Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Communicating With Graphic User Interfaces: A Comparison Of Menu Selection And Menu Bypass Techniques, Monty Lee Hammontree

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted in two phases to determine design tradeoffs relating to command bar menu and bypass code-based techniques for interacting with computers. Forty eight subjects participated. In the first phase of the experiment, mouse-, chorded key-, and function key-based menu selection techniques were compared. It was found that menus were accessed much faster with spatially mapped function keys as compared to chorded key sequences or mouse inputs, and that relative to mouse inputs compatible letter keys lead to faster command selection times. Further, the function key-based technique yielded the fastest combined access and selection times, the fastest …

Determinants Of Feedback-Seeking Behaviors, Melinda J. Montgomery

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the effects of the level of task difficulty, the value of the goal, and the amount of effort required to obtain feedback on the frequency of feedback-seeking behaviors (FSB). The design was a 2 (task difficulty) x 2 (goal value) x 2 (effort) x 3 (day) mixed model analysis of variance. Eighty undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions. Each participant played a computerized stock market game for three "days". Three types of referent feedback and three types of appraisal feedback were available. The results indicated that more …

A Program Evaluation Of The Welcome Baby Project: A Primary Prevention Program For Teenage Mothers And Their Infants, Susan A. Murdock

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The central purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Welcome Baby Project (WBP), a primary prevention program with the mission of promoting child development and a positive relationship between "at-risk" adolescent mothers and their infants and to prevent disorders of attachment, child abuse and neglect, and unwanted, repeat pregnancy. Intervention involved weekly home visits by trained parent volunteers for children from birth to two years.

The WBP mothers and a control group of adolescent mothers were compared on assessments collected during a home visit. Participants were asked to complete the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI), and the …

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 …

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 …

Using Socio-Demographic Characteristics To Evaluate The Program Outcome Of Job Training Partnership Act Clients, Denise Vanasse Siegfeldt

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

The study was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Title II-A applicants who were determined JTPA eligible, assessed and counseled, and subsequently referred by a counselor for on-the-job training (OJT), and their program outcome, as designated by (1) positive and negative terminations; and (2) enrollments and nonenrollments. The study was conducted on clients served by the Job Training Services (JTS), one of the Service Delivery Areas (SDA-13) in the State of Virginia. JTS is located in a largely urban area of the State.

The program outcome evaluation consisted of …

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 Political And Ideological Context Of Broadcast News Cbs Nightly News Coverage Of Eastern Europe, Terese A. Thompson

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the influence of United States/Soviet relations on network news coverage of Eastern Europe. It also measures the ideological character of network news reports about Eastern Europe or how television news in the United States is constructed along a particular ideological vision. The specific operational questions researched are: Is network news content influenced by trends in United States/Soviet relations? How is the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union reflected in the ideological presentation of the news? Samples of CBS nightly news programs were analyzed for quantitative and qualitative changes in news content over time. Analysis …

At The Crossroads: U.S. National Interests In The Gulf And The Middle East, Khalid I. Dekhayel

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The United States not only has profound interests in the Middle East but, as the dominant international power, has an obligation to help· achieve peace and stability in that part of the world. As such, it should strive to play the leading role of championing a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians because the conflict in reality is not an Arab-Israeli one but is Israeli-Palestinian at its core. There are, of course, many barriers in the way of reaching that goal. Chief among them are the extremists on both sides. But the United States is in a unique …

The Origins Of The Department Of Defense Recommendation To Cross The 38th Parallel During The Korean War, Wayne A. Kirkbride

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis considers the reasons the Department of Defense (DOD) developed its recommendation concerning the U.S. involvement in the Korean War. The United states initially committed its forces to restore the status quo antebellum. However, by 31 July 1950, the DOD recommended that a free, unified, and representative Korea should be the policy object of the war and that the occupation of all of Korea and the defeat of the North Korean armed forces north and south of the 38th Parallel should be the military objectives.

