Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Goal And Feedback Specificity Of Task Performance, Emily Johnson Hawes

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

A three (goal type and level) by three (type and level of knowledge of results) factorial design was implemented with nine subjects per cell. Goal factor levels were: Numeric goal, percentage increase goal, and do best goal. Knowledge of results (KR) factor levels were: Numeric KR, percentage increase/decrease KR and no KR. KR manipulations affected perceived knowledge of performance standing„ but there were no significant effects on performance. Goal effects on performance were significant (p

Beyond 'Formal' Vs. 'Informal' Education: Uses Of Psychological Theory In Anthropological Research, Claudia Strauss

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

For at least the last ten years cross-cultural research on the cognitive consequences of education has been dominated by the theoretical dichotomy between "formal" and "informal" education. The paradigm of formal education is the style of schooling developed in the industrialized West. It has been defined as any form of education that is deliberate, carried on "out of context" in a special setting outside of the routines of daily life, and made the responsibility of the larger social group. "Informal education" refers to education that takes place "in context" as children participate in everyday adult activities. It is the predominant …

An Eclectic Approach To The Identification And Treatment Of The Cluster Of Disorders Known As Infantile Autism, Margaret Considine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present research is a comprehensive look at the causes and treatment of autism. To date the research has not found the etiology of autism, even though many areas have been examined. The areas looked at are psychogenic, biochemical and neurobiological. Some of these areas seem promising and may in the future shed more light on why these persons present this particular cluster of problem behaviors.

Approaches to the treatment of autism have not yielded an all encompassing cure for autism. Therefore, the symptoms of autism were presented along with the current treatments that are most successful in dealing with …

Lawrence Kohlberg: Pursuing John Dewey's Vision, Larry Reynolds

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Book Review Forum On Bradd Shore's Sala‘Ilua: A Samoan Mystery, Thelma S. Baker, James R. Bindon, Jacob Wainwright, Bradd Shore

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Richard M. Moyle's Review Of Steven Feld's Sound And Sentiment: Birds, Weeping, Poetics, And Song In Kaluli Expression, Richard M. Moyle

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Memory For An Event In Two- And Five-Years Olds, Evelyn Harm Haeden

Student Work

The present study focused on the development of memory in young children. The subjects were eighty-three two- and five-year old children who participated in immediate recall memory tasks for toys, pictures in a story and nonstory context, and ingredients used in making graham cracker cookies. These children were tested in their own homes. Long term memory for toys and ingredients was also assessed at one week. Parents were asked to record children's spontaneous comments in a scripted diary for the week following the experimenter's visit. At the end of the week, a photograph of the experimenter and child, which had …

Stages Of Intellectual Development: A Scheme, Gloria Goris Stronks

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Faith Development: A View Of James W. Fowler's Theory, Wayne A. Kobes

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Level Of Aspiration And The Type A Coronary-Prone Pattern In Children, Wendy L. Kliewer

Dissertations and Theses

Type A coronary-prone behavior has been recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Characterized by extremes of achievement-striving, impatience aggression, and easily aroused hostility, this behavior pattern has been studied extensively in adults, but relatively few studies have examined the behavior pattern in children.

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine aspects of assessment of the Type A behavior pattern, goal-setting behaviors displayed by Type A and B children, and parents' goal-setting behaviors toward their offspring.

The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Fixed Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Christine Miara

Graduate Theses

This study investigated the effect of seven continuous reinforcement sessions interpolated after varying numbers of FR-25 sessions on extinction responses during extinction of three groups of rats. Rats received 7, 14, or 21 sessions of FR-25 followed by 7 sessions of continuous reinforcement and 7 days of extinction. There were three rats in each group. All sessions were 25 minutes long. Results showed rats that received FR-25 for 21 sessions were more resistant to extinction than any other group, measured by the cumulative number of responses during extinction. Cumulative rates of extinction responses for Groups 1 and 2 were not …

The Effects Of Three Schedules Of Reinforcement On Stimulus Generalization, John L. Sanders

