Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Affective Perspective-Taking And Sympathy In Young Children, Mary Driver Leinbach

Dissertations and Theses

The present study focused upon both behavioral and cognitive aspects of sympathetic responses in preschool children. Subjects, 36 boys and girls aged 33-75 months, were seen at their regular day care center. An attempt was made to promote comforting behavior through the use of a peer model both alone and accompanied by an adult's inductive statement regarding the consequences of a sympathetic response; a six year-old girl served as the sympathetic model and as an apparently injured victim in need of comforting. In addition, age- and sex-related relationships for the measures of social cognition, affective perspective-taking and knowledge of strategies …

The Effect Of Early Handling On The Sexually Dimorphic Rate Of Extinction Of A Conditioned Taste Aversion In Rats, Rebecca Lee Yoder

Dissertations and Theses

Male rats have been found to extinguish a conditioned taste aversion slower than females. It has also been found that female rats that have been "handled" (i.e., exposed to daily brief isolation from siblings and mother) during the preweaning period extinguish a taste aversion faster than nonhandled females. The present study sought to combine and extend these findings by testing handled and nonhandled females and males in a conditioned taste aversion under the methodological conditions used in the sex difference research.

The Determination Of A Relative Chronology For A Surface Archeological Site Using The Obsidian Hydration Dating Method, Scott Preston Thomas

Dissertations and Theses

This methodological study is an attempt to develop relative chronologies for surface archaeological sites from the obsidian hydration analysis of waste flake samples. Two sites in southeastern Oregon were selected and their surface components sampled. The results of the obsidian hydration analysis indicate, that with the use of random sampling methods and general geochemical control, a fairly accurate representation of the history of an archaeological surface site can be obtained.

The Effects Of Correctional Education On Recidivism, William L. Hiser

Dissertations and Theses

The effectiveness of programs intended to rehabilitate criminal offenders has been widely debated during the last decade. This thesis represents an attempt to evaluate the effects of education and training programs in particular, insofar as these effects have been measured in terms of recidivism.

The Development And Effects Of An Educational Audiovisual Presentation On Female Masturbation Upon The Attitudes And Masturbatory Behavior Of College Females, Catherine Ann Hogan

Dissertations and Theses

The current study was designed: (1) to develop an educational tool on female masturbation capable of reaching a wide audience of women with accurate and complete information on female masturbation; (2) to provide initial validation for the further educational usefulness of this tool and (3) to assess its potential ability for improving overall sexual functioning in women by possibly altering negative attitudes toward masturbation and/or by dis-inhibiting masturbatory behavior.

Trouble In River City: An Analysis Of An Urban Vice Probe, Joseph S. Uris

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation is an historical case study of a highly publicized investigation of vice and official corruption which took place in Portland, Oregon from 1954 to 1958. Three major relevant areas of social science literature are reviewed. These are: historical material on American reform and corruption, criminology and political science. This literature suggests both the ubiquity and usefulness of vice and corruption in the urban situation.

A set of propositions regarding vice, corruption and reform was developed from these works. These propositions were then examined in terms of the vice probe and political situation in Portland, Oregon.

The triangulation method …

Factorial Structure Of The Hamilton Rating Scale For Depression, Kevin Page O'Brien

Dissertations and Theses

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS), a 17-item observer-rated scale, was first developed in 1960 to assess the severity of depressive symptomatology in patients diagnosed as suffering from depression. The HRS has since demonstrated high inter-rater reliability (with coefficients ranging from .87 to .94), and has proven useful in measuring changes of severity following treatment.

Since its development, the HRS has been the focus of several factor analytic investigations, four of which attempted to assess the instrument for factorial invariance. Factorial invariance refers to the generalizability or applicability of dimensions developed from one sample to another. While some consensus …

Burnout: Multi-Dimensional Study Of Alienation Among Social Service Workers In The Willamette Valley, Sally Carignan, John Deihl, Judy Harris, Jay Jones, Bonnie Rothman, Sabrina Ullmann, Beth Weinberg-Gordon, Phyllis Weter, Patricia Whitty, Loretta Wilson

Dissertations and Theses

In a profession such as social work, where one is responsible for dealing with the ills of society and meeting the needs of other individuals, such emotional detachment and estrangement from others is antithetical to the purpose of the field and eminently destructive to those seeking and needing assistance. With the current push for accountability, factors such as burnout or alienation from one's work become of crucial importance. In addition, burnout leads to a high rate of absenteeism and job turnover (Minihan, 1980). This too decreases cost effectiveness and the quality of service, matters of extreme concern in a field …

