Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Maternal Linguistic Input To Normal And Expressive Language Delayed Toddlers, Terril Joy Elwood

Dissertations and Theses

Research suggests that the linguistic environment of the expressive language delayed child is different from that of his peers. Does this difference actually exist and if so, what are its characteristics? The purpose of this study was to describe the linguistic characteristics of mothers' input to children with normal language acquisition and those of mothers of expressively delayed toddlers; and to identify any differences between these groups. Though considerable research exists in this area, few studies have dealt specifically with large groups of expressively delayed toddlers.

Normative Data On The Auditory Memory Test Battery For Ages 9 Through 13 Years, Elisabeth Y. Carter

Dissertations and Theses

Auditory short-term memory (STM) is important for speech and language development and for learning new information presented auditorily. Research has shown that auditory STM ability is of a developmental nature in the 5 through 8 year age range for a variety of auditory stimuli. Many tests and subtests are available to measure auditory STM ability, however one test, the Auditory Memory Test Battery (AMTB) measures auditory memory span and memory for sequence for 5 types of stimuli.

The purpose of this study was to collect normative data on the AMTB scores of normal 9 through 13 year old students and …

Sex Role Traits And Psychological Merger In Lesbian Relationships, Susan G. Dahlstrom

Dissertations and Theses

Much of the literature on lesbian relationships links the positive feminine relational trait (intimacy or communion) with problems of psychological merger (Burch, 1982, 1985; Decker, 1984; Elise, 1986; Krestan and Bepko, 1980). Karpel (1976), describes psychological merger as a person's "state of ernbeddedness in and undifferentiation within, the relational context" (p. 67) . This study explores the femininity/masculinity sex role traits as they relate to psychological merger in lesbian couples.

Thirty-eight lesbian couples were recruited through friendship and acquaintance networks, newsletter announcements and direct solicitation of members of the Portland Lesbian Community Project (LCP). Couples had to have been living …

A Multivariate Test Of Evolutionary Stasis In Homo Sapiens, Jon Geoffrey Kleckner

Dissertations and Theses

In the past, efforts to prove or disprove stasis in hominids have relied upon univariate tests such as Students's t-test. Severe methodological and interpretive problems arise from the misapplication of univariate statistics to questions concerning variation in shape through time. These are questions best addressed using the multivariate approach of morphometrics. Eighteen cranial dimensions drawn from 33 mid and late Pleistocene Homo sapiens were examined using principal component analysis (PCA). PCA divided the sample into two distinct morphologies. Archaic Homo sapiens of the mid Pleistocene clustered with Wurm I neanderthals and apart from post Gottweig early anatomically modern Homo sapiens. …

Something Old, Something New : Marriage Customs Among The Druze In The Shouf Mountains Of Lebanon, Nancy Scarlette Beaini

Dissertations and Theses

The focus of this research was to obtain, specifically, data on the marriage customs of the Druze in the Shouf Mountains of southeastern Lebanon. Ten Druze informants were selected and classified according to sex, age, marital status and religious status (sheik/sheika). A detailed questionnaire was designed to use during the interviews with these informants. However, after two interviews, it became apparent that a variable questionnaire was necessary to take advantage of the new, richly-detailed, cultural information that emerged with each informant. New questions were developed, in the field, to reflect and gather this new ethnographic data on Druze marriage customs.

Reading Comprehension In Dementia Of The Alzheimer's Type : Factual Versus Inferential, Donna Jensen Graville

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reading comprehension abilities of those with mild and moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) and compare their performance to that of a sample of non-demented elderly. Thirty-eight male subjects were used, 20 non-demented elderly, nine mild DAT and nine moderate DAT. All were administered level B of the NRST. This test contains questions requiring three levels of inference: literal, translational, and high-level inference.

Preferred Perceptual Learning Styles Of Chinese Students, Alex Albert Pia

Dissertations and Theses

The basis for this study was work done by Joy Reid (1987) of Colorado State University. Reid's work analyzed the pref erred perceptual learning styles of several groups of English as a Second Language students and one group of American students. The learning styles concept has been established on the theory that students have a particular mode through which they learn best. The learning styles analyzed in this study were: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, tactile, individual, and group. The objectives of this study were to determine the relationships that exist between the preferred perceptual learning styles of P.R.C. and American students …

Types Of Phonological Processes Occurring In Normal Black English Speakers, Eileen Rella

Dissertations and Theses

Black English (BE) is a rule-governed linguistic system with its own phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. BE is a dialect, not a disordered variation of standard English (SE). When compared to SE, BE phonology has been described in terms of omissions, substitutions, and additions. This study looked at normal BE speakers in Portland, Oregon and described their dialectal differences in terms of phonological processes.

