Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Fiddle Songs And Banjo Songs: A Description Index, Gilbert Wayne Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

English-language texts associated with fiddle and banjo in the southern United States are described and then indexed for comparative reference. The fiddle songs are typically humorous, very brief, highly variable and disunified. The same is true of many banjo songs associated with the banjo. Ballads in the fiddle and the banjo repertory are not indexed if previously catalogued by Child or Laws.

Fiddle and banjo songs are defined as texts associated with fiddle or banjo playing, either through instrumental accompaniment or because informants mentally associate them with the fiddle or banjo. Various ways of performing the songs are enumerated, with …

The Public Career Of Maurice Hudson Thatcher, Randy Ream

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The public career of Maurice Hudson Thatcher was wedded to one of the most interesting epochs in Kentucky history and Kentucky politics. From 1895, with his election as county clerk of Butler County, to his defeat for the United States Senate in 1932, Maurice Thatcher was intimately involved in almost every statewide political campaign. He participated in the rise of the Republican party to a point where it was a definite force in state politics and won almost as many statewide races as it lost. He also participated in the party’s relegation to minority status with the advent of the …

The Effect Of Praise And Critical Feedback On The Task Performance Of Young Males Of Varying Levels Of Adaptive Behavior, Michael Reed

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The effect of evaluative feedback on the simple motor performance of young males of varying levels of adaptive behavior was examined. Subjects were 50 male Caucasians (6.0 to 8.5 years of age) randomly assigned to either a praise, criticism, or control condition. Subjects participated in a motor task twice (pretest, posttest). After the first trial of the task (pretest), subjects received either positive evaluative feedback (praise), negative evaluative feedback (criticism), or were asked for biographical information (neutral). The second trial of the task immediately followed feedback. The adaptive behavior level of each subject was determined in a subsequent interview with …

Barbecue In Western Kentucky: An Ethnographic Study, John Marshall

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

After briefly placing barbecue cookery in its proper historical perspective as a traditional method of food preparation, this study describes from an ethnographic viewpoint the methodologies and attitudes of two traditional barbecue cooks, Rev. E. J. Jones of Columbus, Kentucky, and Woody Smith of Arlington, Kentucky, the commercial establishments in which they cook and the role of this form of folk cookery in the area in which these men are located. This material is then utilized to draw conclusions based on the changes which have occurred in the form, process and function of barbecue in the transition from the traditional …

"No Bob Yet" A Collection Of Narratives From Nobob, Kentucky, Keith Ludden

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Transcribed naridtives from the community of Nobob (Barren County), Kentucky, and its surroundings. The narratives were tape recorded between October, 1977 and November, 1978. Interpretation is offered in the form of an introduction, which includes a brief history of the area and a discussion of genre and annotations to the narratives. Annotations make use of standard bibliographical reference works and archival sources available at Western Kentucky University.

The narratives are divided into legend, tale, and personal experience stories. A number of the narratives refer specifically to the Great Depression. The collection seeks to particularly demonstrate the presence of valuable historical …

The American Liberalism Of Eleanor Roosevelt, Janet Wolfe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A biographical study of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt was undertaken to explore the various obstacles she was required to overcome as she grew to become an influential figure in the world of liberal politics. During the New Deal years her influence was most visible as she traveled across the country and relayed to her husband the concerns of the average man. As a delegate to the United Nations, after the death of her husband, Eleanor's devotion toward attaining a United Nations which would keep peace among all nations and her ability to carry out tasks in a patient and …

A Sourcebook For The Interpretation Of Traditional Dance By Outdoor Museums & Historic Sites, Jan Alm

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Folklife scholars often produce work which is valuable to outdoor museums and historic sites. Folklife scholars deal with functional, contextual, emic, and interdisciplinary studies--all approaches which produce valuable interpretive data for museums and sites. This thesis is an example of folklife work designed for use in the museum field.

Outdoor museums and historic sites are increasingly involved with the interpretation of social and emotional life. Because it is a social and emotional event, dance can be a valuable part of this interpretation.