A Description And Evaluation Of The Self-Help Information Service, Cathy Tuma, John Wadsworth

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Self-Help Information Service (SIS) and to obtain information necessary for the improvement of the service. The study also described the development and operation of SIS and assessed the use and effect of the service. The evaluation of SIS was based on initial global utilization data and the results of participant satisfaction surveys targeted at four distinct groups: (1) Self-Help Project staff, (2) Tri-County Information and Referral Service staff, (3) self-help groups, and (4) callers of the service (potential members of self-help groups). The Self-Help Project and Tri-County I …

Environmental And Psychological Factors Surrounding Children Of Cancer Patients: An Exploratory Study, Joan Strong Buell

Dissertations and Theses

This exploratory study examines five families in which one parent was ill with cancer and in which there was a 5-to 8-year-old child. To understand the adaptation to the illness (and, in the case of three families, to the death of the ill parent) of the focus child was the principal aim of the study. The circumstances existing around the time of the illness and death of the parent were seen as particularly important in determining how the child viewed these events. Areas such as substitute caregivers, family routines, information given to the child, and the child's participation in, apparent …

Characteristics And Practices Of Forensics Programs In Oregon Secondary Schools, Gregg T. Sylvester

Dissertations and Theses

Since 1943, six studies have been made of speech education in Oregon public schools. Several make reference to forensics, but none discuss this aspect of speech education in depth. As a result, the role of forensics in the schools has been assumed or denied. With the educational situation as it is, however, it is necessary that we have a greater understanding of the relationship between forensics and general speech education and language arts education.

The Effects Of Public Progress Charts Upon Self-Pacing In A Psi Course In Social Studies In A Traditional Middle School, Lynnette Hager-Godat

Dissertations and Theses

The present study investigated the effects of public progress charts on self-pacing in a social studies course taught by the PSI method in a middle school (grades 5-8). It was found that public progress charts significantly enhanced a student's rate of progress, t(45) = 5.06, p < .01. Student satisfaction with the PSI method was measured and it was found that students liked the PSI method.

A Comparison Of Boone-Prescott Content And Sequence Analysis Data Of Poorly And Highly Rated Clinician-Client Interactive Skills, Kathleen M. Noonan

Dissertations and Theses

One of the qualifications for being a competent speech and language clinician is to be skilled in interactional procedures within a clinic setting. A clinician's interactional skills are developed through training whereby one participates in several clinical settings with clients displaying a variety of speech, language and hearing disorders. Various evaluation methods, both subjective and objective, have been utilized in guiding the clinician towards interactional competency.

Interactional analysis systems have been designed to provide more objective feedback. The Boone-Prescott Content and Sequence Analysis System (B-P) is one of several such systems. Although this system has been found to be an …

Developmental Sentence Scoring Sample Size Comparison, Marilyn May Valenciano

Dissertations and Theses

Assessment of language abilities is an integral part of accruing information on the development of concept formation and the learning of grammatical rules. The maturity and complexity of a child's language can be assessed through the use of a language sample. The sample consists of a specified number of utterances which are emitted spontaneously and then analyzed according to a given procedure.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference among the scores obtained from language samples of 25, 50, and 75 utterances when using the DSS procedure for ages 4.0 through 4.6 years. …

Assessment Of Needs Of Adolescent Mothers In Washington County, John L. Arnold, Jean C. Austin, Gary L. Brink, Jane Hall, Patricia C. Hanson, Valerie A. Ivey, April A. Moran, John P. Pank, Mark J. Skolnick, James A. Tarr, Roberta B. Vaughn

Dissertations and Theses

This needs assessment was conducted by 11 graduate students and their advisor from the Portland State University Graduate School of Social Work. The purpose was to determine the needs of adolescent mothers in Washington County and report the findings to the Washington County Task Force on Adolescent Pregnancy. Data for this needs assessment was compiled from three sources: social indicators (data), service providers, and target population responses.