Subsistence Variability On The Columbia Plateau, Ricky Gilmer Atwell

Dissertations and Theses

Long-term human dietary change is a poorly understood aspect of Columbia Plateau prehistory. Faunal assemblages from thirty-four archaeological sites on the Plateau are organized into fifteen aggregate assemblages that are defined spatially and temporally. These assemblages are examined in terms of a focal-diffuse model using ecological measures of diversity, richness and evenness. Variability and patterning in the prehistoric subsistence record is indicated. Major trends in human diet and shifts in subsistence economies are documented and the relationship between subsistence and some initial semi-sedentary adaptations on the Plateau is clarified.

U.S.-Soviet Interchange : An Examination Of The Underlying Assumptions Of U.S. Peace Organizations Sponsoring Contact With Soviet Citizens, Hyla Rosenberg

Dissertations and Theses

The research focus of this study was upon U.S. peace organizations which sponsor face-to-face contact with Soviet citizens. Nine U.S. peace organizations were included in the study, the names of which were acquired through a publication produced by the Institute for Soviet-American Relations. The researcher contacted approximately 28 organizations either by telephone or mail, requesting that organizational literature (program descriptions, newsletters, brochures, pamphlets) be sent to the researcher for the purpose of conducting a rhetorical analysis of such literature.

Commercial Activities And The Geography Of Movement In A West African Urban Market: A Study Of Market-Stall Traders In Onitsha With Implications For Transport Policy, Krys Chukwuma Ochia

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the non home-based travel behavior of urban market traders in Onitsha, Nigeria, where 58-70% of the labor force is engaged in trading.

Relevant trip-inducing variables--gender, location, a means of personal transportation, size of stall and, type of good sold--were selected to assist in theorizing about the travel behavior of traders. Using a systematic sampling methodology, 246 stalls were selected and the MLR model was applied in data analyses.

The results show that a typical stall is occupied by either one or two traders. There are three male traders for every female trader …

Predictors Of Depression In American Indian Adolescents, Quang Duong-Tran

Dissertations and Theses

Discriminant analysis was conducted to examine the empirical use of psychosocial variables and stressful life events scales in classifying depressed and non-depressed American Indian adolescents using a standardized criterion measure. Subjects attending a Bureau of Indian Affair boarding school were administered a mental health screening survey and were interviewed within four weeks using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule f or Children-Revised (DISC-R). Three models of discriminant analysis were used to determine the overall and incremental variance contributed by the stressful life events scales and the related psychosocial variables (i.e., gender, perceived social support from family and from friends, self-esteem, and depressive …

Cultural Relativism In Intercultural Communication Theory : A Descriptive And Heuristic Study, Ellen Linnea Trygstad

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine how the concept of "cultural relativism" is used in the current literature pertaining to intercultural communication. This concept is central to much of the work being done on face-to-face intercultural communication, but a preliminary review of that literature indicated ambiguity and lack of concurrence among authors' views regarding the concept. This research was designed to describe the range of authors' views on cultural relativism as well as to provide some historical and critical perspective regarding "cultural relativism."

Law Enforcement Services In Clackamas County: Description And Financial Analysis, Judy Seppanen Davis, Peter B. Morris, Mark Bechtel, Jan Monroe, Charles Tracy, Sheldon Edner

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

This report was prepared for the Clackamas County Blue Ribbon Committee on Law Enforcement by the Center for Urban Studies, Portland State University. The report provides a description of the current system of law enforcement service provision in the County by city and County service providers. It also analyzes the current financing process of law enforcement with regard to the equity of service received in relation co amounts paid by city and County residents. The analysis focuses only on law enforcement and does not address rhe other services provided by the County or other jurisdictions. Further, the findings presented here …

Employment Decline I Timber Dependent Regions, Anthony M. Rufolo, James G. Strathman, Lois M. Bronfman

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

Employment in the wood products industry in Oregon has declined over the past decade despite the resurgence in demand for the products of the industry in the last few years. Because of the dependency of rural regions on this industry, the Ford Foundation funded the authors to undertake a study of the causes and consequences of employment decline within the industry. Such information can contribute to the development of strategies for improving the economic viability of these regions.

