyerson, and Flora (1977), and used by those working with developmentally disabled persons to assess learning-to-learn skills. The test measures motor, visual, and auditory discrimination learning.

The experimenter attempted to determine if there were an important step-visual nonidentity discrimination-between AVC subtests 4 and 5/6 of the test. Twelve developmentally disabled adults were tested with three different sets of tasks interposed between a revised subtest 4 and 5/6. Results showed that most subjects had greater difficulty with the visual nonidentity discrimination than with the auditory/visual discrimination, subtest 5/6. The results …

The Effects Of Daily And Weekly Supervisor Feedback On The Performance Of University Clerical Staff, Christopher Benjamin Turla

Masters Theses

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a feedback system developed to increase the productivity and job satisfaction of clerical staff in a university unit that admitted and audited students. Weekly and daily feedback were compared. Employees self-recorded the quantity and type of tasks completed throughout the study. In feedback condition 1, the supervisor delivered feedback once a week to two employees and everyday to three employees. In feedback condition 2, feedback frequencies were switched such that employees who first received weekly feedback received daily feedback, and employees who first received daily feedback received weekly feedback. Job satisfaction was measured before …

A Comparison Of Competitive-Orientation Measures, Diane L. Gill, Betty C. Kelley, Jeffrey J. Martin, Christina M. Caruso

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

We compared two sport-specific measures of competitive orientation, the Sport Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ; Gill & Deeter, 1988) and the Competitive Orientation Inventory (COI; Veasley, 1986), and an alternative 4-item version of the COI. Male and female athletes and nonathletes at two small colleges completed questionnaire packets. Competitive-orientation scores were similar to those reported in previous research. The 4-item measure correlated with the COI, and neither of those measures correlated with the SOQ. As in previous studies, males scored higher than females on SOQ competitiveness and win orientation, and athletes scored higher than nonathletes on all SOQ scores. Our results suggest …

Inhibitions And Compensations: A Study Of The Effects Of Negative Sanctions In Three Pacific Cultures, Jeannette Marie Mageo

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Social Support On The Psychological Adjustment Of Navy Wives Experiencing Deployment, Marci A. Harris

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The military, particularly a Navy deployment, provides unique challenges and stresses to the military family. The present study investigated the effects of social support on the psychological well-being of Navy wives experiencing spousal deployment. Sixty-three Navy wives in the Tidewater, Virginia area completed questionnaires on depression, self-esteem, and daily stress, as well as on the size of and satisfaction with affective and instrumental support. Assessments were made before, during, and after the deployment. Results of stepwise regressions showed that satisfaction with various aspects of social support significantly (p < .05) predicted levels of depression, self-esteem, and daily stress at all three phases of deployment. Results also showed that psychological wellbeing was lowest at middeployment. Findings demonstrate the importance of developing satisfactory social support systems prior to, during, and after deployment.

The Relationship Among Absorption Anxiety And Frontal Electromyogram, Jeffrey E. Atkinson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationship among absorption, anxiety (state and trait), and frontal EMG in a sample of sixty undergraduate students. These relationships were examined during a baseline (relaxation) condition and during an anxiety condition during which an extemporaneous speech was given. It was determined that absorption was inversely related to state anxiety and trait anxiety was directly related to state anxiety measured after the relaxation period. Absorption and/or trait anxiety were not related to state anxiety after the speech anxiety condition. There was no relationship between absorption or trait anxiety and frontal EMG during either condition. In addition, state …

Transfer Of Thermal Biofeedback Training From One Hand To The Opposite Hand, W. Thomas Bundick Jr.

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Thermal biofeedback is a way to train subjects to raise and lower peripheral skin temperature. Raising skin temperature has been shown to be useful in treating vascular disorders such as migraine headaches and Raynaud's disease. This study examined the effect that, training of one hand has on subsequent training of the other hand. Subjects were given three sessions of training in either hand warming or hand cooling with their dominant hands, followed by one session of warming or cooling with the opposite hand. Based on prior research, it was hypothesized that prior training of one hand would facilitate training of …

Sexual Orientation Body Image And Sexual Functioning, Charlie Bryan Finch Jr.

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Comparisons were made between 78 heterosexual men, 113 heterosexual women, 55 gay men, and 54 lesbians (N = 300) on a variety of body-image and sexual-functioning measures. In comparison to heterosexual men, gay men were more cognitively invested in their appearance, less satisfied with their muscularity and physical fitness, and were less invested in their fitness. Gay men also evidenced a relatively stronger sex drive and experienced premature ejaculation less frequently and inhibited orgasm more frequently. In comparison to heterosexual women, lesbians were more satisfied with their body areas, less cognitively and behaviorally invested in their appearance, and less worried …

The Effect Of Menopause Stage And Exercise On Perceived Body Image And Depression, Barbara Anne Waters