Several factors contributed to the recommendation of a change in policy and strategy. A …

Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) An Attempt To Explore The Role Of Khomeiniism In The War, Masoud Bonyanian

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the impact of Khomeiniism on the Shi'ites of Iraq. Specifically it seeks to determine whether the rise of Khomeiniism in Iran inspired Iraq's Shi'ite majority to rise against the Ba'athist leaders of Iraq with the object of establishing an Islamic Republic. The paper focuses on the political activities of the Iraqi Shi'ites from Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power in Iran in February 1979 to the beginning of hostilities between Iraq and Iran in September 1980. The evidence indicates mounting anti-Ba'athist political activity by the Shi'ites which included daily rioting, attempted assassinations, and a rise in the number …

Inter-American Indemnity: Internal Security And The Mutual Security Program For Latin America (1951-1961), Robert George Baker

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the purpose of U.S. military aid in the American Republics from 1951 through 1961 and proves that concern for internal security became dominant during that period. At first military aid supported hemispheric defense against communist aggression, which Washington orchestrated through mutual defense agreements, but by 1953 maintenance of internal security emerged as the major aim of aid to several Central American nations. In 1956 the National Security Council determined that internal security was a vital goal of the military aid program for Latin America. The ascendance of internal security concerns is described and analyzed in three parts: …

In The Shadow Of Oriental Culture: A Study Of The Impact Of Confucianism On Japan's Economic Development After World War Ii, Xuedong Xu

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Japan's fast economic growth after World War II can be ascribed to different factors. This study seeks to determine whether the cultural factor, more specifically Confucianism in Japanese version, has constituted the dynamism behind the success stories of Japan. The study approaches the problem by examining the Confucian doctrine and original works of important Japanese philosophers concerning the Confucian ethics and values, which are recrystallized into new organizational patterns in industrial corporation. While the period after World War II is the focus of the study, the unique features of Japanese industry like "Life-time Employment" and "Groupism" are reviewed to determine …

Relocation Decision-Making In Dual-Career Couples, Lori Bartels

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the decision-making process of individuals in dual-career couples when faced with a job opportunity in a distant city. The purpose was to determine which factors would be given the most importance by males and females during the decision process.

Each scenario presented an identical situation in which the participant was offered a job in a distant city. Following this paragraph were five brief statements representing five factors; job opportunities for self, job opportunities for spouse, career commitment--self, career commitment--spouse, and economic considerations. Two levels (moderate and high) of each factor were used in order to manipulate the …

The Effect Of Fear Of Success And Perceived Task Difficulty On Cognitive Performance, David Eugene Elkins

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship of fear of success (FOS) and perceptions of task difficulty, their interactive effect on anagram and matrix-task performance and possible gender differences on these variables. A total of 226 students, 83 males and 143 females, participated in the study. FOS was measured by the administration of Zuckerman and Allison's (1976) Fear of Success Scale. Perceptions of task difficulty were manipulated by use of falsified normative data. Subjects therefore believed the upcoming task was either easy or difficult or the subjects were employed as controls. An anagram task and 12 items selected from Raven's Standard Progressive …

Difference Between Maternal Characteristics And Home Environments Of Day Care And Non-Day Care Families, Eva Granahan Clarke

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine differences between maternal characteristics and the home environments of families who planned to use day care and those who did not. The relationships between maternal personality characteristics and the other variables under investigation were also examined. The subjects completed four questionnaires which assessed attitudes towards working mothers, maternal separation anxiety, parenting stress, and general personality characteristics. The home environment was assessed by the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment. The subjects in the study were 16 mothers who planned to remain home and not place their children in day …

Characteristics Of Families And Home Environments That Facilitate The Successful Adaptation Of Children Into A Formal School Environment, Janice Elich Monroe

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to determine what characteristics of families are most likely to enhance the development of social capital in young urban school children and to determine which of these characteristics or combination of characteristics contribute to a child's ability to adapt positively to a formal school environment. This purpose was accomplished through the design and implementation of an ex post facto study utilizing qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The sample for this study included 33 second grade students from four target schools in the Norfolk Public School System who were identified as disadvantaged and as either …

Operator Strategies Under Varying Conditions Of Workload, Ruth Justine Arnegard

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study attempted to operationally define and measure strategic behavior in a complex multiple task environment. The Multi-Attribute Task battery was developed to simulate various aspects of flight and consisted of an auditory communication task, monitoring tasks, a tracking task, a resource management task which allowed a wide range of responding patterns, and a scheduling window which allowed operators to predict changes in workload. This battery was validated for its sensitivity to strategic behavior and baseline measures for each individual task were collected.

