Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Group Processes In Group Supervision: A Quantitative And Qualitative Study, Jeremy M. Linton

Dissertations

Although group supervision is widely employed with counselors during their training (Holloway & Johnston, 1985; Prieto, 1998) little research concerning its practice has been offered in the literature. The fact that group supervision practices appear to be based on assumptions that lack empirically-based support has led some researchers to raise ethical concerns regarding its continued use (Hess, 1997; Prieto, 1996). In particular, many have raised concerns regarding counselor educators and supervisors' lack of understanding regarding the role of group processes in group supervision. Accordingly, this exploratory studysought to investigate counselor-trainees' experiences of group processes in group supervision. The study also …

An Evaluation Of Methylphenidate Preference In Adults Diagnosed With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Emily Kathleen Macdonald

Dissertations

Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used in the treatment of ADHD, and is associated with positive effects across a wide range of domains. In spite of the clinical effectiveness of MPH, concern has arisen with respect to its abuse potential. The present study examined the reinforcing effects and participant-rated effects of MPH in adults diagnosed with ADHD. Participants included 10 volunteers (ages 18-22) diagnosed with ADHD who were receiving MPH treatment. The reinforcing effects were assessed using a double-blind choice procedure with 4 sampling and 8 choice sessions. During sampling sessions, participants completed a self-report questionnaire before receiving either placebo or …

Using Behavioral Systems Analysis To Improve The Placement Service Of The Association For Behavior Analysis, Lori H. Miller

Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrated the use of behavioral systems analysis tools in the development of a useful service in a non-profit association. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to design a placement system that would add value to the field of behavior analysis by placing behavior analysts in appropriate jobs, internships, and graduate programs; (2) to develop a data collection infrastructure that would assist the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the assessment of the trends related to the human resources of the field; and (3) to advance the knowledge and methodology of behavioral systems analysis.

Six objectives were …

Affective Expression And Behavior In Sex Offenders, Peter F. Rausch

Dissertations

This analytic variable study examined potential differences that exist among juvenile and adult sex offenders on the emotional expressiveness variables of alexithymia and affective orientation, and three behavior variables including self-defeating behavior, risk taking, and reckless behavior. In addition, the adult sex offenders' attachment style in current relationships was examined.

Research questions were tested by t -tests. The significance level for all analyses was set at the .05 level. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the primary attachment style of the adult sex offenders in current relationships.

Participants in this study were 47 juvenile sex offenders from …

A Behavior Systems Analysis Approach To Designing A Hlgh-Impact Knowledge Management System, Jacalyn S. Smeltzer

Dissertations

Behavior systems analysis is an approach to designing and managing systems that incorporates the human-performance-technology model of systems analysis and considers the basic principles of behavior when analyzing causes of performance deficiencies and in selecting interventions to address those deficiencies. Behavior systems analysis focuses on three major conditions that influence behavior: (1) the motivation of the individual, (2) the immediate environmental cues, and (3) the consequences of behavior (Malott & Garcia, 1987; Suarez, 2001). The present study used behavior systems analysis to design a knowledge management system (independent variable) for a small business, a consulting firm in the employer-provided training …

Using Protocol Analysis To Help Determine The Behavioral Function Of Conducting Safety Observations, Alicia M. Alvero

Dissertations

Recent research endeavors have demonstrated the existence of an observer effect . In other words, conducting safety observations increases the safetyperformance of the observer, and may result in safety-related verbalizations. The purpose of this study was to help determine whether observers make self-verbalizations regarding their safety performance and whether these reports are functionally related to safety performance. In order to answer these questions two experiments were conducted using both protocol analysis and the silent dog method. Protocol analysis is used by cognitive scientists to analyze thethoughts of a person as they perform a task, and the silent dog method allows …

Interspecies Encounters: An Ethnography Of A Veterinary Hospital, Dana Atwood-Harvey

Dissertations

There were three broad reasons for this research. The larger goal was to continue to advance the incorporation of 'other' animals and the rest of nature in general in sociological theory and research. The second was to suggest to those who have incorporated 'other' animals into their research, to include them as participants. The third was to redirect the focus of those who have incorporated 'other' animals as participants, to the impact that ideological structures and other social factors have on human-'other' animal encounters. Toward this end, I directed the focus of my study to examine human-'other' animal encounters ina …

Essential Elements Of An Implementation Process For Grant-Funded Projects/Programs In Nonprofit Organizations, Margaret M. Bernhard

