Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Need-For-Approval, Locus Of Reinforcement, And Peer Presence Effects In Goal-Setting, Barbara Jean Hicks

Student Work

Recent studies, focusing on defensive qualities of approval-oriented individuals, have shown that persons high in need-for-approval are avoidant and defensive in self- and socially-evaluative situations. Most of these studies have investigated behavior in situations where social implications are fairly explicit. There is evidence, however, that some individuals respond to implicitly held cultural norms in an experimental situation.

The Rate Of Processing Visual Information Within The Human Organism, Thomas E. Wilkins

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Modification Of Hyperactive-Aggressive Behavior On Oral Expressive Language Behavior, Betty Susan Dowdell

All Master's Theses

The question the study sought to answer was: Will the affect of modification of hyperactive-aggressive behavior effect a change in the oral expressive language behavior of the children?

Generalization Of A Relational Discrimination, John G. Svinicki

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Experimental Analysis Of Superstitious Behavior In College Males, Nancy Alice Metzler

All Master's Theses

The possibility that superstitious responses would occur when aversive stimulation was randomly presented was investigated. There were three groups of 20 male introductory psychology students each. The Shock Group (SG) was given 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Shock Group {RSG) was given 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 unavoidable shocks. The Reinforcement Punishment Group received 100 positive reinforcements and then 45 response contingent shocks and served to test the effectiveness of the shock as a punishing stimulus. Superstitious responses seemed to occur, but Ss of SG showed response patterns typical of punishment, while Ss of RSG showed increases in rates …

Cue Conflict And Apparent Visual Movement, Michael Gerard Walraven

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Stimulus Codability And Duration Of Stimulus Exposure On Recognition Memory For Random Shapes, Terry Clyde Daniel

Psychology ETDs

An experiment was conducted investigating the role of distinctive verbal labels and scaled stimulus codability on the temporal course of recognition memory for complex random shapes. Three between-S variables, delay interval, pretraining type, and stimulus codability, were combined with one within-S variable, stimulus exposure duration, into a 3x2x2x(2) factorial design. Subjects were given observation or relevant verbal label pretraining with either high or low codability stimuli and were subsequently tested on a five-stimulus forced-choice recognition task either immediately, 15 minutes, or 1 week after training. All subjects saw one half of the stimuli for their condition for 6.0 seconds on …

Role Of Observing Responses In Perceptual Learning, Dieter W. Jahns

Psychology ETDs

The experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that the distributions of observing responses made within a stimulus differ during tactual stimulus predifferentiation training as a function of the labeling task used and that subsequent perceptual performance can be related to correlated differential practice with the stimuli during predifferentiation, as exhibited by differences in observing-response distributions during the earlier task. One hundred twenty Ss were given a multiple-shape recognition test subsequent to one of 12 experimental conditions: 2, 4, or 8 trials of either observation or equivalence stimulus-predifferentiation training under one of two conditions of observing-response freedom. The results indicated …

Conditioned Response Sub-Class Variability., David Perkins

Psychology ETDs

In order to test the hypothesis that resistance to extinction is directly related to the amount of response sub-class variability reinforced during acquisition, the number of different response subclasses reinforced during acquisition was directly controlled and subsequently related to resistance to extinction. A response subclass was defined as a response to one of eight key locations on a horizontally oriented response strip which was presumed to represent a topographical response continuum.

Seven groups of 3 pigeons each were first trained to peck the transilluminated response strip for 3-sec. access to grain reinforcement. Each group received a total of 752 reinforcements …

The Effect Of Color Training On The Perception Of The Color Of Geometric Forms, Larry John Ivey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Organizing For Guidance In The Willcox Elementary Schools, Agnes M. Briggs

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The director of Guidance in the Arizona State Department of Public Instruction realizing the great need for more experimental programs, proposed that part of the [National Defense Education Act of 1958] monies in Arizona be used for the purpose of developing pilot projects in the elementary schools. Schools that had expressed interest in a possible elementary guidance project were contacted and invited to write a proposal with the assistance of the State Department. Forty districts submitted plans for elementary guidance programs. Of these, ten were selected on the basis of the nature of the proposed program, the geographic location of …

Learning Theory As Applied To The Counseling Process, Melvin H. Larsen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The literature contains much about learning. But, what do we mean by learning?

