Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Personality And Mental Workload On Heart Rate And Heart Rate Variability, Gwendolyn Lorell Pearson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of extraversion and task difficulty on heart rate reactivity, heart rate variability and task performance.

In order to select subjects with extreme extraversion and introversion scores, one hundred and one male undergraduate students between the ages of 18-30 were asked to complete the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Fifteen extraverts and fifteen introverts, as determined by the Eysenck Personality Inventory, participated in the physiological testing session. subjects listened to mental arithmetic problems which were presented by audio tape. The subjects task was to determine if the given answer to each problem …

Factors Involved In Battered Women's Decision To Leave Their Abusive Partners: Shelter Research In The Southeast, Mary Ellen Miles

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This paper is an examination of some of the factors involved in battered women's decision to leave their partners. A review of past literature on battering, suggests factors that account for the women's decision: 1. the more financially dependent (whether actual or perceived) the battered woman is on the batterer, the more likely the woman will stay in the violent relationship regardless of the shelter services offered; 2. women with a teenage child or children will be more likely to leave the violent relationship than women without teenage children; 3 . women who were abused as children will be more …

Natural Language Human-Computer Dialogue: Menu-Based Natural Language And Visual Performance, Jeffrey John Hendrickson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study was conducted to determine design principles for menu-based natural language (MBNL) interfaces and to provide evidence for the nature of visual search processes with menu-based systems. The effects of window size, window activity, and query length were investigated. Window size was manipulated as a between-subjects variable with three levels representing a sixteen-item window size, an eight-item window size, and a four-item window size. Window activity was manipulated as a within-subjects variable with two levels representing single active and multiple active windows. Query length was manipulated as a within-subjects variable with three levels representing one-, two-, and three-item …

Civilian Air Defense Of Norfolk, Virginia, During The Second World War, Larry E. Tonneson

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis traces the history of the civilian air defense program in Norfolk, Virginia, between October 1941 and December 1943. It evaluates the capability of Norfolk's civilian air defense organization to respond to attacks by the German Luftwaffe and assesses the effectiveness of Norfolk's civilian air defense organization in mobilizing and preparing the public for such attacks. The major source documents for this paper include the Norfolk War History Commission papers and the three community newspapers: The Virginian-Pilot, the Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch, and the Norfolk Journal and Guide.

Norfolk's civilian air defense organization was unable to maximize the …

The Effect Of Internal Vs. External Attributions And Level Of Information On Perceptions And Concessions In A Conflict Situation, William Walter Docalovich

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated predicted concessions and subject impressions of internally vs. externally motivated opponents in a conflict situation. One hundred and twenty undergraduate subjects read brief scenarios that presented opening statements made by opponents in a negotiation involving the division of excess funds in an organization. The opponent asked for 80% of the excess money and either blamed external or internal reasons for not conciliating. Half the subjects were also presented with additional information regarding the opponent's prior behavior along the dimensions of consistency, consensus and distinctiveness. It was hypothesized that attribution would interact with additional information so that external …

Dual Task Performance: The Effects Of Task Emphasis And Ear Of Input, Pamela R. Jordan

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This experiment explored the lateralization of the processing of spatial and verbal information during dual-tasks. This study also investigated the relationship between right ear advantage and spatial ability, degree of handedness, and degree of familial handedness. Thirty-two male subjects performed a spatial rotation task and a dichotic listening task. During half of the dual tasks, subjects concentrated on both tasks equally. During the other half of the dual trials, 16 subjects emphasized the spatial processing task and 16 subjects emphasized the dichotic listening task. The results of this experiment do not support either the independent-hemispheric resources or the task-hemispheric integrity …

The Assessment Of Imagery Scales As Potential Predictors Of The Effectiveness Of Thermal Biofeedback Training, Douglas A. Thomas

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Based on the theories pioneered by Sargent, Green, and Walters (1972) in the treatment of migraine headaches, this study has examined the relationship between imagery skills and thermal biofeedback abilities. A counterbalanced design was used to train subjects to cool and warm their hands. They were also given four imagery tasks - the Betts QMI, Verbalizer-Visualizer questionnaire, Paivio's Task, and Block Design task. The results indicated that subjects were capable of controlling hand temperature changes, and subjects trained initially in cooling were more effective at subsequent hand warming, positive transfer. No transfer was found from warming to cooling. Of the …

Television And The Integration Of Europe In The Era Of Satellite Communications, John Erick Roos

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The role television played in the integration of Europe through 1987 is examined in an analysis focusing on historical trends, integration theory, and the effect of satellite technology on the political environment in Europe. Television remained under the jurisdiction of national governments since its inception, satellite communications challenged the system of national control of television and changed television's role in Europe by introducing a revolutionary new delivery system. Integration theorists are cited to define the integration process and provide a foundation for a study of television's impact on European integration. Television policies in each nation are examined to document their …

The Emergence Of A Medical School In Hampton Roads, John Pierce Flemming Iv

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

This dissertation documents the early years in the campaign by community leaders in Norfolk and adjacent cities to establish a local medical school as a means to improving the quality of medical education in the Hampton Roads area. Although attention is focused on the period 1959 to 1973, it is not strictly limited to this period of time.

