Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Public Posting And Supervisor Recognition On Treatment Team Performance In A Mental Health Institution, Susan Mencarelli

Masters Theses

This study compared the effects of public posting and supervisor recognition on the performance of professional staff in a mental health institution. Eleven indicators of successful performance in the writing of patient treatment plans were established after an analysis of existing standards. Seven treatment teams comprised the subjects of the study and included psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, activity therapists, and residential care aides. Group performance data were used. The measurement and scoring systems which were developed proved to be highly reliable.

Neither form of performance feedback resulted in consistent improvement in performance on any of the eleven indicators. This …

The Differential Effects Of Performance Monitoring And Performance Contingent Consequences In A Laboratory Setting, Julie A. Glasser

Masters Theses

A simulated work task, consisting of paper and pencil quality control inspection, was used to examine the effects of performance monitoring and performance-contingent feedback on the quality and quantity of work produced. Six subjects were exposed to two treatment conditions. During monitoring only, a supervisor checked performance by asking subjects about their progress. During performance-contingent feedback, a supervisor informed subjects of the number of correct inspections completed on a sample page and summarized the quality of their work in a brief statement. Performance was measured in terms of error detection accuracy (errors missed and false error detections) and rate of …

The Suburban Rice Farmers: Economic And Cultural Change In Japan, Makoto Chiwaki

Masters Theses

The world economic situation is forcing the Japanese government to initiate policies designed to make its rice farming industry more competitive on the world market. These new policies, along with the growth of Japan's urban areas, are causing certain stresses on the cultural institution called bunke among the part-time rice farmers in the Kaizuka region of Chiba City, Japan.

An ethnographic study of these farmers reveals that the farmers of the Kaizuka region have responded to recent changes differently from the farmers of other regions because of their cultural institutions and traditions.

The Rhetoric Of Slobodan Milosevic And War On The Territory Of Yugoslavia, Agneza Bozic

Masters Theses

The hypothesis of this work is that the political rhetoric of the Serbian leader, Milosevic, was among the major factors contributing to the political and social changes in Serbia and Yugoslavia, which ultimately led to the war.

Three of Milosevic's speeches were studied in detail: the speeches of April 24, 1987, October 17, 1988, and November 19, 1988. The method of rhetorical analysis was adopted from Andrews (1990) because this method stresses the importance of context and effects of the speech. The theories of political language (Graber, 1981) and of political rhetoric (Bitzer, 1981) together with Johannesen's (1989) theory of …

A Survey Of Computer Use In Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Sites, Martha E. Parks

Masters Theses

Eighty-three Western Michigan University occupational therapy fieldwork sites were surveyed to determine: (a) extent of computer use, (b) diagnostic categories with which computers are used, (c) extent of computer knowledge of registered occupational therapists (OTRs), and (d) adequacy of computer knowledge of fieldwork students. Forty-seven (56.6%) of the 83 surveys were returned. OTRs at 36 (76.6%) of the 47 sites currently use computers. Word processing is the most common way in which these OTRs use computers. The most common clinical use of computers is perceptual/motor assessment and treatment, while the most common research use of computers is for report writing. …

Perceived Importance Of Selected Nonverbal Cues In An Initial Encounter, Loretta L. Richter

Masters Theses

This study attempts to identify nonverbal cues which individuals are aware of using in an initial encounter and to identify the importance of those cues. It also a d dresses possible differences between men and women in nonverbal cue importance and possible differences based on the sex of the participant’s partner. Sixty-two male and female undergraduate students enrolled in communication courses interacted with a stranger and completed questionnaires which pertained to their partner's nonverbal behaviors. Results showed that the most important nonverbal cue for all participants was the amount of eye contact; the least important was body shape. Cues found …

Preventive Dental Care- Instruction And Contingency Management In The Acquisition And Maintenance Of Oral Hygiene Skills, Sandra K. Kallstrom

Masters Theses

Inadequate oral hygiene is one of the largest problems facing the dental profession to date. It is estimated that 98% of individuals suffer from dental problems associated with neglect. The objective of this study was to develop effective techniques which aided in the acquisition and maintenance of oral hygiene skills. This study compared the effects of instruction and demonstration with contingency management on plaque percentage scores. A between-subjects design was used with one control and three experimental groups. The results indicated that, oral hygiene instruction and demonstration appear to be ineffective in reducing plaque scores. Significant plaque reductions where found …

A Behavioral Overview Of Self-Control, Shannon Kay Swick

Masters Theses

The present paper is a review of behavioral self-control literature with self-control defined as the choice of a larger, more delayed reinforcer over a smaller, less delayed reinforcer. The paper includes a self-control experiment in which the subjects were adolescent males labelled Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The results show higher levels of self-control than those generally seen in similar subject populations. Self-control literature in behavioral psychology is examined and explanations for varying results are discussed.

