Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Attitudes Of College Students Toward The Physically Handicapped: A Study In Social Distance, Joseph Ellis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The problem of rehabilitation of the physically handicapped in the United States is one of massive proportions. A 1968 survey conducted by the Department of Transportation estimates the number of physically disabled persons in the United States to be approximately 30 million.¹

As noted above, physical deviance serves as a basis of social differentiation; and where this differentiation takes on a negative character, the concept of social distance can be useful in measuring the attitudes of physically normal persons in their acceptance or rejection of those who are physically deviant.

This study intends to examine the normals' contacts (in …

The Constitutional Union Party In Kentucky, John Lawrence Kelly

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the period immediately preceding the Civil War, there arose a new political party, the Constitutional Union party. While nearly every other phase of the era around the Civil War has been covered exhaustively, comparatively, very little has been written about the Union movement and its attempt to prevent the war. What has been written about the Union party deals primarily with the movement at the national level. It is the goal of this author to present a history of the Union movement in Kentucky and the part played in the national party by Kentuckians.

Performance In The Jumps Decathlon Related To The Triple Jump, Sean Power

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to determine the validity of the Jumps Decathlon test (or battery of tests) as a predictive method for recognizing a potentially good triple jumper.

The Extended Deliberation: Definitions Of Sociology, Michael Moore

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The specific purpose of this study is to examine various definitions of sociology since the invention of the term. From this examination, an attempt will be made to determine the extent of agreement among sociologists as to what sociology means. The Procedure: Chapter II, Part A, is concerned with the early European conceptions of sociology, from Comte through Pareto. The extent of agreement among these conceptions is examined. Part B is concerned with the extent of agreement of the early American Conceptions of sociology. Part C examines definitions found in Introductory texts from 1921 through 1950. The three sections of …

Premarital Sex Norms: A Test Of A Conceptual Model, Jerry Asselin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this investigation is to further improve and re-test the validity of the conceptual model, constructed by Gipson Wells (to be explained in Chapter III) and to increase understanding and knowledge in respect to premarital sexual norms. Stated in another way, verification of the model will more accurately reflect the manner in which young people perceive, and apply these norms.

The Banana Regions Of East Africa: The Regional Distribution & Cultural Significance Of A Traditional Food Crop, Henry Randiga

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The study of bananas in East Africa by geographers has been neglected. Some study has been made by agriculturists and anthropologists on a small scale. The anthropologist have concentrated their work more on ethnic groups than on the spatial pattern of the crop as such. In none of the studies has distribution been correlated with the Bantu people in East Africa. For a long time the banana has been a staple food la the region. The present study points out that in spite of the many changes which have occurred the banana continues to serve as the staple food crop …

The Assessment Of Attitudes Toward Psychology As An Effective Variable In Psychological Research, Joseph Galloway

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research investigated the reliability and validity of the Psychological Research Survey (PRS). Naive introductory psychology students who had not previously participated in psychological experimentation served as Ss for the reliability assessment. Split-half and test-retest coefficients indicated high reliability. Construct validity was estimated with the use of developmental and situational tests. The PRS was expected to discriminate a more positive attitude toward psychology and psychological research as students progressed from introductory to more advanced courses in psychology. A simple analysis of variance of Ss' PRS scores failed to indicate a significant re-ult. A situation was designed whereby Ss behavior indicated …

The Impact Of The Federal Stamp Program On Food Purchasing Habits Of The Socioeconomic Class, Joe Turner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The implementation of the Federal Food Stamp program affords an opportunity to do responsible research on this topic due to the manner in which the program is administered. The fact that coverage is authorized on a county basis rather than a state-wide basis, which requires that each individual county request and apply for the Stamp Program, provided the availability of a sample area in southern Kentucky where five contiguous counties existed, three of which were participating in the program and two of which were not. This permitted both a control and experimental group from which to draw a sample.