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of menopause stage and level of exercise on depression and perceived body image with 101 women aged 40-60 years. Instruments included a demographic information sheet, the Life Experience Survey (LES), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). The relationship between menopause stage and depression was not significant. The relationship between menopause stage and perceived body-image was also not significant. Menopausal women do not appear to be more depressed or to have lower body-image perceptions when compared to premenopausal women. The main effect for amount of exercise and perceived body image …

The Relation Between Maternal Behavior And Childrearing Goals And Child Outcomes In Low-Income Black Children, Dawn D. Wimbush

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined the relation between maternal goals and practices and preschool children's cognitive development and behavioral compliance. Fifty low-income Black mothers of three- to five— year-old children were interviewed and completed several questionnaires that assessed childrearing goals and practices. The HOME, a measure of maternal stimulation was also assessed. Children were administered the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and an achievement test. Child compliance to maternal requests was observed in the home. Considerable diversity was found in maternal childrearing goals. For the most part, maternal goals were not related to child outcomes; however, indirect-internal techniques (Sears, Maccoby, & …

The Effect Of Persuasion, Across Task Difficulties, On Self-Efficacy, Performance And Persistence A Thesis, Linda J. Kaiser

Student Work

Self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977a, 1982, 1986) postulates that efficacy expectations can be modified by persuasion if it is perceived as being instilled by a credible source, it is realistic, and it is not in opposition to performance information. Subsequent research revealed equivocal results for the relationship between persuasion and self-efficacy. This study investigates the effects of persuasion, across task difficulties, on selfefficacy, performance, and persistence. A mathematical task was utilized. Six hypotheses were tested. Persuasion was found to be effective in a hardtask situation. Gender had a substantial impact on the results of this study; overall findings may have been …

The Effects Of Confidentiality Gender And Subject Shyness On The Social Desirability Response Bias, Scott D. Bradshaw

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the effect of confidentiality on objective and semi-projective personality measures. Confidentiality was manipulated by telling the subject his/her responses would, or would not, be discussed with the examiner. The effect was assessed by comparing a subject s scores on two different measures of the same construct'ne test completed with confidentiality, the other without. It was hypothesized that subjects in the non-confidential condition would alter the responses on the measures and that this effect would be greatest with opposite gender pairings of subjects and examiners. The possible moderator variables of shyness, self-monitoring, and self-actualization were also examined. Data …

Religious Orientation And Sex-Role Attitudes: The Apportionment Of Paid Employment Childcare And Household Tasks Within The Context Of Marriage, Gregory Ralph Caron

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between intrinsic/extrinsic religious orientation and sex-role attitudes within the context of marriage. Three hundred and ten students from urban Catholic high schools participated in the study. Sex-role attitudes were measured using Likert-type scales reflecting judgment on apportionment of time between spouses for paid employment, childcare, and housework. Also, Likert-type scales reflected perceived comfort, perceived marriage satisfaction, and divorce probability for a husband and wife represented in an egalitarian and a traditional sex-segregated scenario. Sex-role attitude scores were examined by categorizing students according to gender and high/low intrinsic and extrinsic groups. …

Effects Of Extraversion And Gender On Self-Disclosure Of Emotion With A Same-Sex Friend, Patrick M. Ulmen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The study examined subjects' perceptions about disclosure of emotion by a stimulus person who was depicted as extraverted or introverted, and subjects' self-disclosure of emotion based on their own level of extraversion. In addition, the role of gender in disclosure of emotion was examined. The findings on differences in disclosure of emotion based on gender are considered tentative. Males self-disclosed anger more to same-sex stimulus persons than did females, but this was the only significant difference. An introverted compared to an extraverted stimulus person was found to elicit more disclosure about emotions associated with calmness and depression. Emotions which an …

An Analysis Of Urban Higher Education Ceo's Perceptions Of Critical Leadership Behaviors, Linda Ferguson Banis

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The research question for this study asked if CEO's (Chief Executive Officers) of urban higher education institutions hold the same values and beliefs as those attributed to business and industry CEO's through the business literature. Through survey methodology, the analysis of urban higher education CEO's perceptions of critical leadership behaviors revealed very similar belief patterns. The primary discrepancies between the research group and their industry counterparts lie in the degree to which critical behaviors are espoused and in the acceptance of transformational leadership as a proactive model for effective organizational change. The responses to the open-ended portion of the questionnaire …

Gender Effects On Recall, Clinical Judgement And Treatment Recommendations For A Combination Of Major Depression And Alcohol Dependence Symptoms, Jodi L. French

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the effect of client gender on several aspects of clinical decision-making processes and clinical judgement when a client presented with a combination of depressive and alcohol-dependent symptoms. Forty-four male and 44 female clinicians, who came from various mental health disciplines (i.e., psychology, social work, counseling, nursing, and psychiatry), volunteered to participate as subjects.

The subjects were assigned to hear one of four audiotapes (two male tapes and two female tapes) in which mock clients gave the same initial presentation of symptoms and problems. After listening to the tapes, the clinicians were asked to engage in a number …