Tunber dependent regions in Oregon fit the classic export-base model of economic development These areas produce wood products for export to other …

The Market For Convention Facilities, Philipp Degens, M. Hossein Haeri, James G. Strathman

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

Conventions, trade shows and meetings represent an industry of considerable size in the United States. In a 1984 survey, the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus estimated a total of 20.5 billion dollars of annual expenditure generated by 54.3 million delegates nationwide. Despite its economic importance, the industry has received little analytical attention in the literature on tourism. In this paper we develop and estimate a model of demand for metropolitan convention facilities. Our results suggest that metropolitan convention activity is sensitive to both cost and attraction-related factors.

Governing And Managing Multi-Modal Transit Agencies In A Multicentric Era, Sy Adler, Sheldon Edner

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

We explore the dynamics of governing and managing multi-modal regional transit agencies through a case study of the Tri-County Metropolitan Transit District (Tri-Met), which provides bus and rail transit services to the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area (see map). Along with other similarly constituted firms in the United States transit industry, Tri-Met confronts the challenge of providing service in a geopolitical context that is quite different than when the agency was created. The critical new element in Tri-Met's operating environment is the emergence of several suburban business centers that effectively compete with the Portland central business district (CBD), and are seeking …

A Comparative Study Of Chinese Efl Reading Instruction And American Esl Reading Instruction, Changhua Wang

Dissertations and Theses

Reading instruction in China and that in the United States are so different that they are not compatible. In fact, they seem to go in opposite directions. This study examined some of the differences between Chinese EFL reading instruction and American ESL reading instruction through analyzing selected tape-recordings of reading classes from China and the United States, and comparing Chinese EFL reading textbooks with American ESL reading textbooks.

This study was intended to answer the following questions.

1. Is a bottom-up method of reading really taught in China while a top-down method is taught in the United States?

2. Compared …

Report On State Measure 5 Finances Intercollegiate Athletic Fund By Increasing Malt Beverage, Cigarette Taxes, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Report On Ballot Measure 4 Requires Full Sentences Without Parole, Probation For Certain Repeat Felonies, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Geographic Information Systems: Research Issues, Kenneth Dueker

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

GIS research has evolved by trial and error. We need to think more systematically about GIS research. New technology and societal needs are important determinants of issues that govern GIS research strategies. URISA has a stake in fostering GIS research, particularly research that is appliications driven.

Report On State Measure 6: Indoor Clean Air Law Revisions Banning Public Smoking, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Report On Ballot Measure 7: Oregon Scenic Waterway System, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Report On Ballot Measure 1: Extends Governor's Veto Deadline After Legislature Adjourns; Requires Prior Announcement, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Report On Ballot Measure 8 Revokes Ban On Sexual Orientation Discrimination In State Executive Branch, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Flat Panel Display Parameters Across Three Application Areas Upon Similarity Judgments, Novia Weiman

Dissertations and Theses

A human performance experiment was conducted to investigate pixel parameter requirements for three types of flat-panel display images: an alphanumeric character, an oscilloscope waveform, and a real-world image. Subjects performed similarity judgments between an extremely high-quality image and an image composed of different levels of anti-aliasing and pixel width-plus-pixel separation (pitch). It was found that the effect of pitch had greater influence on perceived image quality for the alphanumeric character and oscilloscope waveform than for the real-world image. The results of this research provide empirical evidence showing that the pixel pitch requirements for flat-panel systems that are used to display …

Focal Point, Volume 03 Number 01, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Cultural competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency or professional to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. The word culture is used because it implies having the capacity to function effectively. A culturally competent system of care acknowledges and incorporates - at all levels - the importance of culture, the assessment of cross-cultural relations, vigilance towards the dynamics that result from cultural differences, the expansion of cultural knowledge and the adaptation of services to meet culturally unique needs.

Infrastructure Politics: The Dynamics Of Crossing San Francisco Bay, Sy Adler

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Analyzes the efforts to deal with the San Francisco Bay Bridge controversy, 1945-59, to develop a theory of the politics of transport infrastructure projects by studying the influence of urban rivalry and the circumstances that allow political stalemates to be broken.

Information Report On Burglary In Multnomah County, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Modeling Cadastral Spatial Relationships, Kenneth Dueker, Daniel Kjerne

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

Research exploring the object-oriented paradigm as a tool with which to model location of objects in maps is reported. The research led us into three areas:

• the use of an object-oriented language, Smalltalk.-80 to model cadastral location using the object-oriented paradigm.
• study of the development of spatial information systems, such as engineering design and computer-aided design(CAD) database systems based on object-oriented ideas, to see how that approach might be useful for developing a mapping system.
• Finally, the conceptual exploration of how an object-oriented approach might facilitate linkages of location among layers of a land information system.

Future research is needed …