Dissertations

Grant seeking is a source of funding for many nonprofit organizations. If a proposal is funded, the organization must contend with the responsibility of project implementation and the expectations of successful project outcomes. A project implementation process with strategic and tactical steps that clearly define the path that leads to positive grant outcomes would assist the grant administrator. Using the Delphi Method as a methodological tool for facilitating dialog among anonymous experts, 12 foundation program officers identified, ranked, and rated the essential elements and barriers of grant implementation. The process revealed 13 essential elements of implementation and 11 barriers to …

Using Journal Writing To Promote Reflective Practice In The Counseling Practicum: A Multiple-Case, Narrative Study Of Counselor Development, Jean Mauriello Germain

Dissertations

The present study investigates the development of reflective practice for beginning counselors. A review of the literature provides support for the benefits of counselors developing reflective practice, and for the use of tools such as portfolios and written journals in order to assist counselors in the development of reflection. However, because these tools have not been systematically implemented and investigated, little is known about the nature of counselors' development of reflective practice. A narrative, multiple-case methodology is used in order to examine the process of development in depth. Methods were employed to achieve trustworthiness of the data. Four participants took …

Goddesses In The Union: A Qualitative Study Of Women In Leadership Positions In College And University Union Settings, Susan H. Payment Edd

Dissertations

The student union facilities found on the majority of college and university campuses within the United States serve a variety of functions. Commonly referred to as the “living room” of the campus community, student unions provide space for co-curricular educational experiences, study and reflection, organizational meetings/business, retail operations, dining and entertainment. The field of university union management attracts individuals that enjoy working in complex, high-energy environments where learning and student development are encouraged. Despite the overwhelming presence of women in today's workforce, the realm of university union management remains dominated by men. A “glass ceiling” appears to exist in this …

The Relationship Between Decision-Making And Accountability: A Case Study Of Two State Community College Systems, Bonnie Ann Dowd Edd, Mba, Bba

Dissertations

Inherent to college governance in many community colleges throughout the nation is the expectation that a collegial or participatory model of decision-making is the appropriate mode of governance. This type of model structures an organization to allow the opportunity for all constituencies to participate in decision-making. Some states, such as California, have mandated a participatory decision-making process, commonly referred to as “shared governance” (AB1725) while others operate in a similar manner but not by legislative mandate. Regardless of the model of decision-making used to govern community colleges, most states are being asked to address educational accountability with regard to student …

An Evaluation Study Of A Community College Administrative Leadership Development Program, Cristina Chiriboga-Hahn Edd

Dissertations

The general purpose of this study was to examine a model for professional development designed to meet the needs of administrators who work within the community college segment of higher education. Specifically, the research project was structured as a formative evaluation of the California community college administrative development program entitled Administration 101 offered through the state's primary professional association for administrators, the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA). The study employed a mixed research methodology that included qualitative approaches to assess: 1. The usefulness of the concepts presented in Administration 101 based on the perceptions of participants and presenters, …

Influential Factors Contributing To Exercise Compliance Following A Structured Lifestyle Change Program, Wayne E. Borin Edd

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States, with five hundred thousand people diagnosed annually. Even though regular exercise has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, few hospitals offer programs that focus on the requisite lifestyle changes for participants to maintain long-term exercise programs. In an effort to determine what factors contribute to long-term exercise compliance, this study surveyed 279 participants of the Scripps Ornish/Healing Hearts program, a comprehensive lifestyle change program, to identify the factors that helped explain variation in exercise compliance among program completers. Results of the hierarchical multiple …

Identifying The Function Of Aberrant Behavior: Comparing Variations Of The Experimental Functional Analysis, Kathryn M. Potoczak

Dissertations

The advent of the experimental functional analysis has had a significant effect on the field of behavior analysis in shifting the focus from topography-based interventions for aberrant behavior to treatment based on function. The original method developed by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman in 1982 utilized attention, demand, alone, and play conditions in a multielement design. Its effectiveness in determining the function of aberrant behavior using both antecedents and corresponding contingencies of reinforcement is well established, and it is the most prevalent method of functional assessment used today.