The methodology for this dissertation is based heavily upon oral research. As one historian pointed out, "What better way to learn about a particular time than from the mouths of those who lived it." Approximately forty individuals instrumental in the founding of …

Parent Participation In The Educational Process And Student Achievement, Linda Worrell Deans

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of parental involvement between parent and child as well as between parent and school. After the level of parent participation was established, the data set was used to determine whether a relationship exists between the level of parental involvement and student achievement at selected secondary urban schools. The selected secondary schools include two different school divisions.

The study employed five approaches: (1) a descriptive analysis of the variables of parental interaction with the child as it relates to a personal, affective level; a monitoring level; and a social level; as …

Dynamic Allocation Of Responsibility Between Operators With Different Models Of System Information Using Computer-Mediated Communication, Michele Terranova

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research focused on the effectiveness of two operator teams for dynamic control of a process simulation. The responsibility for system optimization and failure detection was shared by the operators through computer-mediated communication. System information was displayed to both operators by one of three mental models of the systems: an alphanumeric/separable representation, a graphic/integral system representation, or both representations. The following team-display configurations were used: primary operator with graphic display, support operator with alphanumeric (GRAL); primary operator with alphanumeric display, support operator with graphic (ALGR); both operators with alphanumeric displays (BOAL); both operators with graphic displays (BOGR); and both operators …

Job Satisfaction Among Female Employees As Predicted By Work Friendships, Melinda Jan Montgomery

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to predict job satisfaction among female employees using social environment variables which relate to work friendships. The predictor variables used were target persons perceived job satisfaction level, breadth of workplace friendships, frequency of interaction, friendship quality, and the interaction of friendship and quality.

Thirty-seven female faculty members and 88 female staff employees at Old Dominion University served as subjects. The subjects were asked to complete the Communal scale {Clark, 1986), selected sections of the Acquaintance Description Form (Wright, 1969, 1974), and the work-in-general scale from the Job Descriptive Index on a co-worker considered …

Effects Of The Presence Of A Same-Sex Friend Or Stranger On Coping With Stress, Scott B. Harrison

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

To induce stress, subjects were told they would be maneuvering a tarantula spider through a decision maze. While waiting to perform this task subjects were randomly assigned to one of five experimental conditions. In four conditions subjects were paired with either a friend or a stranger, and they were instructed to either communicate or not. In the fifth condition subjects waited alone as they anticipated performing the task. Negative mood state and blood pressure measures were obtained before and after the treatment conditions. A behavioral fear measure was obtained after treatment manipulation. Higher amounts of anxiety were reported between friends …

Perceived Job Stress In Critical Care Nursing In A Military Setting, Jeannette Theriault

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this study. were: to explore job-related perceptions of stress in a group of military critical care nurses; and to determine if differences in anxiety and stress levels existed between nurses working in coronary care (CCCU) and medical/surgical intensive care (ICU) settings using the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Questionnaire of Stressful Factors in Intensive Care. A free response question and a force-response checklist were also used to identify and rank work-related stressors. The sample of Navy nurses (n=105) consisted of 39 CCU nurses, 62 medical/surgical ICU nurses and 4 critical care supervisors. The results of the mailed …

An Intergenerational Investigation Of Urban Preferences, Angelique A. Gavin

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study attempts to evaluate the urban designs of three cohorts, as well as to investigate the ability of these three age groups to design desirable urban settings for the other two cohorts. Children, young adults, and elderly adults (mean ages= 10, 33, and 69 respectively) designed the "ideal" town for theirs and the other two cohorts. Multidimensional scaling analyses allowed for cross generational comparisons of the composite age-specific maps. Elderly adults were better at taking the perspective of the other two groups in anticipating their urban needs, young adults were the poorest predictors, and children could anticipate the …

The Impact Of Orientation Training On Spatial Cognition And Spatial Behavior In Elderly Shoppers, Elizabeth Ann Mathes

