Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Psychometric Characteristics Of The Behavioral Observation Scale, Gregg Allen Bolt

Masters Theses

Self-, peer-, and supervisor ratings were obtained on 52 psychiatric aides using a Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS). Self ratings showed less leniency error than peer- and supervisor ratings. Halo error could not be assessed due to a negative correlation between means and variences. A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analysis supported the presence of strong rater bias and significant convergent validity but not discriminant validity. The results of the analyses demonstrated that the ratings obtained from a BOS were not psychometrically superior to other appraisal formats. Questions were raised as to the adequacy of a five point scale, data transformation, and rating scales.

The Comparison Of General And Specific Videotape Pretraining On Selected Process And Outcome Variables In Counseling, John David Hughes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of a professional self-disclosure statement as a pretraining treatment of role induction in counseling. Two videotape models of pretraining for first-time clients were compared with a notreatment control condition. The eight dependent variables investigated included six of client expectation: client attitudes and behaviors, client characteristics, counselor characteristics, characteristics of process, counselor attitudes and behaviors, and the quality of outcome; one of state anxiety; and one of continuance in counseling. The counselor-specific client role induction consisted of a professional self-disclosure statement discussing purpose and expectations of counseling, confidentiality, and counselor training. The general pretraining treatment consisted …

The Use Of Performance Data To Monitor And Support The Reorganization Of An Educational System, Ellen Spall Thompson

Masters Theses

The goal of this study was to determine the performance effects on staff and students following the reorganization of a special education facility. The organizational plan was based on the development of teaching teams where students were grouped together according to exit curricular goals. Four interventions were completed in order to assess the overall outcome of the reorganization project. At the student level, the rate of learning was monitored in order to determine whether the implementation of teams affected educational objective acquisition . At the team level, meeting agendas were surveyed to find out what effect they had on student …

An Experimental Study Of Contact With The Elderly Upon Second-Grade Students' Attitudes And Factual Knowledge, Theresa Ann Haman

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose Purposes of this study were: (a) to assess the effects of inter- generational contact on the attitudes and knowledge of second-grade students and (b) to determine if similarities existed between second- grade students' and their parents' attitudes and knowledge concerning the elderly. Procedure The research population for this study was comprised of 91 Grand Forks Public School second-grade students and 61 of their parents. The experimental group of students (46) participated in an intergenerational program with elderly persons in a nursing home. The control group of students (45) was not involved in this intergenerational program. All of the students …

Prescriptive Contracting: Utilization Of Self-Monitoring And Contracting In A Study Improvement Program, Raymond L. Boettger

Masters Theses

Several factors in program design and concurrent research of study programs for academically at-risk students have been noted in reviewing the literature. Two of the most effective techniques are self-monitoring and contracting. While many of the programs based on these procedures have shown significant increases in rates of study behavior, few have reported actual academic gains. Those that have predominately used simple difference of means tests to show significance. A major drawback to many of the study improvement programs is that they require additional expense to be implemented and maintained.

Prescriptive Contracting in an Individualized Guided Study center was designed …

Use Of Contingency Contracting For The Generalization Of Social Skills Of Emotionally Impaired Students, Michelle M. Kapp

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the effects of contingency or behavioral contracting on the generalization of emitting polite words. Generalization as a result of social skills training was compared to generalization as a result of contracting. The subjects were three elementary students identified as emotionally impaired. The experimental design was a combination reversal and multiple baseline across subjects. The results of the study supported the hypothesis that contracting would be more effective than the social skills training in initiating generalization of emitting polite words. It was suggested that additional research be conducted to investigate the long term effects of contracting on …

The Effects Of Given Versus Self-Derived Rules On Children's Performance Of A Complex Discrimination Task, Susan F. Roy

Masters Theses

Two groups of preschool children were studied in a discretetrial concept formation task involving identification of stimulus cards which shared a common feature (e.g., picture a color, or a facial expression). During training, one group (rule-given) was given a verbal description which delineated the aspect of the stimulus card that should control responding. The second (self-derived rule) group was exposed to the same cards, without a rule (verbal description) being given. Members of each group were reinforced for correct responses (i.e., identifying which of two pictures had the relevant stimulus property), and accuracy of description was recorded for each trial. …