Graduate Theses

The effects of three schedules of reinforcement on stimulus generalization in rats were investigated. In the presence of a 2000 hz tone the subjects were trained to bar press on one of three schedules: CRF, VR 25, or VR 50. Three animals started in each condition. After tone/no-tone discrimination training they were tested for generalization. Generalization took.place over six,31.5 minute sessions. This tested the subjects* response rate to each of seven tones: 250 hz, 500 hz, 1000, hz, 2000 hz, 4000 hz, 8000 hz, and 16000 hz. During a 31.5 minute generalization test every tone was presented randomly nine times …

The Effect Of Interpolated Continuous Reinforcement Following Variable Ratio Reinforcement On Resistance To Extinction, Christine Miara

Graduate Theses

The effect on response rates during extinction of interpolating seven continuous reinforcement sessions after varying numbers of VR-25 sessions was investigated. Rats received either seven, fourteen, or twenty-one sessions of a VR-25 schedule followed by seven sessions of continuous reinforcement. There were three rats in each group. The rats then experienced seven sessions of extinction. All sessions were 30 minutes long." The results showed that rats that received the VR-25 schedule for 21 sessions made the roost responses over the seven extinction sessions. * Rats that received seven sessions of VR-25 made the least number of responses during extinction. The …

A Comparison Of The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised With The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, Cynthia Burris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), a receptive vocabulary measure, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), a measure of general intelligence, have been two tests widely used by educators and psychologists, respectively. In addition to being used as a measure of receptive vocabulary, the PPVT was frequently used as a measure of intelligence. While the authors of the PPVT established IQ scores, this use of the PPVT frequently brought criticism from professional psychologists who felt that the test was not comprehensive enough to be used as a measure of general intelligence. The PPVT was revised in 1981, and the …

Effects Of High Proximity Living Accommodations On The Stress Levels And Self-Perceptions Of College Students Living In Residence Halls At Western Kentucky University, Aaron W. Hughey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Selected occupants of University residence hall rooms accommodating three students in a physical facility originally designed for only two occupants were compared to selected occupants of rooms accommodating two residents in a physical facility originally designed for two occupants. They were compared along two psychological dimensions: frustration (stress) and self-perception. Both groups responded to an instrument package consisting of The Student Life Event Questionnaire, The Self Perception Assessment, and The Frustration Assessment. These instruments were designed to measure relative stress levels and relative strengths of self-perception.

The returned instrument packages were scored and a comparison was made between the two …

The Relationship Between Drinking And Assertiveness In College Students, Ernest Small

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship between drinking patterns of college students and their measured level of assertiveness was examined in this study. The subjects were categorized into six groups based on their self-reported frequency and amount of drinking. They were also asked to record the number of drinks they had drunk in the prior week. The MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale and the Rathus Assertion Schedule were administered to all the subjects. Pearson Product-moment correlations were calculated to assess the relationship between levels of drinking, the number of drinks in the prior week and scores from the Rathus Assertion Schedule and the MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale. …

The Repeated Acquisition Procedure As A Means Of Analyzing Instructional Stimulus Control And Rule-Directed Behavior, Jeffrey S. Danforth

Masters Theses

Pre-school children were taught to emit four-response chains using the repeated acquisition design. Experiment 1 examined the effect of instructional stimuli. Many errors were made in Control Learning, followed by few errors in Control Relearning. Instructional cues resulted in few errors in the morning learning session, but many relearning errors were made. Experiment 2A determined if two-trial cuing with instructional stimuli would improve relearning performance. The result was fewer relearning errors, but the criterion required more learning trials. In Experiment 2B a rule was taught relevant to two-trial cuing. In Experiment 3 a child was told that the morning and …

The Effects Of Three Schedules Of Reinforcement Of Stimulus Generalization, John L. Sanders