Attitudes Toward Non-Scientific Medicine In Southern Appalachia, John Dec

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis will focus on what Mechanic terms "cultural and social aspects of medical care"; more specifically, it is the layman's evaluation of medical practitioners and practices. Medical practices are defined as the behavior directed toward maintenance or improvement of health while medical orientation designates the cognitive and affective attitudes toward health care.

A Historical Description Of The Areal Distribution Of The Churches Of Warren County, Kentucky, Neilam Adams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Religion is a part of man and his culture. We cannot understand the totality of man if we do not understand his religion. The church structure is the visible expression of man's religion.

The purpose of this study is to describe the distribution of churches in Warren County, Kentucky, and to examine the factors that contribute to this areal pattern. In an attempt to further clarify this human-religious expression the following points will be considered: (1) the reasons for denominational change through time; (2) the association of church location and population with corresponding rural -urban shifts; and (3) the style …

Dissonance & Smoking: An Evaluation Of Festinger's Theory Of Cognitive Dissonance, Boyd Hildebrand

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The theoretical proposition to be evaluated by the research may now be stated as follows:

The greater the dissonance being experienced by a person the more actively he will 1) seek out new information which will provide cognition consonant with existing cognitive elements and 2) avoid those sources of new information which would be likely to increase the existing dissonance.

Photojournalism: A Study Of Its Aspects & Its Effects On Readers, Paul Schuhmann

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

For the sake of this study, news impact and artistic value will be the chief concerns. Of course, the problem of obtaining news impact poses a number of questions, and two of the most obvious will be studied here: 1) Who is to evaluate a picture's new impact and artistic value? 2) How should the photographer cover his daily assignments to obtain the best of both and thus make the reader stop and look at a particular picture?

Self-Orientation Of Southern Appalachians, Arshad Rizvi

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis has as its aim the investigation of the sociopsychological orientation of the people living in Southern Appalachia. To determine the attitudes of self-orientation of the Southern Appalachians, the present study includes, at the nearest level, the family, and then progresses out to the community, the region and the society. It is proposed that in comparison to the urban population, the rural population has a more favorable attitude toward familism, localism, and regionalism; that is to say, residents of the rural area have the orientation to care more for their family than the collectivity (i.e., the community), and they …

Relationship Of Subjects' Preexperiment Attitudes Toward Psychology And Experimenter Prestige, Sam Quick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A study is reported which examines the effects of Ss attitudes toward psychological research as measured by the Psychology Research Survey (PRS) (high or low), apparent E prestige (high, medium, or low), and sex of 13 on ratings of success and failure given in Rosenthal's person-perception task. It was found that E prestige interacted with sex of S to significantly affect performance. Several of the pictures used in the person-perception task were also found to be consistently rated as depicting success or failure. Questions are raised concerning the psychometric soundness of both the PRS and the person-perception task. Implications for …

The Mlf: A Study In International Alliance Cohesion, William Bennett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This paper proposes to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the role, attitudes, and interrelationships of West Germany, France, Great Britain, and the United States within the framework of the North American Treaty Organization. This investigation will be limited to the involvement of these four members states in the proposed establishment, and eventual failure of a NATO controlled multilateral nuclear force (MLF). This limitation was imposed because it was discerned that these four major NATO members set the tempo and boundaries for the debate stemming from this proposal. The smaller member states seemed reluctant to take a definite stance on the …

Contingent Video Consequences For Discrimination Performance Of Retarded Children, Linda Flatter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Four Ss were selected from the population of residents of Cloverbottom Hospital and School to participate in the present study determining the effectiveness of video presentations as reinforcing consequences for discrimination learning. The task consisted of sorting stimulus discrimination cards on the basis of form and/or color. The S received either "snow" or self-video consequences via a television monitor. Both S-paced sorting and E-paced sorting were employed to determine the effect of each procedure. This study demonstrated that video consequences as well as sorting procedures influenced performance of these Ss. An individual S analysis revealed differential effects across Ss. Results …