Stimulus-Reinforcer And Response-Reinforcer Relationships In The Determination Of Response Latency, Bruce Edward Hesse

Dissertations

Response latency is measured from the onset of a stimulus to the onset of a response and is relevant to both respondent and operant control procedures. Previous research has shown response latency to be a sensitive operant dependent variable but the contribution of respondent influences was not known. The present experiment used pigeons, a two-key procedure and a two component FR schedule to study the respondent (stimulus-reinforcer) contributions to the determination of an ostensibly operant response latency. Stimuli associated with each FR component were displayed on one key (stimulus key) while responding for reinforcement was required on a second key …

The Delay-Reduction Hypothesis Of Evocative Effectiveness And Latency, James Bryant Nuzzo

Dissertations

Prior studies found that separations between latencies correlated with differential stimuli in a multiple discrete trial procedure were attenuated with increased intertrial interval durations. In this study six pigeons served as subjects in two groups. The procedure for one group was a multiple DRO-FR chain schedule (Ratio Delay group) while in the other group a multiple DRO - response-initiated delay interval chain schedule (Time Delay group) was used. Results of this study are consistent with the Delay-reduction hypothesis of evocative effectiveness which predicts that with increasing initial link durations relative terminal link evocative effectiveness would decrease. Specifically, relative terminal link …

Effects Of Tripelennamine And Pentazocine Alone And In Combination On Schedule-Controlled Performance, Deborah Lou Grossett

Dissertations

The effects of tripelennamine (3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mg/kg) and pentazocine (5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg), given alone and in selected combinations, were determined in rats performing under fixed-ratio 30 and interresponse-time-greater-than-15-second schedules of food delivery. When given alone, tripelennamine and pentazocine produced statistically significant decreases in responding under the fixed-ratio 30 schedule, but did not significantly affect responding under the interresponse-time-greater-than-15-second schedule. Each drug alone significantly decreased the number of reinforcers (food pellets) earned relative to control values under both schedules. The effects of the two drugs in combination were supra-additive. That is, the effects …

The Effect Of Problem Complexity On The Efficiency Of Intuitive And Analytic Processes, Teresa Farley Kao

Dissertations and Theses

Some investigators have suggested that when material becomes more complex, an individual is forced to use an intuitive process, while others suggest that increasing complexity forces analysis. This study was an attempt to resolve this question by manipulating rate of presentation and instructions. No effect was found due to these manipulations or due to complexity. The reason is not clear, but may be due to a combination of factors which inclined the experiment in the direction of the intuitive process.

Effect Of Menstrual Cycle On Hedonic Response To Gustatory Stimuli, Laurie Ann O'Toole

Dissertations and Theses

The present experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between the human menstrual cycle and gustatory hedonic response. Hedonic response was defined as the perceived pleasantness or unpleasantness of a taste stimulus. Gender differences in taste hedonic have been observed; these may be due to differences in endocrine systems. Animal taste preferences are altered when reproductive hormonal status is experimentally manipulated. Previous researchers report that human females' hedonic responses to sucrose vary systematically with phase of menstrual cycle.

The Interaction Between Characteristic Locus Of Control And Control Of Events On The Perceived Stress Of Events, Jeffrey B. Harrison

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Jeffrey B. Harrison on July 7,1984.

The Effects Of A Communication Skills Training Program On Marital Satisfaction, Commitment, Social Desirability, And Spiritual Well-Being, Frank G. Upshaw

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The issue of marital communication between newlywed couples was explored in an experimental design which was intended to teach communication skills to newlywed couples. The participants were all newlyweds who had been married less then one year. There was a total of 48 subjects involved in the study (N=48, IF16, k=3). All the participants were Christians and they represented five different denominations in the Portland area. Each couple was randomly assigned to one of three groups: the Couples Communication Program (CCP) treatment group, a Filmstrip Series (FSS) treatment group, or a wait list Control group. Each parson was tested before …

Department Of Psychology Course Schedule For The Master's Program Summer Session 1984, Nova University

College of Psychological Services / College of Psychology Postgraduate Student and Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Training And Rating Formats On The Accuracy Of Performance Ratings, Todd A. Silverhart