Graduate Theses

The effects of three schedules of reinforcement on stimulus generalization in rats were investigated. In the presence of a 2000 hz tone the subjects were trained to bar press on one of three schedules: CRF, VR 25, or VR 50. Three animals started in each condition. After tone/no-tone discrimination training they were tested for generalization. Generalization took place over six 31.5 minute sessions. This tested the subjects' response rate to each of seven tones: 250 hz, 500 hz, 1000 hz, 2000 hz, 4000hz, 8000 hz, and 16000 hz. During a 31.5 minute generalization test every tone was presented randomly nine …

Two Apparently Effective Strategies For Increasing Employee Compliance, Ann M. Backe

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the controlling aspects of employee participation on compliance to store procedures through the use of a total participative group and a group trained in the technical and beneficial aspects of the procedures. Five grocery store cashiers comprised the Participative Group and six cashiers comprised the Value- and Skill- Trained (VST) Group. The researcher conducted one meeting with the members of the Participative Group to design procedures to decrease the number of checks returned to the stores because of non-sufficient funds. Following the development of the new procedures, the Participative Group received technical training on the procedures. …

Easterbrook's Hypothesis And Eyewitness Cue Utilization, Mark R. Hill

Master's Theses

Although well-supported and historically-important, the Yerkes-Dodson research cannot incorporate current findings on the relationship of arousal and selective attention. Easterbrook's hypothesis suggests that arousal produces a narrowing of attention which selects among available stimuli. Whether information is processed depends on the level of arousal and the nature of the task. As arousal increases, Easterbrook predicts more attention directed to central tasks, while superfluous stimuli are progressively removed. The present investigation studied the predictions of Easterbrook' s hypothesis on.incidental memory in a simulated eyewitness case. College students were aroused to either resting, 50, 65, or 85 percent maximum heartrate by their …

The Relationship Between Systems Theory And Behavior Analysis, Michael B. Oberlin

Dissertations

This paper provides a conceptual framework which clarifies the relationship between General Systems Theory and Behavior Analysis. This framework is supplied by a theoretical notion borrowed from Simon (1962), the notion of "dynamics of interaction." "Interaction" refers to interaction between the units of analysis of science, e.g., in the analysis of behavior, stimuli, responses, and consequences in economics, units of supply and demand. The paradigm of Behavior Analysis is seen to accommodate a "higher-frequency dynamics" found in subsystems; and General Systems Theory, along with disciplines like Economics and Organizational Analysis, accommodates a "lower-frequency dynamics" found in systems. Argument is based …

A Short Data Based Inservice Program For Teachers Of Direct Instruction, Patricia Mckeen Salvi

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to empirically determine the effectiveness and practical aspects of a researcher developed inservice training program. This training program was used with three middle school teachers to improve theirs kills in Direct Instruction Decoding teaching techniques. The training program utilized verbal instructions, modeling, positive and corrective feedback, and checkouts to determine the teachers' mastery of each skill area trained. The trainer employed a multiple probe design, and the training proved to be effective in improving each teacher's performance across each skill area trained. The inservice program proved to be practical in that it could be …

Eliminating Overselective Stimulus Control: A Comparison Of Two Procedures For Teaching Mentally Retarded Children To Respond To Compound Stimuli, Keith D. Allen

Masters Theses

Overselective stimulus control occurs when behavior fails to come under control of all characteristics of a compound stimulus after discrimination training. The efficacy of two procedures designed to eliminate overselective stimulus control observed with six trainable mentally retarded children was compared in Experiment 1. A training procedure using S-'s which were minimally different from the S+ was designed to reduce the probability that stimulus discriminations could be based on stimulus characteristics othre than experiimenter specified characteristics defining the S+. This procedure proved more effective in preventing and eliminating overselective stimulus control than an alternate discrimination training procedure. Experiment 2 indicated …

Effects Of Positive, Negative And Balanced Emphases On Perceived Effectiveness Of Performance Appraisal, Joseph Andrew Hammond

Masters Theses

The central theme of the research is the experimental manipulation of three different appraisal processes, namely positive, negative, and balanced appraisals to determine which evaluation tool would be perceived as most useful in motivating and stimulating employees to improve on their performance. Subjects were randomly assigned to groups and presented with scripts exemplifying three appraisal approaches and asked to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of each approach in producing a desired performance outcome. The results showed significant differences between the balanced approach and the other two approaches. However, there was no significant difference between the means of the positive versus negative …