Twenty-four undergraduate and graduate students then performed the battery for four 64-minute sessions which took place …

Norfolk Resource Mothers Program Evaluation, Margaret Moore Konefal

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study uses the post-test only design to assess the preliminary effects of a community-based policy initiative, the Norfolk State University Resource Mothers Program (RMP), on the gestational ages, birth weights, and survival rates of infants born to participating adolescent mothers.

The RMP uses experienced mothers or paraprofessionals similar in race and socio-economic status to the participating teenagers. These persons are trained to assist pregnant adolescents and teen parents with nonmedical dimensions of pregnancy and child care. They recruit teens into the RMP, encouraging them to get early prenatal care. Resource Mothers provide teen mothers and their families with practical …

A Comparative Analysis Of Nurse Leaders' Degree Of Transformational Leadership And Staff Nurse Job Satisfaction, Kathie Sawyer Weatherly

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The intensified pressure for change in nursing organizations has presented nurse leaders with opportunities to transform bureaucratic settings into professional practice environments. Transformational leadership has been identified as supporting the changing values of staff nurses and promoting job satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse leaders' degree of transformational leadership and the relationship between transformational leadership and staff nurse job satisfaction. Quantitative analysis, using an independent t-test, indicated a significant difference between nurse leaders' and staff nurses' perception of the nurse leaders' degree of transformational leadership. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant relationship between transformational leadership and …

The Role Of Priming In The Rating Process: An Investigation Of Priming Effects In A Simulated Assessment Center, Rebecca Regan Keever

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Through interactions with others in the assessment center, an assessor may be exposed to potentially biasing information (priming). Research from other fields indicates that raters will use this prior information in making judgments. This study examined priming in a simulated assessment center, using a 2 (primed or unprimed) by 2 (trained or untrained) by 2 (prestige-relevant or relevant-only source of information) within-subjects design. A total of 136 participants observed and rated the behavior of three candidates. Primes describing behaviors engaged in by each candidate were presented before participants observed them. All information was presented by either a professor or a …

Uncle Sam's Lesbians: Power, Empowerment, And The Military Experience, Patricia Lee Davis

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Why would a lesbian choose to go into an androcentric, mysogynist environment, and, once there, choose to stay? This study examines the military experience of lesbians as represented by a group of twenty-two lesbian veterans and active duty military personnel. This research concentrates on three basic areas of concern: recruitment, retention, and the structure and function of personal networks.

The results show many similarities between this group of women and those in other studies on women in the military with regard to reasons for joining the military and background information. However, these results also indicate a connection between being gay …

Computer Use In The Scientific Office, Douglas L. Miller

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Over the past two decades computers in research and development organizations have become a complex and integral part of the work process. Yet to date only a handful of systematic investigations have addressed issues involving scientists' or other professionals' use of computers, and very little is known about factors influencing use (Bikson and Gutek, 1983; Blacker and Brown, 1986; Collopy, 1988; Gasser, 1986; Helander, 1985; Nickolson, 1985; Pope, 1985). As a result, this research was designed to address four objectives. The first was to develop and evaluate a descriptive model of variables influencing scientists' computer use. The second objective was …

School Desegregation And Urban Renewal In Norfolk, 1950-1959, Forrest R. (Hap) White

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Although a number of scholars have examined the impact that the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision had upon local school policies, there is a paucity of research on what repercussions that decision may have had upon a broad range of other related municipal issues. This historical case study explores the effect that opposition to court ordered school integration had upon the placement of school buildings and urban renewal projects in one Southern city, Norfolk, Virginia, where there was strong reason to believe that the municipal powers of school plant planning, redevelopment, and city planning were deliberately …