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The effects of frame of reference training and rating formats on the accuracy of performance ratings were examined utilizing direct measures of accuracy in addition to commonly used measures of rating biases. Participants were 111 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to one of six treatment conditions formed by crossing two levels of training (training, no-training) with three rating formats (graphic rating scale, behaviorally anchored rating scale, mixed standard scale). Ratings were made of the videotaped performance of interviewers conducting selection interviews. These ratings ~ere compared with the mean ratings of "expert raters" to give measures of rating biases (leniency/severity, …

Task Performances As Functions Of Level Of Processing, Morningness-Eveningness, Time Of Day, And Gender, Georgia Kathryn Green

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study was undertaken to examine the relations between human circadian activity patterns and information processing. Eighty subjects selected on the basis of gender and circadian type performed a digit-sequence task and an analogies task in either a morning or an afternoon condition, having previously completed the Horne and Ostberg (1976) circadian type questionnaire and the Schmeck (1983) Inventory of Learning Processes. A significant Gender x Circadian Type x Time-of-Day Condition interaction was found for digit-sequence task performance, with female subjects' performances exhibiting morning condition superiority for morning types but evening condition superiority for evening types. Time and gender effects …

A Comparison And Integration Of Expectancy Theory And Task Dimensions With Rotc Cadets, Steven B. Woods

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Recent reviews of the empirical literature investigating expectancy theory and task design research suggest that little attempt has been made to conduct strong, inferential research in which various theories of this type are compared and/or integrated. The primary focus of the present study was to evaluate systematically and compare expectancy theory and a job characteristic approach. Analyses of 117 Army ROTC cadets offered support for the ability of both the VIE model and task dimensions to predict satisfaction and self-ratings of performance for cadets. Generally, however, the task dimensions and VIE cognitions were unsupportive for predictions of peer and instructor …

The Electrocortical Correlates Of Fluctuating States Of Attention During Vigilance Tasks, Stephen G. Cunningham

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the electrocortical correlates of attention. Sixteen subjects (seven females, nine males) engaged in a forty-minute target-detection vigilance task. In addition to the demands of the vigilance task, the subjects were asked to press a button during the vigilance task if they had experienced task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) or daydreams. Continuous electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded from the subjects during the entire task. During the vigilance task, task-irrelevant tones were presented every 2-4 seconds. Event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by these tones were generated.

The task was divided into four ten-minute periods. The analysis of the performance data indicated performance decrements …

The Effect Of Anonymity, Expectation Of Validation, And Expected Reward, On The Accuracy Of Self-Evaluations Of Ability, Mark Stanley Teachout

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of anonymity, expectation of validation, and expected reward on the accuracy of self-evaluations of ability. One-hundred twenty undergraduate students were administered a reading test measuring reading abilities. The participants then made self-evaluations regarding their performance on the reading test. Participants received instructions designed to manipulate the expectation that their performance scores on the reading test would serve to validate their self-evaluations. Additional instructions manipulated the anonymity or identifiability of self-evaluations and the expected reward related to self-evaluations. Participants who expected their identifiable self-evaluations to be validated were accurate. In contrast, …

A Comparison Of A Group Approach And A Personalized Approach In Teaching Behavior Management Techniques To Parents, Vicki Martin

Dissertations and Theses

Parent intervention programs that assist parents in increasing their skills in behavior management techniques have experienced considerable success over the last 20 years. Parent training not only aids the parent in changing the child's behavior but may be beneficial in preventing future problems.

When a program of this type is utilized with low income populations, cost effectiveness becomes an important issue. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of a parent intervention program when utilizing a group format versus a personalized, one-to-one approach to training.

The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) was administered pre and posttreatment …

The Relationship Between Rating Strategy And Accuracy Of Performance Rating, Richard Carter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Given the recent theoretical emphasis on the process of performance rating (e.g., Landy & Farr, 1980), a test of the suggestion that better raters may use different rating processes than poorer raters was implemented. Specifically, this study was designed to determine if more accurate raters use a systematically different rating strategy than less accurate raters. Accuracy, the proximity of a rating to the ratee’s true score, was operationalized by differential accuracy (Cronbach, 1955), while rating strategies were determined through a policy capturing method (e.g., Zedeck & Kafry, 1977).