However, an alternative to the Iwata et al. (1982) procedure exists. …

The Effects Of Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate On Response Acquisition, Sean Patrick Laraway

Dissertations

In the last 10 years, the use and abuse of the club drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) has noticeably increased. Because GHB has only recently emerged as a drug of abuse, relatively little is known about the drug's behavioral effects, including its effects on learning. Therefore, the present study sought to characterize GHB's effects on rats' acquisition of a lever-press response using a two-lever, resetting/cancellation procedure. Under this procedure, responses on one ( reinforcement ) lever produced a single food pellet after a delay of 0, 20, or 40 s. Presses on the second ( cancellation ) lever during a delay interval …

Examination Of The Efficacy Of Behavioral Activation In The Treatment Of Co-Morbid Major Depressive Disorder And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Patrick S. Mulick

Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of 10-weeks of Behavioral Activation (BA) in the treatment of co-morbid Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in six adults using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design. This study is an attempt to expand empirical knowledge regarding BA, co-morbid PTSD and MDD, and the treatment outcome research specifically relevant to these co-morbid diagnoses. All participants met full DSM-IV criteria for both MDD and PTSD at the outset of the study. Duration of baseline for each subject varied and ran for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 weeks. Self-report data were gathered …

One Mind Or Two? How Psychiatrists And Psychologists Manage Medical-Scientific And Religious Interpretations Of Mind, Ellen Wagenfeld-Heintz

Dissertations

Building upon concepts from sociology of medicine, religion, knowledge, and professions, this study explores the social determinants of separation and integration of medical-scientific and religious approaches to mind and mental health. Using qualitative interviews, it shows how, to what extent, and why psychiatrists and psychologists of Judeo-Christian religious orientations or nonaffiliated believers in the State of Michigan are willing or reluctant to integrate religious paradigms in their mental health practices. The study turns to a content analysis of 3,680 articles from two leading professional journals to assess the participants’ claims regarding the treatment of religion prevalent in psychiatry and psychology. …

Contagious Currency Crises, Fasika Damte Haile

Dissertations

Currency crises, prior to the 1990s, were thought to be the result of inconsistencies between domestic macroeconomic policies and the exchange rate commitment. But the collapse of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992, the 1997 Asian crisis and the most recent crisis in Latin America have shifted the focus to models based on self-fulfilling expectations and on contagion. This has resulted in the development of different theoretical models suggesting different mechanisms by which contagion works. But there is still relatively little empirical consensus on how crises spread across countries. My dissertation is intended to fill in the void by …

Drug Courts: A Study Of Retention And Suspension In The Kalamazoo County Drug Court Program, James H. Houston

Dissertations

This is a study of the Kalamazoo County Drug Treatment Court Programs. Participants in the court programs are men and women who reside in the county and are charged with drug-related non-violent felonies. These participants, along with judges and administrators of the program, were interviewed for the study. The interviews were held in face-to-face meetings: participants on neutral ground and court functionaries in their offices.

The study sought to determine what factors contributed to the success or failure of drug court participants. It asked to what extent program requirements are perceived by the participants to be coercive, and how this …

An Analysis Of The Level Of Union Membership In The United States Since The Implementation Of Nafta, David D. Westcot

Dissertations

Union membership in the United States has been in a state of decline over the last two decades and international trade has been cited as one of the reasons. As such, U.S. labor unions perceived the 1994 implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as an assault on organized labor. This perspective is based on the belief U.S. capital and jobs would move jobs south in an effort to take advantage of Mexico's low-wage differentials. With this in mind, the objective of this research was to determine if the percentage of union membership in any of the 22 …

An Experimental Analysis Of The Effects Of Reading Interventions In A Small Group Reading Instruction Context, Christine M. Bonfiglio

Dissertations

The validation of specific reading intervention components in increasing oral reading fluency is evident within the literature for academic responding. However, much of the literature examines these components using single-case designs on an individual basis across students. This study utilized response-guided experimentation in the context of a small group reading instruction with four 4th graders (three male and one female) while examining individual patternsof student responding for oral reading fluency. Acquisition, fluency, and consequential components were examined in a dismantling fashion. Sequential modifications of the treatment package and its components were utilized within a multiple-baseline design in order to identify …

Instructional Leadership In Guam's Public Elementary Schools, Evangeline Quitugua San Nicolas Edd

Dissertations

This study explored the current instructional leadership behaviors of elementary principals in Guam as perceived by the principals and teachers, and examined their perceptions on which instructional leadership functions should be shared or delegated in schools. The Principals' Instructional Management Rating Scale, developed by Dr. Phillip Hallinger and modified by the researcher, was used to gather data for this study. Four hundred eighty teachers (53%) and eighteen principals (81%) in Guam's public elementary schools participated, and there was no evidence of non-response bias. From this study, findings revealed that both principals and teachers shared the same perceptions regarding their principals' …