The Biogeography Of Oregon White Oak (Quercus Garryana) In Central Oregon, Robert Allen Voeks

Dissertations and Theses

The study proceeded as follows: The distribution of Quercus garryana was mapped through field reconnaissance. Annual rings from fifteen trees were counted in order to establish age versus trunk diameter ratios. This greatly simplified the dating of trees. Transects were then run through individual groves to determine population age structures. These age structures, along with Q. garryana's distribution patterns, were graphically compared with historic temperature, precipitation, and growing season data. The effect of livestock grazing on oak reproduction was examined. Potential vagility of the species was evaluated by estimating the potential for acorn dispersion by airfall, streams, vertebrates, and …

Factor Structure And Reliability Of The Revised Family Adaptability And Cohesion Scales, Carol A. Sadler

Dissertations and Theses

The present study assessed scores from 627 mothers, fathers and children throughout the metropolitan Portland area on the revised Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES). Of interest was the revised FACES factor structure, internal consistency and interrater reliabilities.

The results suggested the following: 1) The revised FACES was factorially complex. Only minimal comparability of factors across family roles was evidenced, and the independence of the adaptability and cohesion constructs was not sufficiently demonstrated. 2) The revised FACES was characterized by poor internal consistency reliability for all family roles. 3) No significant agreement among family members was evidenced.

These results were …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between The Degree Of Maintained Fluency Improvement Of Former Portland State University Stuttering Clients And The Overall Language Themes They Used, Karen F. Mathew

Dissertations and Theses

This research examined the relationship between the degree of maintained fluency improvement and the type of language used to respond to questions directly and indirectly related to speaking behavior. The subjects included sixteen former Portland State University stuttering clients who had participated in the Ginter (1979) study on fluency maintenance. The subjects responded to a thirteen item questionnaire dealing with themselves and their speaking behavior. Responses were recorded on the Modified Thematic Analysis Form developed by this examiner and analyzed according to guidelines set down by Stone and Casteel (1975) and this examiner.

The Diffusion Of A Controversial Innovation In The Alsea, Oregon Area, Steven K. Worden

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is a report of an empirical investigation into the twin processes of adoption and rejection as they operate in the diffusion of a specific controversial technological innovation. The innovation, the aerial application of phenoxy herbicides, and its pattern of diffusion throughout the Alsea, Oregon area are examined. The processes involved are analyzed utilizing as a theoretical framework the Classical Diffusion of Innovation Model. This model is discussed in detail with particular attention being called to the social, economic, and political factors that contributed to its development and popularity. This specific model was utilized in this study for two …

Success Expectancy In Depressives, Marilyn Frances Barnowe-Meyer

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis was an attempt to investigate two important cognitive aspects of depression: expectation of success, and changes in this expectation. Recent studies in these areas have yielded inconsistent results. It has generally been concluded that subclinical depressives do not differ from nondepressives in initial expectation of success, though they do at times exhibit smaller changes in success expectancy following personal experiences of success or failure. Two main cognitive theories of depression have attempted to account for this difference between the two populations. Beck (1967) has proposed that depression results from specific negative cognitive processes, among them a denial of …

The French Connection In Early Oregon, Gregory Charles Rathbone

Dissertations and Theses

Many French-speaking people came to the Pacific Northwest. Although most came from Quebec, some traveled from as far away as France, Belgium and Switzerland. When they arrived in Oregon Territory, a juxtaposition of three cultures merged to form a unique French-speaking community governed by a dominant Western Anglo-American character and a living Indian culture for daily subsistence. Most importantly, the French brought their own traditions from Quebec and France. Also, French individuality became altered upon their arrival and through their necessity to adapt to the strange, unknown wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. Some changes came through the need for convenience, …

Preliminary Inventory Of Lifeline Systems And Evaluation Of Seismic Hazards In Reno And Sparks, Nevada, Barbara Priest

Dissertations and Theses

The Reno-Sparks community is in a seismically hazardous area. Recent research indicates that a Richter 7.0 or greater magnitude earthquake could affect the area. Many of the emergency and essential facilities are situated in dangerous geological locations and are housed in outdated structures which could be severely damaged in the event of a major earthquake. Detailed site evaluations need to be made with respect to location of new structures and of existing building safety. The 1979 Unified Building Code seismic provisions should be adopted without exception; Nevada Revised Statute 278 .160 needs to be revised to require a seismic safety …

A History Of The Portland Waterfront Between Southwest Clay And Washington Streets, Its Land Use And Legal Problems, Jeffrey G. Carter

Dissertations and Theses

Between 1845 and 1980 the Portland waterfront between southwest Washington and Clay Streets, east of Front Street, metamorphosed from wilderness to trade center, to highway, to inner-city vacant lot. No place in Portland has more graphically illustrated the rapidly changing forces of the modern age in which the city has grown.