The Effects Of Music Upon Job Attitudes And Performance In An Industrial Inspection Task, Christopher D. Freiburger

Masters Theses

An experiment was designed to study the effects of music on the quality of inspection performance, job attitudes, and observed frequency of non-work related conversations of workers engaged in a complex, repetitive industrial inspection task in a pharmaceutical company. Three middle-aged inspectors volunteered to participate in the ABAB designed experiment. Musical selections by Muzak and Mantovani were played via portable stereo cassette players with headphones. Quality was measured by testing subjects on two sets of 1,000 test vials with 10% planted defects and recording the number of false rejects and the percent of false acceptances. Certain job attitudes were measured …

Growth Rates: Influence Of Prednisolone, Sex And Crowding In Rats, Karen M. Allen

Masters Theses

Growth inhibition As frequently noted in the chronically ill child. Causes of such growth rate decrements appear multiple and include both internal and environmental factors. The present study analyzed growth of rats by manipulation of glucocorticoid treatment, housing conditions and sex of subject in a search for potential interactions. Specifically, body weights were assessed daily in post-weanling male and female Spraque-Dawley rats which received 16 daily I.P. injections of prednisolone acetate (0.0, 2.0, or 4.0 mg/kg) under either individual or group-housed (6/cage) conditions. Effects of dose and of sex were found, while a main effect of housing was lacking. Interactions …

The Effects Of A Minimal Intervention On The Acquisition Of Behavior And An Evaluation Of The Utility Of Its Maintenance, Cheryl Anne Brandt

Masters Theses

Data based measures are rarely collected in. organizations to evaluate the performance of individuals and of any, except for the most major, projects implemented. The present study attempted to determine what was needed to initiate behaviors in implementing new activities and how long it was worthwhile to maintain those behaviors. A minimal antecedent control procedure was utilized to establish product promotion behaviors with six tellers in two banking branches. Data were collected both on teller behavior and the outcomes of teller behavior. The results of the study showed that antecedent controls were enough to initiate behavior but that over time, …

A Comparative Analysis Of Two Methods Of Administering The Position Analysis Questionnaire (Paq), Michael Heenan Swearingen

Masters Theses

This research examined two methods of administering the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ), a commercially available job analysis tool. The currently accepted method of administering the PAQ involves reading the job description, touring the work-site and then completing the PAQ with the incumbent. The second method used only the job description for the analysis data base. The comparison was made using three different measures, selection of GATB tests, "Selected PAQ Items" and PAQ aptitude attribute ratings. The two different methods selected the same GATB tests an average of 83% of the time and selected the same attributes 96% of the time. …

Behavioral Management Of Multiple Food Aversions Of A Multiply Handicapped Child, Steven A. Stang

Masters Theses

Several behavioral treatments utilizing the delivery of preferred food with praise contingent upon consumption of nonpreferred foods were evaluated with a multiply handicapped child who exhibited multiple food aversions. Behavioral assessments of food preferences were used to identify preferred and nonpreferred foods and to monitor changes in the subject's preferences for nonpreferred target foods relative to other foods.

Following the implementation of treatment contingencies, a modest increase in the consumption of one nonpreferred target food, and substantial increases in consumption of a second nonpreferred target food, milk, other foods appearing on the lunch menu, and essential nutrients were observed. In …

The Effects Of An Instructional Package On Study Question Completion Skills Of High School Students, Jeffery David Montgomery

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate the effects of an instructional package on study question behaviors. The instructional package, incorporating contingent reinforcement, modeling, feedback, contingency contracting and a programmed instruction format was implemented to train four study question answering behaviors identified through task analysis. Each subject demonstrated ability to perform the four behaviors with increased accuracy on experimental measures following training. Results indicated that the instructional package was effective in training increased accuracy in each instructional behavior for each subject. Generalized performance of these behaviors in the classroom environment, assessed through comparison of classroom grades and study …