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study focuses on the acquisition of spatial knowledge in a large-scale, novel environment and on the interrelationships among psychometric tests of imagery, psychometric tests of spatial abilities, and experimental tasks involving spatial knowledge. Forty elderly females were provided microspatial information by four means: cartography; videotape; verbal description; and verbal description with imagery instructions. Analyses of behavior in a simulated shopping task within a suburban shop­ ping mall revealed differences in performance only for efficiency in Route Selection task. Cartographic and verbal presentations resulted in greater efficiency than did verbal description with imagery instructions or video­ tape presentations. Supplemental …

Priming In A Simulated Assessment Center Environment: Can Behavioral Observation Training Overcome The Effects Of Prior Information?, Eric J. Vanetti

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Two studies were performed to investigate how behavioral observation training helps assessors handle the information processing demands of the assessment center. In Study 1, the effects of potentially biasing prior information (priming) on the behavioral observations and rating judgments of 90 untrained subjects were determined. Priming was operationalized as one of three sets of information (positive, negative or neutral) that subjects received prior to observing, and rating a designated target individual. Results showed that both the observations and ratings of untrained subjects were influenced by priming. Study 2 investigated the effects of prior information on the observations and ratings of …

Stress Assignment In English, Said Abdessamad

English Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is an examination of some aspects of word stress assignment in English. A survey of the literature shows that there has been controversy regarding the status of the phonological cycle as a mode of rule application as well as the role of suffixes in stress placement. To shed some light on this controversy, various hypotheses about the phonological cycle and the rule of suffixes are presented, among other related issues.

In regard to the phonological cycle, this paper is limited to an exposition of the different hypotheses about the validity of the cycle as a …

The Influence Of Direct Versus Indirect Observation, Candidate Report Format, And Assessor Training On The Accuracy Of Assessor Ratings, Rudolph L. Johnson Jr.

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Within the assessment center method, assessors' preliminary evaluations of candidates' performance are typically based on information obtained through direct observation of the candidate's performance in the situational exercise, or on another assessor's report of that performance. This variation is somewhat disconcerting, however, in that its impact on assessor ratings remains largely unstudied. The primary focus of the present study was to assess the differential effects of observation type (i.e., direct observation, dimension-specific report, narrative report) on various measures of rating accuracy. In addition, the present study investigated cognitive modeling as an assessor training strategy, and its impact on rating accuracy. …

Factors Affecting The Efficacy Of Rater Training: Information Type And Mode Of Presentation, Todd A. Silverhart

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In order to enhance the quality of performance ratings, researchers have directed their efforts towards training raters to evaluate performance more accurately. The purpose of the present study was to examine two factors that may affect the efficacy of rater training for improving the accuracy of performance ratings. One factor was the type of information that was presented during training (target score information, behavioral rationale for target scores, or a combination of target score and behavioral rationale). The second factor was the mode in which information was presented during training (feedback or feedforward). In addition to assessing the unique contribution …

Category Test And Wais Scores: Sex And Age Inter-Relationships, Julia Ann Shelton

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study investigated sex and age differences on the WAIS and Category Test in a sample of 218 persons, half male and half female, between the ages of 16 and 39. The sample was composed of well educated diabetics without neurological symptomatology and of above average intelligence.

Three types of statistical analyses were performed. The first of these were factor analyses of structural composition of WAIS and Category tests as influenced by sex. Results suggested that males and females exhibit different patterns of performance. The second analyses were regression analyses to predict Category Test performance from WAIS scores and …

Bilateral Eda Measurement Of Females During Simple And Complex Listening Tasks, Rory Craig Montero

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study sought to measure hemispheric response to positive, negative and neutral stimuli using a dichotic listening paradigm. Subjects were required to attend to either their right or left ear to enhance any potential hemispheric asymmetry that might occur during emotional processing. Measurement of bilateral EDA was conducted while subjects were presented positive, negative and neutral stimuli both dichotically and binaurally. Twelve subjects met the research criteria and their responses were used in the analyses. A 2x2x2x2x5 mixed model ANOVA was conducted. Significant main effects for Trial, Ear Attention and Stimuli were found as well as a significant interaction …

Learned Helplessness And Masculinity In Women: Performance Effects And Attributions About Success And Failure, Sherry B. Rabinowitz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study attempted to examine the relationships among learned helplessness, masculinity, and attributions about success and failure. The Bern Sex Role Inventory was used to generate a masculinity score for 120 college women. Learned helplessness was induced by exposure to problems that had no solution. Subjects in the experimental conditions were asked to solve one, two, or three different types of problems, seventy-five percent of which were unsolvable. Subjects in the control condition were given three types of solvable problems. After each set of tasks, subjects completed an attributional questionnaire and were asked to rate how well they perceived …

Volunteer Trustees In Urban United Way Agencies, Rosemarie Scoti Cook

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of role and function of trustees and chief professional officers (CPOs) in non-profit, human services agencies that are members of the United Way of South Hampton Roads. Thousands of volunteer hours are expended annually in serving on boards of directors in the Hampton Roads area. These trustees who serve are legally accountable for the agencies, and have certain duties prescribed by their by-laws. However, role confusion and conflict exist over specific duties of trustees.