Seventh-three subjects rated a series of videotapes, developed by Borman (e.g. Borman, …

A Longitudinal Study Of Recidivism For 88 Forest Camp Inmates, Loreli S. Manning

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a group of 88 subjects, who were sentenced to the Forest Camp in the early seventies, remained law abiding in the ten years which followed their release. In addition to analyzing recidivist patterns, the study attempted to identify which variables were associated with subsequent recidivist and non-recidivist behavior and relate those findings to previous studies in the literature.

Guilford’S Structure Of Intellect Theory: An Evaluation Of The Three Dimensional Model And The Implications For Its Use In The Education Of The Gifted Child, Judith Parr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There is much current interest in the field of education concerning the academically gifted student’s needs. Guilford’s Structure of Intellect model (Guilford, 1956) holds particular promise for positively influencing the development of cognitive skills among academically gifted students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of using a program of instruction based upon Guilford’s Structure of Intellect (SI) model (Meeker, 1969) with children identified as academically gifted. Subjects consisted of 68 fourth-grade students who resided in two counties of northwestern Kentucky and who were identified as being academically gifted. The treatment group consisted of 34 academically gifted …

The Effect Of Relaxation Procedures On Test Anxiety & Test Performance, Mary Thompson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine if relaxation procedures, consisting of meditation and cognitive self-statements, were effective in improving test performance and in reducing test anxiety and (b) to investigate the relationship between test anxiety and test performance. Thirty-six students in an undergraduate psychology class were administered a self-report anxiety inventory, the Test Anxiety Scale-Revised (TASC-R). The students were then matched according to test anxiety level and randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group received 20 minutes of relaxation treatments immediately prior to the third, fourth, and fifth course content exams. …

Predicting Actual Physical Performance With Mental Image Accuracy, Rodney Young

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to tap into and index the motor program that is believed to control human movement, and to use that index in the prediction of future performance on the same task. A total of 75 right-handed undergraduates were tested on the rotor pursuit operating at 45 revolutions-per-minute, subjects were asked to imagine themselves tracking the target with the stylus in their left hand. During the imagery trial or trials, depending on group assignment, the subjects verbalized the word "top" each time their image made one complete revolution. Each subject received an initial 20 sec of …

Eeg And Evoked Potential Measured Of Age And Sex Differences In Central Nervous System Processing, Judith Ann La Marche

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Age and gender differences in CNS information processing were investigated with EEG measures of power spectral analysis and cortical coupling, and evoked potential measures of brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), visual evoked potentials (VEPs), pattern reversal evoked potentials (PREPs), and P300 evoked potentials. Eighty normal volunteers comprised four subgroups of 20 subjects: young females and young males (25-35 years); old females and old males (55-70 years).

Trends were generally consistent across evoked potential measures: women and young people produced faster latency responses; females and oldsters produced larger amplitude responses. Old age was associated with reduced variability of electrophysiological responding across …

A Follow-Up Study Of The Edith Bowen Gifted Program, Richard Alan Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Former participants of an elementary-level gifted program were followed into junior high to determine the impact of the gifted program on their academic achievement and extracurricular participation. Parent and student perceptions of the gifted program were also determined. Academic achievement was measured by the variables grades in specific academic subjects, grade point averages, and achievement test scores. Extracurricular participation patterns were determined by response to a questionnaire on extracurricular activities. Intellectually-gifted former participants were compared on academic achievement and extracurricular participation to a comparable group of students who did not participate in any gifted program. No significant differences were found …

The Effects Of A Commons Simulation And Fines On A Generalization Test, William Boyle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study investigated the effect of a commons simulation and fines on a generalization test that incorporated several features important in the real world. Two hundred and seventy-five volunteer college students in groups of seven participated in this study. Approximately one-half received exposure to the commons simulation and one-half did not. One-half of the groups in each treatment level received two posttests with a fine option available and the other one-half received two posttests without this option. The two posttests differed in that one was played with a large unknown referent group and the other was played with the …

Adolescent Identity Status In Current Familial Relationships During Separation, Eugene E. Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

College students were assessed as to ego identity status and perceptions of their relationships with parents during their first year away from home. Each parent was also asked to rate the relationship. There was general agreement between parents and adolescents although the data indicate that mothers and adolescents share a more similar view of their relationship than did the fathers and adolescents.

The hypothesis that females would report more affection and communication with their parents than would males was partially supported. Daughters were more communicative with their mothers and were more affectionate toward both parents than were sons.

Several proposed …