Employee Receptivity To Three Hundred Sixty Degree Feedback Systems As A Function Of Employee Trust And Employee Commitment: An Exploratory Study, Gregory G. Stump Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative exploratory study was to determine what affect, if any, employee trust, employee commitment, psychological androgyny (an employee sex-role inventory), and various demographic variables have on employee receptivity to 360-degree feedback (R360). Two organizations participated in the study. The first is a large university located in New York; the second is a small consulting firm located in California. A total of 62 participants responded to the 77-item Internet-based survey. The survey was composed of psychometrically adequate constructs developed in earlier studies. Employee trust, a 12-item construct, consisted of 8 items that measured trust in supervisor and …

Political Leadership Perceptions On The College Of Micronesia System In The Federated States Of Micronesia, Elizabeth Diaz Rechebei Edd

Dissertations

Political leaders who establish policies and priorities for the nation have influence on how the FSM's sole postsecondary education institution, the College of Micronesia, Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM) sets its goals and priorities. During this critical juncture of the FSM nation's growth and its effort to be self-reliant, COM-FSM's purposes and priorities are intricately related to the ongoing processes toward self-reliance. Using a case study methodology, this study examined the perceptions of political leaders in the Federated States of Micronesia relating to the purposes and priorities of the College of Micronesia-Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM), and the four campuses …

Looking Forward, Looking Back, Looking Inward: Lessons From Vital Women Leaders In Old Age, Shelly Marks Valdez Edd

Dissertations

Current social paradigms, based on established theory about the aged, consider old age as a time of drastic decline and deterioration and view the aged as nonproductive takers of society's resources. Far from using the wisdom and resources of the aged population, our society marginalizes old adults and treats them as obsolete. This study looks into the lives of nine women over the age of 65 who have found within themselves the strength, courage and determination to overcome the stereotypes of aging in order to become leaders in their old age. Life stories were obtained through personal interviews. Data from …

Intention To Pursue Post-Secondary Education, And Related Factors, Among Jamaican Senior High School Students, Teran T. Milford

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. The proportion of female students in post-secondary schools in Jamaica is approximately twice that of their male counterpart. This is in contrast to the observation that the proportion of male and female students in elementary and secondary schools is about the same. Little or no studies have been conducted to examine factors related to the disproportion of male and female students in tertiary institutions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perception of senior high school students regarding their intention to pursue post-secondary education, and to determine the extent to which the value …

Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd

Dissertations

Public education is undergoing a process of reculturation prompted by standards-based reform initiatives. Student content standards suggest fundamental changes in the way teachers, schools, and districts think about and do their work. These substantive reform efforts require a parallel reorganization in professional development processes. Traditional models that rely on episodic, large-scale workshops are insufficient to support teachers to meet the demands of a standards-driven system. San Diego City Schools has developed an innovative approach to teacher training that is context and situation specific. The observation-based model of professional development utilizes a unique training environment and process. A fully functioning classroom …

Making The Transition From The Field To The Classroom: The Experiences Of Novice Health Care Instructors At Private Career Colleges, Lezlee Haroun Edd

Dissertations

Health care instructors at private career colleges are responsible for training thousands of health services workers who enter the American work force annually. The number of students seeking health care occupational training at career colleges is expected to increase significantly during the next decade because the health service industry is the fastest growing section of the United States economy. At the same time, the public education system does not have the capacity to fully accommodate the future population of students seeking the postsecondary education required for these jobs. Instructors at private career colleges are typically hired directly from professional positions …

W. E. B. Du Bois's “Talented Tenth”: A Pioneering Conception Of Transformational Leadership, Ella F. Sloan Edd

Dissertations

In 1903, W. E. B. Du Bois presented a radical leadership proposal for the transformation of African American life in the United States. His theoretical concept of the “Talented Tenth” emphasized the education and training in leadership of ten percent of the African-American population. This selective group would transform the larger, uneducated segment of the population and lead them to higher levels of social acceptance and independence. This study is a historical investigation into the educational ideas of W. E. B. Du Bois's “Talented Tenth.” It describes the historical factors that led to and influenced Du Bois's development of the …

Perceptions Of Principal Effectiveness And Teacher Morale: A Study Of Public Secondary School Teachers On Guam, Michelle M.S. Santos Edd

Dissertations

For more than a decade, the public schools on Guam have suffered from low student test scores, high turnover rates and low levels of teacher morale. Although there may be many explanations for this persistent problem, an important part of any solution is improving the overall level of teacher morale, which of course, can be influenced in many ways by the actions of the principal. In an effort to determine both the level of teacher morale among secondary school teachers on Guam as well as the factors that may help explain it, including the perceived level of principal effectiveness, this …