Letter Recognition By Mentally Retarded Adults: Improving Performance Through Differential Outcomes, Paul R. Malanga

Masters Theses

Four mentally retarded adults were taught to recognize (i.e., discriminate) finger spelling letters when presented as members of unchanging pairs (e.g., A and E, G and H). Correct responses were followed by food or verbal praise. On average, terminal accuracy was significantly greater when a correct response to a given letter was consistently followed by a particular outcome (e.g., food followed correct responses to A and praise followed correct responses to E) than when nondifferential outcomes were arranged (e.g., food followed 50% of all correct responses and praise followed the remaining 50%, regardless of whether the responses were to A …

Hands-On Versus Verbal Occupation: Effects On Free Recall In Brain-Injured Adults, Aaron M. Eakman

Masters Theses

This study compared the effects of hands-on occupation versus verbal occupation in terms of free recall performance in brain-injured adults. Thirty males who had sustained a closed head injury with Rancho Los Amigos (Malkmus & Stenderup, 1974) cognitive levels of either VI, VII, or VIII were selected from nine midwestern brain injury rehabilitation facilities and randomly assigned to either the hands-on or verbal condition. After all subjects received preliminary verbal instructions for a food preparation occupation, verbal subjects again received the verbal information while the hands-on subjects prepared the food item. Subjects were then asked to recall the occupation's steps …

From Welfare To Liberation: A Socio-Historical Analysis Of The Animal Rights Movement, Linda J. Rynbrandt

Masters Theses

This thesis is a socio-historical analysis of the animal rights social movement in the United States of America at the end of the 19th and 20th centuries. The theoretical model is resource mobilization theory, especially McCarthy and Zald's (1973) entrepreneurial model. The method, which contrasts this social movement at two points in time, is informed by Skocpol's (1984) interpretative historical sociology. In particular, leadership, ideology, organizational structure, and strategy tactics in both eras are examined. Comparing the two manifestations of animal rights protest, the data show that: (a) Leadership and organizational structure, though similar in many respects, are more professionalized …

Cognitive Disability Theory As A Basis For Activity Analysis For Elderly Persons With Dementia, Deborah S. Kaeser

Masters Theses

Allen's (1985) Cognitive Disability approach provides a guideline for modifying the cognitive demands of an activity to match the abilities of an individual. Thirty older adults with a mean age of 78.1 years and a diagnosis indicating an irreversible dementia were selected for the study. A counterbalanced design was used to compare the performance of 15 individuals with a Level Three cognitive ability and 15 individuals with a Level Four cognitive ability on two tiling craft activities: one with Level Three cognitive demands and one with Level Four cognitive demands. Analysis of variance indicated a significant interaction between cognitive level …

Mtv Ideology: Rocking To A Different Beat?, Janelle L. Wilson

Masters Theses

This study analyzed 30 of the most popular rock music videos aired on Music Television Network in the summer of 1991. Using a qualitative content analysis, six prominent themes in these videos were identified: (1) eroticism, (2) female gender roles, (3) Americana, (4) violence, (5) religious symbols, and (6) clothing fetishism. From these themes, five values were discerned in the videos: (1) carpe diem, (2) individual freedom, (3) nihilistic religiosity, (4) nationalism, and (5) consumerism. It was found that these values constituted an ideology in music videos which in some ways reflects dominant American ideology. Their focus on appearance, their …

John Quincy Adams As Minister To Russia, 1809-1814: The Ideals And Realities Confronting His Mission, Mary Elizabeth Willwerth

Masters Theses

To John Quincy Adams, the early nineteenth century proved itself to be not only a struggle for American independence from Europe, but a struggle for the eighteenth century ideal of the recently formed American philosophy of government. This unique philosophy inspired by key figures of the American Enlightenment, such as Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, incorporated the vision of America leading the way of enlightened world governments.