Learning is the process by which an activity originates or is changed through reacting to an encountered situation, provided that the characteristics of the change in activity cannot be explained on the basis of native response tendencies, maturation, or temporary states of the organism (e.g., fatigue, drugs, etc.). (Hilgard, 1966, p. 2)

Effective counseling requires that the client learn. Even though client learning is essential to effective counseling, relatively little has been done to relate learning theory to the counseling process. Significant work in this direction has …

Interest As A Factor In Vocational Choice, Leland J. Smith

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As the complexities of modern life increase, greater caution has to be exercised in the selection of an appropriate vocational choice. Norris, Zeran and Hatch (1960, p. 5) state, "The dramatic changes which have taken place in the world during the past twenty-five years have created new demands on the training programs which furnish the skilled leaders in all vocational pursuits." The foregoing statement certainly points out the vocational implications of our changing society. Mortensen and Schmuller (1951, p. 199) report, "The entire area of interests is today receiving added emphasis." The study of interest continues to occupy an important …

The Effects Of Confirmation And Disconfirmation Of The Self-Concept On Task Performance Under Two Test Conditions, Richard Craig Steele

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Discriminated Stimuli On Temporal Responding In A Free-Operant Discriminated Avoidance Procedure, Darrel Elmer Bostow

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Open-Closed Cognitive Dimension And Divergent-Convergent Abilities, Michael J. Uhes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between level of dogmatism and divergent-convergent abilities was investigated in a sample of high school subjects.

Rokeach's Dogmatism Scale, Form E, and tests of divergent and convergent ability were administered to all subjects. On the basis of their performance on the Dogmatism Scale, three experimental groups were formed: high, medium, and low dogmatics.

An analysis of the data showed dogmatism to be negatively correlated with originality, flexibility, composite divergent and composite convergent scores. Fluency was the only ability not negatively correlated with dogmatism. High dogmatic subjects performed convergent operations better than they performed divergent operations, while low dogmatic …

Personality Differences And Atypical Vocational Choices By Women, Vicky D. Burgess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare some of the personality characteristics of junior high school students as they related to the students' later vocational choices. More specifically selected personality characteristics observed in girls who later made typical or atypical vocational selection were compared. Both typical and atypical girls were also compared to boys on these selected personality characteristics.

Tests used in this study to measure cognitive need and flexibility were Anderson Self-Reporting Need Achievement Questionnaire, Berlak School Work Habit Questionnaire and Resnick Self-Reporting Need Cognition Questionnaire. Tests used to measure social attitudes and ideology were "Have"--"Have …

The Effects Of Paternal Absence On Male Children, Martha H. Rigby

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The society in which our children are living and growing today is complicated by strife and conflict both internally and externally . It is a time when statisticians are telling us that 481 out of 1,000 marriages, or nearly one out of every four, will end in divorce; many others will end in separations not legally terminated (Bureau of Census, 1966). Many families are also separated because of the military action which at present is keeping 500,000 men at war in a country many thousands of miles from their families. During the year 1967 over nine thousand of this number …

The Relationship Of Occupational Choice To Ego Identity And Self-Concepts, Norman D. Bell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study attempted to investigate the relationship of occupational choice to ego identity achievement, to self-concept, and to academic achievement, as these are related to Eric Erikson's contention that is adolescents' inability to settle on an occupational choice which disturbs them and results in a sense of identity diffusion (lack of solidified ideas of self, goals for life, and a need to seek external supports).

The sample consisted of 320 senior high school boys in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades.

Variables considered included: level of vocational commitment; ego identity; self-regard, i.e., self-concept, self-acceptance, ideal self and adjustment (sum of …

A Comparison Of Mednick's Remote Associates Test And Pettigrew's Category-Width Test, John W. Sesney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study was designed to examine the relationship between Mednick's Remote Associates Test and Pettigrew's Category-Width Test. The sample was made up of 36 educational psychology students enrolled in the Utah State Summer School.

The correlation for males and females was made independently. Although the males showed a higher correlation between the two tests than did the females (males, .296 and females, .058), the correlations were not statistically significant.

No full explanation was given for the lack of correlation between the category-width scores and the RAT scores except for the qualification that the RAT may be measuring a different …

Child's Perception Of Parental Attitude And Its Relationship To Academic Achievement And Problem Awareness, Mohammed K. Fazel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was aimed at finding relationships between the triad of academic achievement, child's perception of parental attitude, and his problem awareness. The study was designed with reference to three postulates of phenomenological psychology. (a) The perceptual field of an individual at any moment determines his behavior of the moment. (b) The term phenomenal self is formed by the individual's interaction with others. (c) The basic need of the organism is the maintenance and actualization of the self.