Sites and museums developing programs of traditional dance interpretation may find it helpful to follow several steps: 1.) …

A Validity Study Of An Operational Pre-Hire Assessment Process For Professional, Managerial, Technical Personnel, John Galbraith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research concerning the validity of various procedures for assessing managerial potential is reviewed. It is found that several assessment techniques are valid for identifying and/or predicting potential and that a combination of techniques usually accounts for a significantly greater amount of criterion variance than does a single assessment procedure used alone. The lack of research concerning the use of multiplecomponent assessment techniques for the selection of individual job applicants for lower-level managerial positions is pointed out. The present study concerns itself with an operational individual assessment program designed to identify and select from among experienced job applicants those individuals exhibiting …

Folklore, Folklife & Still Photography: A Synergetic Approach, Debbie Gibson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In 1973 folklorist Jan Brunvand presented a definition of modern folkloristics that challenged folklorists to take an eclectic approach to the study of traditional culture by employing theoretical and methodological approaches from a variety of disciplines including communications. This thesis represents one effort at addressing part of this challenge by discussing specific folklore and folklife objectives and how still photography can be incorporated in the research process.

Chapter one includes a brief overview of how still photography has been used in social science research, emphasizing use of the camera for examination and communication. Chapter two examines the photographic "moment" and …

The 1938 Kentucky Senate Election: Alben Barkley, The New Deal & The Defeat Of Governor A.B. "Happy" Chandler, Walter Hixson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Analysis showed that the 1938 Kentucky State primary became the focal point of a national political struggle over the New Deal. The Kentucky campaign was the most significant of the mid-term elections which represented a major test of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's political strength. Senate Majority Leader Alben W. Barkley gave unwavering support to Roosevelt and the New Deal while his opponent, Kentucky Governor Albert B. Chandler, represented conservative Democrats who sought to wrest control of the party from Roosevelt. The clash of two powerful Kentucky politicians and the widespread use of federal and state patronage distinguished the campaign. Barkley's …

An Educational-Counseling Program On Public Law 94-142 For Parents Of School-Aged Educable Mentally Handicapped Children, Patricia Coakley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The passage of Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, mandates that parents of a handicapped child must be included in the educational planning and placement procedures for their child. The law requires (1) parent counseling and (2) parent participation in the planning of the child’s educational career. Yet almost six years after the passage of Public Law 94-142, the role of parent which emerges today appears to be one of passive involvement in the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process. The literature suggests this lack of active participation possibly stems from several sources: the parents’ …

A Case Study: Neighborhood Ii Conservation Plan, Alice Brooks-Giles

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study was initiated to demonstrate how declining neighborhoods can be revitalized through the cooperation and Partnership of local residents, financial institutions, and local government. The Neighborhood II Conservation Plan assumes that interested and informed residents can plan their own environment just as they plan their own family affairs and budget their incomes. The plan further assumes that residents working together as a team can revitalize their neighborhood at the point of decline. This study pursues various approaches to neighborhood preservation which may be useful to other cities.

Children's Anxiety Management Program: Its Effects On School Anxiety, Defensiveness & Self-Disparagement, Wayne Herner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Anxiety and stress are factors which affect children's day to day functioning. It affects their psychological, physiological, and social functioning. This in turn causes children to do poorly in academics, have poor interpersonal relationships, acquire many fears and phobias, and develop many somatic complaints (e.g., muscle tension, speech disturbances, hypertension, etc.). Children who experience stress and who do not learn to cope with it effectively are likely to have problems as adults. Therefore, the Children's Anxiety Management Program (C.A.M.P.) was initiated to a group of 5th and 6th grade school children in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The purpose of the program …

Intertask Transfer Of Skill Acquisition & Work Decrement As A Function Of Degree Of Task Similarity Between Mental Practice Trials & Physical Performance, William White

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The focus of this study was on motor learning, or the human learning of movement. It is well documented that physical or mental practice of a motor skill followed by an adequate rest period can enhance subsequent performance of that skill. The literature shows that transfer of skill acquisition occurs as a function of the similarity of physical practice trials and the criterion task. In this study mental practice trials wele substituted for physical practice trials. It was hypothesized that the transfer of skill acquisition would also occur as a function of the similarity of mental practice trials and the …

A Comparison Of The Central & Peripheral Theories Of Work Decrement Through The Separation Of Stimulus & Response Components In The Mental Imagery Of A Motor Task, Bruce Jennings