Son of the proud American revolutionary, John Adams, John Quincy Adams continued to follow the basic axioms of his father's generation and implement their basic ideals within his own various careers …

The U.S. State Department Position At The Geneva Conference On Indochina In 1954, Eva Dragosits

Masters Theses

This paper intends to provide a coherent analysis of the United States position at the Geneva Conference on Indochina in 1954. The paper is based on U.S. State Department documents, edited in 1981 in the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series.

At the Berlin Conference in January 1954, the French, against the will of the United States, placed Indochina on the agenda of the Geneva Conference, which was to start on May 8, 1954. The United States, concerned that the French might accept an unfavorable Communist settlement, regarded participation in the Conference as essential in light of their …

99 Bottles: An Exploration Of Oral Interpretation As Rhetoric, Jeffrey T. Hess

Masters Theses

This thesis attempts to combine the elements of oral interpretation and rhetoric in order to create a group performance piece that contains interesting movement and dialogue as well as persuasive rhetorical elements. This new genre of group oral interpretation is called Rhetorical Theatre and implements only non-fictional material for the manuscript. Metaphoric blocking and direction is discussed, as well as the use of other conventions currently employed in group interpretation.

Telling Grimm Tales: Rhetoric That Molds, Comforts And Remains, Constance S. E. Cooper

Masters Theses

An explanation of oral tradition and its portent for language clarifies the fairy tale genre. Its purpose, various cultural impacts, criticism and limitations are introduced. Ludwig and Wilhelm Grimm translated their personal interest into a form of speech that endures past cultural and linguistic barriers. The Grimms' scholastic credentials and lifework reveal the original storytellers and subjects in a historical/geographical framework. Part II isolates 68 tales of animal dialogue, discusses human-like character responses of help and harm, and submits a brief narrative criticism of the conglomerate rhetorical entity. Character insights and communication findings are resolved with Delphi compilations of 27 …

Perestroika From Below: Civil Society And Informal Associations In The Soviet Union, Jerry James Sheehan

Masters Theses

During the 1980's the Soviet Union underwent a decade of dramatic change. The study of these changes initiated by the Gorbachev government has focused primarily on the reforms initiated by the state- perestroika from above. However, by the mid 1980's it was apparent that the state was not so much reforming society as society was drastically altering the state. Some analysts at this time began to shift to examining reforms at the grassroots level- perestroika from below.

This thesis is an examination of these perestroika from below reforms. The thesis seeks to asses the usefulness of the civil society model …

Training Guidelines For New Staff In A Community Integrated Living Arrangement (Cila) Program, Michael R. Finney

Masters Theses

Adequate staff training prior to working with developmentally disabled individuals in a Community Integrated Living Arrangement program is a state requirement. This study gives some background information and suggestions for such training requirements in concise blocks of time.

A training period before new staff begin working with clients is important because it enables staff to understand various facets of their job. It is important that all new staff understand the types of individuals with whom they will be working and what is expected of them in regard to working with the agency's clientele.

To ensure that staff comprehend the rationale …

Non-Monetary Effects On Inflation Within The Price-Gap Model, Leonard Loebach

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine some of the various non-monetary effects on inflation within the framework of the price-gap model. Some of the non-monetary shocks that can affect inflation include wage adjustments, changes in basic commodity prices (for example, crude oil), changes in the exchange rates, and shifts in inflationary expectations.

In April of 1989, a study was put out by the Federal Reserve (staff study 157) that examined the relationship between the current price level and an estimate of the long-run equilibrium price level. In the study, an indicator P* (pronounced P-star) was used to estimate …

Assessment Of Sex Equity In Athletics In Illinois Educational Service Center #13 Schools, Wayne C. Scarlett

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine sex equity compliance and sex equity achievement in athletic programs in grades 5-8 and 9-12 attendance centers in the eight county area served by Illinois Educational Service Center #13. Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Piatt, and Vermilion Counties were included in the study. An 18 question survey instrument, keyed to the 1990 Illinois Sex Equity Rules, was sent to building administrators in all attendance centers in the eight county area that contained grades 5-8 and/or 9-12. The survey asked administrators to provide, by grade and gender, numerical information on student …

Personality Factors And The Type A Behavior Pattern In College Students, Karyn B. Cihak

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Dr. Professor Mommy: Working Mothers' Gender Role Self Images In The University Community, Dawn Renee Krywanio