For much of its history this stretch of waterfront was mired in law suits. The struggles centered on public versus private ownership. Originally dedicated as public property, but left unimproved by the city, the waterfront was usurped by private investors. Eventually, private owners allowed their property to decay prompting …

An Alumni Survey Of The School Of Social Work, Portland State University, Stephen R. Fishack, Robert A. Forlenza, Susan D. Fredd, Gigi Gandy, William P. Goldsmith, Thomas L. Grier, Sheila K. Lehto

Dissertations and Theses

The alumni survey conducted at Portland State University School of Social Work by second year students had two purposes. One purpose was to fulfill the research practicum requirements of a Masters of Social Work degree by providing experience in the area of applied survey research. The other was to provide a data base for future alumni research at the school.

Non-Work-Related Services At The Workplace : An Exploratory Study, William Roland Adix, Elizabeth March Christie, James J. Christrup, Carol M. Kaulukukui, Jennifer Idris Lenway, Cynthia A. Nelson, Linda S. Rielly, Steven Sorlien, Kathleen A. Sweeney-Easter, Lynn Campbell Tate, Patricia Jones Warman, Donn C. Warton

Dissertations and Theses

In an era of diminishing public funds, the profession of social work is looking more and more toward the private sector as an arena for social work practice. Social work has had a long-standing interest in the impact of work and the workplace on the individual. This study was developed in response to the lack of documentation of non-work-related services in Oregon's businesses and industries. The research team set out to discover what non-work-related services are available to employees at or through the workplace in the TriCounty area (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties) of Oregon. This study was exploratory, similar …

Alternative Agencies: An Exploratory Study, Linda Crane, Carolyn M. Curnane, Mike Echols, Mary Ann Hanson, Susan Kouns, Richard Ono, Mark Pierman, Susan K. Rademacher, Sara Weisberg, Bea Zizlavsky

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the research project was to try to get some insight into the actual operation and structure of what are commonly called alternative agencies. The project was viewed as an exploratory study, designed to try to understand if some of the commonly held assumptions about alternative agencies seemed to be reflected in actual practice. The research team's first task was to try to develop a working definition of an alternative agency.

Comparison Of Scores Obtained On The Ppvt And The Ppvt-R, Jennie L.M. Choong

Dissertations and Theses

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) is a widely used receptive vocabulary screening tool, but it is not without its limitations, such as inadvisable I.Q. usage and a standardization procedure that lacks scope. A revision of the PPVT, known as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) was published in 1981, and contains a more complete standardization procedure as well as some structural changes of the test itself (Dunn, 1981). Speech/language pathology, whose diagnosticians most commonly use the age equivalent value, is a profession that would gain from information which deals with the equivalency of the PPVT-R to the original PPVT. …

Work Personality As A Factor In Evaluating The Work Potential Of The Mentally Retarded, Janet L. Scally

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis focused on the development of a Work Personality Scale and the systematic study of how this aspect of the mentally retarded person is related to his or her intelligence and dexterity skill level.

Henna, Uses Of It In The Middle East And North Africa, Diane M. Humphrey-Newell

Dissertations and Theses

Since gradually replacing red ochre as a dye in ancient Egypt, henna has been cultivated throughout the Middle East and North Africa Traditional uses dealing with body art and medicine were associated with traits commonly connected with the color red, the dichotomies of life and death, good and evil. Today, these traits have all but disappeared while henna's use as a cosmetic dye, an embellishment, has remained prevalent in some regions. There can be no doubt that many uses and symbolisms attached to uses have gone unrecorded, been forgotten, and are irretrievable. The purpose of this research was to preserve …

Fruit And Flower : The History Of Oregon's First Day Care Center, Danielle Louise Larson

Dissertations and Theses

Fruit and Flower, The History of Oregon's First Day Care Center, is a history of philanthropy in the field of child care. Using a topical approach rather than a strict chronological method, the text discusses the specific subjects of private philanthropy and public funding as applied to the Fruit and Flower institution. At the same time, it traces the exact growth of that institution through a one hundred year maturing process--from its beginning in 1885 as a girls' club of "friendly visitors" to a modern child care center in 1978. This examination of the evolution of a specific social service …