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A total of 180 introductory psychology students from Western Kentucky University were tested with their left hands on the rotary pursuit apparatus. Practice conditions consisted of the following: imagery of the rotor's light movements (stimulus component), imagery of pursuit-type arm movements (response component), imagery of both light movements and arm movements, imagery of the integrated task, and a no practice control group. Nine-minute rest periods were given to half of the subjects in each of these conditions. In addition to providing a better understanding of the processes underlying mental imagery through the breakdown of its components, differences between the stimulus …

An Investigation Into The Use Of Provisional Analysis As A Means To Increase The Use Of Program Evaluation Data, Jeffrey Quade

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent years there has been an upsurge in the demand for program accountability. Program evaluation is often the prescribed procedure used to determine a program's effectivenss. During a program's evaluation, data on the program are gathered by program evaluators. However, in general, the evaluation data gathered are not used by program administrators. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the impact of a procedure termed provisional analysis on increasing the use of evaluation data by program officials. Sixty-five volunteers from graduate courses in education and fifty-two volunteers from undergraduate educational psychology classes were randomly assigned to two …

They'd Have The Biggest Time You Ever Saw: Square Dances As Settings For Community Social Interaction In Trigg County, Kentucky Ca. 1920-1979, Elizabeth Harzoff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study focuses upon dance events, those occasions which have as their purpose the convening of persons to square dance or play party games which resemble square dances. Four different forms of these events were identified in Trigg County, Kentucky: neighborhood dances, play-parties, picnics and barbecues and public dances. I have described them from a historical perspective, examining the social interactions that occurred during the events.

The major portion of the information presented was gathered through interviews with current and past residents of this county. The descriptions span the years from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1970s. …

A Comparison Of Perceived Employee Satisfaction With Downward Communication Within Department Stores In Cities Of Varying Size, Karen Attig

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Three retail department stores of varying size were compared to determine if store size affected employee attitudes toward downward communication. Chi-square and multivariate analyses were used to determine results based on a questionnaire administered to employees within three department stores. Employees within the small department store were found to be less satisfied with the communication received from their store manager than were employees in the medium size and large department stores. Employees within the large department store were found to be more satisfied with downward communication than subjects from other stores.

Thomas Jefferson And The West, Denise Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

From his childhood on the fringe of the Virginia frontier until his years of retirement at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson displayed a special interest in the vast expanse of land stretching westward. The land provided the ideal place for the expansion of Jefferson’s dream of an American empire for liberty. He viewed the continent as the home of an agrarian nation living under the principles of democracy.

Chapter one is introductory in nature, linking Jefferson’s ideals to his interest in the West. Chapter two concentrates on his early contributions to the West. Emphasis is placed on land speculation, the western land …

An Examination Of Cognitive Complexity & Its Relationship With Urban-Rural Locality, Charla Tichenor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined the relationship of cognitive complexity with urban-rural locality, communication apprehension, and world view. Emphasis was placed upon the population variable of urban-rural locality as it related to cognitive complexity; however, the variables of communication apprehension and world view were also examined in an attempt to discover an interrelationship among the variables. Using the Crockett Role Category Questionnaire, the short version of McCroskey's Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, a world view scale as developed by Dodd and Garmon, and selected demographic and group membership items, the researcher tested one hundred fifteen undergraduate college students. Data analyses included analyses …

A Survey Of Administrative Trends In Sport Club Programs Of Selected Colleges & Universities In The United States, David Dean

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify organizational and administrative trends in university club sports. The general research design was the survey via a questionnaire distributed through the mail. The sample was limited to the 102 colleges and universities with student populations between 10,000 and 17,000 as listed with the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Directory. The questions were developed under the general topic area headings: Departmental Supervision, Sponsored Clubs, Memberships, Departmental Financing, Budget, Budget Expenditures, Contest Arrangements, Class Excuses, Academic Standards, Locker Space, Office Space, Varsity Status, Legal Liability and Facilities.

A total of eighty (78.4%) institutions …

Community-Based Programming For Emotional Disturbance In Children, Anna Borders

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Based upon local needs assessment data, review of the literature, and a survey of professionals in the field of children's services, a design for the development of a community- based diagnostic and treatment network for services to emotionally disturbed children was formulated. Addressing the needs of a seven-county area in Southern Kentucky, the program plan defines the processes and procedures for the implementation of regional diagnostic, educational support, and technical assistance services as the initial step toward the establishment of a regional day treatment and residential center providing the full spectrum of special services to the emotionally disturbed youth of …