Masters Theses

A common misperception exists that working mothers experience their professional lives differently than other working women. This is often the basis for differential treatment of mothers in the workplace. This thesis describes gender role self image among university women in administration, faculty, and staff positions who are also parents; it relates to professional relationship satisfaction in the workplace. Data were collected through the use of open ended surveys of 185 female employees at Eastern Illinois University, follow up interviews, and a Likert scale survey within the same population. Content analysis of the data and qualitative results are the descriptive basis …

How Actualities Affect The Credibility And Audience Evaluation Of Radio Newscasts, Michael G. Bradd

Masters Theses

This study tests the hypotheses that actualities increase the audience appeal and credibility of a radio newscast. Two treatment newscasts of identical content were produced using the same announcer. One of the treatments used actualities in four of the seven stories while the other treatment had no actualities. Analysis of variance was used to compare subjects' evaluations of the two treatments. The study found that contrary to common wisdom in the radio industry, actualities have no statistically significant impact on the audience appeal of a newscast. The data did not confirm the credibility hypothesis; it strongly suggested that actualities do …

Gender Differences In Evaluation Styles, Jean B. Hudson

Masters Theses

There is currently extensive research on gender differences in the area of speech communication. This study explores the gender differences in speaking styles and their relation to evaluation styles. Subjects were students enrolled in Introduction to Speech Communication at Eastern Illinois University. After compiling 722 speech evaluation sheets, an analysis of variance, factor analysis, and content analysis was conducted. Significant results concluded that sex of the instructor, sex of the speaker, and sex of the evaluator influence each other. Implications of this study were that speech instructors must be aware of their own speaking and evaluation style to avoid any …

Ricardian Equivalence Or The Indifference Between Tax And Debt Financing, Chad Moutray

Masters Theses

Ricardian equivalence is a topic which has attracted much attention in the economic journals in the past couple of decades. Economic theory states that a tax cut gives the public a greater disposable income. Thus, the public will consume more, and the economy will grow. However, if the tax cut is financed by debt, the public will perceive that a future tax increase is inevitable to pay off the debt. Under this scenario, the public will not consume more. Instead, they will save all of their increased disposable income in anticipation of the future tax increase. Ricardian equivalence then is …

Social Facilitation: The Effects Of Audience's Status On Performances Of A Pursuit Rotor Task, Richard J. Baranowski

Masters Theses

In a study of social facilitation, 20 college students performed a pursuit rotor task in the presence of an audience of other students or faculty members. The results indicate that subjects performing in the presence of an audience of student peers displayed a significant enhancement in performance when compared to a baseline performance measurement. Subjects performing in the presence of an audience of faculty members displayed a nonsignificant decrement in performance when compared to baseline performance. The results suggest that the status of an audience affects individual performance.

African American Self-Esteem: Racial Ideology And Racial Identity, Carrie Wilson-Brown

Masters Theses

This study empirically investigated the relationships among global self-esteem and racial self-esteem, ethnic and racial ideology, cultural identity, and anti-white sentiment in a sample of 109 African-American students enrolled in the Partnership for Excellence program at Eastern Illinois University. The findings suggest that these dimensions are interrelated and anchored in the relationships with family and friends in the black community. Self-esteem is strongly correlated with racial self-esteem, cultural knowledge, and black separatism. The data do not support a relationship between self-esteem and system-blame, anti-white sentiment, and interracial contact. Implications of this study are that black self-esteem is insulated from systems …

Learning Mathematics As A Language, Kathryn Shafer

Masters Theses

This paper explores the relationship between language and mathematics. It is a summary of research done over the last thirty years. Also included are personal observations which are not part of any controlled study. Since language is the vehicle for thought, mathematics educators and curriculum planners will benefit from a linguistic approach to mathematics education. Symbolic mathematics is similar to natural language in both its structure and its communicative nature. If the students are to internalize the notation, they must be the ones to give it meaning. A linguistic approach to mathematics education includes language development, verbalization of concepts, vocabulary …

Factors Affecting Psychosocial Adjustment Of Individuals Following Ostomy Surgery, Margot Knapp

Masters Theses

The literature has documented the traumatic effect of ostomy surgery. Individuals who need to integrate a new body image must go through a period of psychosocial adjustment. Several studies have been done to analyze components of adjustment and to ascertain variables which might affect adjustment. Psychosocial adjustment to ostomy surgery is a new field of study and previous research has been limited in scope.

The current study sought primarily to identify both demographic and categorical variables predictive of a broad range of adjustment factors, and by using a comprehensive sample. Independent variables included age, level of education, precipitating illness, type …