Responsibilities of for-profit board members were divided into four areas: management--control and oversight; adherence to legal …

Driver Response To Simulated Intersections: An Analysis Of Workload-Related Variables, Monty G. Grubb

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

A roadway intersection driving simulation was created to investigate driver information processing at intersections. Research participants were provided a visual simulation of approaching intersections using a video display with a 120 degree visual field. Six groups, each containing 12 subjects, were formed according to age and gender, with age ranging from 18 to 74 years. All participants viewed 14 separate intersections, which varied according to types of traffic control signs and signals. Individual workload was assessed in three categories of response: performance, subjective, and physiological. A MANOVA was performed on six dependent variables in the 3 (age) by 2 (gender) …

The Influence Of Rater Training, Scale Format, And Rating Justification On The Quality Of Performance Ratings By Three Rater Sources, Steven B. Woods

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The primary focus of the present study was to examine systematically the influence of rater training, scale format, and rating justification on the quality (i.e., convergent and discriminant validity, halo, leniency) of ratings exhibited by three rater sources (i.e., self, peer, observer). Ninety-one undergraduate students participated in a videotaped role play exercise and returned at a later time to take part in a three-hour rating session. These individuals provided self- and peer ratings. Forty-five advanced undergraduate students participated in a similar rating session and provided observer ratings. Convergent validity, discriminant validity, and halo were tested with the multitrait-multimethod analysis of …

The Effects Of Temporospatial Integration On Distance Estimations Of Young And Elderly Adults, Margaret Rowley-Bernicki

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The effect of discontinuity on temporospati al integration in the accuracy of distance estimations was examined utilizing a slide presentation of a route. Participants were 60 young and 60 elderly adults who were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. The two conditions were determined by whether the subjects viewed the walk in a logically sequenced order or a pre-determined randomized order. Subjects viewed the walk twice and thereafter made a series of distance estimates between a series of preselected landmarks chosen by a different group of young and elderly adults. Additionally, subjects gave self-ratings on a twelve-item questionnaire to …

Virginia In Transition: The 1961 Democratic Primary, Thomas Carter Evans

History Theses & Dissertations

The year 1961 marked a turning point in Virginia politics. Two years had elapsed since the General Assembly had abandoned its policy of massive resistance to school integration. In the aftermath of that crisis the Byrd Organization found itself decided between moderates and members of the "Old Guard." In the 1961 Democratic primary Lieutenant-Governor A. E. S. Stephens, a moderate, vied with Attorney General Albertis S. Harrison, the choice of the Byrd Organization, for the gubernatorial nomination. Stephens charged that. the aged leaders of the Organization were too reactionary to lead the state in the 1960s. Harrison reaffirmed the Organization's …

Sins Of The Fathers And Mothers: Relationships Between Parental History Variables And Adult Mmpi Profiles, Kathryn E. Dawson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Self-report data on parental history variables--child abuse, father and mother alcoholism, parental mental illness, and father's level of education--were gathered from 469 male and female inpatients at the Florida Mental Health Institute in Tampa, Florida. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was administered within the first 72 hours of admission.

Discriminant function analyses with step-down procedures were performed to determine the effectiveness of the MMPI profiles in discriminating between parental history groups. Each gender was run separately. When comparing patients with no pathological parent history to groups reporting at least one, the chi square was found to be significant for …

Socialization For Professionals An Analysis Of The Process, Influencing Elements, And Outcomes, Catherine Via Cauthorne-Lindstrom

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the process of socialization of professionals in their educational setting and in work organizations after graduation from college. The purpose was twofold: to test an expectancy-based process model of socialization for its ability to predict commitment and retention intentions in both environments, and to identify differences in individuals' cognitive structures and value systems manifested at different points in the socialization process. Additionally, points of conflict between professional and organizational socializations were explored.

Subjects were 154 nurses and 190 teachers. For each of these professions, four subgroups were sampled: (I) students entering the professional phase of education; (II) …