Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Verbal Reinforcement On Children's Responses To Three Subtests Of The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children, James Thomas Russell Jr.

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of positive verbal reinforcement on the responses to three subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The subtests were comprehension, similarities, and vocabulary. These three subtests were given to thirty children of the Geary County, Kansas, Unified School System, whose chronological age ranged from ten years, one month to ten years, eleven months. Their intelligence quotients ranged from ninety-five to one hundred and five.

The responses to the three subtests were analyzed statistically. The results indicated that positive verbal reinforcement did significantly change the amount of verbal production and …

Parameters Of Reward For Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones Unguiculatus), Charles E. Snow

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This experimental investigation was designed to test which of four rewards would elicit the fastest and most consistent running speeds from Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). The four rewards were: Purina Lab Chow, .045 grams Noyes Precision Pellets, Sunflower seeds, and Hamster feed. Twenty-four male gerbils (90-120 days old) were randomly assigned to a deprivation group (D) and trained in a straight alley runway under a restricted ration deprivation schedule for 70 acquisition and 35 extinction trials. A second group of 24 subjects (non deprived group, ND) were similarly trained while on a free feed schedule.

Each group was further divided …

The Difference Between The Number Of Correct Responses Of Three Intellectually Defined Groups On The Digit Symbol Subtest Of The Wais, Brian Lange

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This study was a preliminary endeavor concerned with an investigation into whether young adults of defined age ranges and defined intellectual levels obtain significantly different scores on the Digit Symbol sub-test of the WAIS.

With the confidence level set at .05, the null hypothesis that there was no significant difference between the Digit Symbol sub-test scores of the retarded, normal, and superior groups was tested. The term young adults was used to describe subjects between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five. The intellectual level defined as retarded, included Intelligence Quotient scores between 50 and 70; the normal level had Intelligence …

Examiner Influence With Children In The Draw A Person Test, Stephanie Syler

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the influence of the examiner on children administered Machover's Draw A Person Test. Forty third and fourth grade children from two elementary schools served as subjects. The administrators were college students.

The subjects were randomly divided into four groups of 5 at each school, so that each examiner administered the test twice, once at each school. Examiners were also randomly assigned to their groups.

It was hypothesized that children tend to use the administrator of the DAP as a model for their drawings. The statistical analysis of data, however, did not support the hypothesis.

During the course …

The Modification Of A Specific Inappropriate Behavior By Using Visual Feedback, Stephen E. Jones

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The study demonstrated the use of self-observation via video tape as a treatment technique. The specific behavior modified was the inappropriate sitting position of ten mildly and moderately retarded adolescent girls. A repeated measures design with two matched groups was used with the experimental group receiving visual feedback of their behavior and the control group a non related visual presentation. The subjects in both groups were observed individually while participating in dyadic discussions with the experimenter. The dependent variable was the number of seconds the subjects exhibited the inappropriate sitting position per 15 minute discussion period. During the baseline and …

Effects Of Contingent Music On Performance Of Retarded Children In A Two-Choice Discrimination Task, Dieter H. Eberl

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

A 125-item, two-choice discrimination test was given to 14 institutionalized mentally retarded children who were subsequently matched on several relevant variables. After Test I was given, all subjects received a music-preference test, and according to their preference were placed in one of two experimental treatment groups. Experimental Group A received music as reinforcement, and Group B received M & M's. The results indicated that a reliable difference was found between the two groups with the music group showing a highly significant increase in performance over Test I and Group B.