Refuge Land Acquisition: Helping Preserve Back Bay's Wildlife Heritage, Julia Herrick, Ben Mathias, Janet Taylor

V. Poster Abstracts

The once-renowned waterfowl populations and bass fishery of Back Bay, Virginia have declined dramatically in recent years. Lands surrounding Back Bay are increasingly threatened by on-going and potential land development. These lands serve as an important filter for pollutant and sediment-laden runoff from adjacent areas. The boundary of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was expanded in 1989 to include an additional 6,340 acres of brackish marsh, forested swamp, and "critical edge" upland habitat, important to a variety of wildlife species and for its natural filtering effect. Within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's policy of working with willing sellers, …

Overall Laughing One And The Experiences, Anina Porter Adams

Institute for the Humanities Theses

A fictional play based on the study of writings by psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung. The action is set in the imaginary realm of archetypes, amoral personified energies which appear in tales from diverse cultures. In this play the mythical characters move in an ordered, ritualistic manner. They are dependent upon a geometrically centered black box for the provision of human forms through which they experience "being." A female is the human form provided in this instance and she combines her own energy with that of the other characters though she is not conscious of this fact. The archetypal energies focus …

Psychosocial Developmental Levels Of Freshman Urban University Students With Learning Disabilities, Nancy Ann Wolthuis Olthoff

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This research study addressed the question, "Is there a difference in psychosocial developmental levels, as defined by Arthur Chickering, between male and female traditional-aged urban university freshmen with and without learning disabilities?" Twenty students with learning disabilities, as diagnosed by independent practitioners who exhibited spelling disabilities on a writing sample placement test, were compared to two comparable groups of twenty students. One comparison group did not exhibit spelling disability. The second group while demonstrating spelling problems, did not have documentation of learning disabilities. The Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Inventory, a measure of Arthur Chickering's theory of psychosocial development, was …

The "Virginian-Pilot" Newspaper's Role In Moderating Norfolk, Virginia's 1958 School Desegregation Crisis, Alexander Stewart Leidholdt

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This dissertation explores the critical role played by the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper's editor, Lenoir Chambers, in moderating public opinion during Norfolk, Virginia's, 1958/1959 public-school closing.

In 1958 the nation's attention was focused on Norfolk. In an attempt to stymy judicially mandated integration, Virginia's Governor J. Lindsay Almond, Jr., supported by the powerful political organization of United States senator Harry Flood Byrd, Sr., ordered the city to close its public schools.

Norfolk was a major urban area. Over ten thousand students were displaced by the state action; and four months after the closing, three thousand students were still receiving no education. …

The Effects Of Wellness Activity Choices On Urban Employees' Psychological Mood States And Job Satisfaction, Ruth Porter Holland

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This ex-post-facto study was designed to examine the effects of varied levels of physical activity participation choices on employees' mood states and job satisfaction. A six (group) x two (sex) x three (times) ANCOVA method analyzed the relationship of three independent variables (group, sex and repeated exercise sessions) to ten dependent psychological measures (seven mood states and three job satisfaction components). Comparisons by group, sex, and time were made to determine whether four treatment groups of male and female employees who made choices to participate in varied levels of physical activity over an eight week period differed significantly from two …

The Legislative Process In The Virginia General Assembly: Ten Case Studies Of Environmental Legislation Proposed By Hampton Roads Cities, Betty Jean Meyer

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Management

This study addresses the following two questions: (1) How does the Virginia General Assembly process bills which are proposed by local governments in Virginia? and (2) Are there identifiable factors in this legislative process which could be impacted by local governments to influence legislative outcomes? These questions are addressed by focusing on ten case studies of environmental issues contained in legislative proposals of six cities in Hampton Roads Virginia for the 1987, 1988, and 1989 sessions of the General Assembly. The case data were compiled from records of the General Assembly, media accounts, and interviews with 19 legislators and other …