A survey of the literature tended to support the thesis that there was a positive relationship between educational achievement and parental acceptance. …

Variations On Piaget's Pre-Number Development Tests Used As Learning Experiences, Hyrum E. Richards

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of learning upon the rate of conservation attainment and its transference to other areas of performance were studied using 17 mentally retarded subjects.

Subjects found to be non-conservers on pretests were taught conservation and correspondence using a variety of tasks modeled from Piaget's experiments. They were also pretested on the WISC Information and Picture Arrangement Sub-tests and a number concept test. Following the learning experiences, the subjects were posttested using the same measures used for pretesting with the exception of the number test where an alternate form was used.

Significant correlations were found between the conservation pretest scores …

Differential Hawthorne Effect By Cueing, Sex, And Relevance, Richard Carl Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study attempted to create experimentally the Hawthorne effect in a freshman general psychology class at Utah State University during tall quarter of 1967. It also attempted to discover the differential effect of cueing, sex, and relevance on the experimental creation of the Hawthorne effect as measured by six general psychology criterion tests.

The design of this study included a control group and three experimental groups.

The following five hypotheses were postulated:

1. The experimental groups will show greater influence from the Hawthorne effect than the control group.

2. Within the three experimental groups there will be an increasing Hawthorne effect with …

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Predicting Success In Shorthand I, Meredith Cragun Bell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to find the best predictors and best combination of predictors of shorthand success. Those used were the Educational Research Corporation Stenographic Aptitude Test and its subtests, I.Q. scores, a Self-Success Rating, and the Digit Symbol subtest taken from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

Students enrolled in Shorthand I at Sky View High School were the subjects used in this study.

The criteria of shorthand success were the final dictation speed and the final grade.

The best single predictor of shorthand dictation speed was the total E.R.C. Stenographic Aptitude Test. The best combination of predictors …

Development And Control Of Licking Behavior In The Guinea Pig (Cavia Porcellus), Jack R. Alvord

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Four non-licking guinea pigs were reinforced with water for successive approximations to licking an operandum feeder. Once all subjects had obtained their total liquid intake for a three-week period by licking, an optimum deprivation schedule was determined.

Fixed ratio and variable interval schedules were found to affect licking behavior of the guinea pig in a similar way as with the rat, mean lick rate of guinea pigs being slightly lower than that of the rat. Precise control over the onset and offset of licking was demonstrated through discrimination training.

The Relationship Between Activity Delay And Freshman Academic Achievement, Richard R. Carlson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between arrival time in coming to take the ACT test and academic achievement.

The individuals who met the general criteria were used in this study numbered 129; 46 of these met the additional criteria of arriving early and they composed the early group.

The early and late groups were compared on ACT composite score and cumulative grade point average.

Significant differences between the means could not be found, by analysis of variance; between the early and late groups using either ACT composite score or cumulative grade point average.

The Validity And Use Of Wechsler Pre-School And Primary Scale Of Intelligence In Predicting School Achievement, Sam Campanella

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of Intelligence for use in predicting school achievement. The Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of Intelligence was administered to 22 children enrolled in the Operation Head Start Program in Logan, Utah. The Wide Range Achievement Test was administered five months later to the same 22 children. The scores on the Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of Intelligence were correlated to the scores on the Wide Range Achievement Test.

On the basis of the .53 correlation between the Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of Intelligence Full …

A Study Of Life Crisis Magnitude Of Psychiatric Patients And A Non-Therapy Group, Helen B. Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A group of hospitalized psychiatric patients and a randomly selected non-therapy group responded to the Schedule of Recent Experiences questionniare. In order to determine the magnitude of life change events for the two groups, Life Change Unit totals were derived for the years 1966 and 1967.

To test the hypothesis that patients in psychiatric treatment have experienced a quantitatively significant greater amount of life change than a group of non-therapy subjects, an analysis of variance was used to determine whether there were significant differences between the scores for the two groups.

For the year 1966, no significant difference was found …

A Follow-Up Study Of Mound Fort Junior High's Ninth Grade Class Of 1962-63, Helen Heaps

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The intent of this study was to follow up the students of Mound Fort Junior High School's ninth grade class of 1962-63 in order to secure information and facts about members of that class and to answer the following questions: (1) What has happened to the students educationally? (2) What has happened to the students vocationally? (3) How many students have served or are presently serving the armed forces? (4) What is the marital status of each student? (5) How did the high school graduate compare with the dropout in test scores, grade point average, attendance, awareness of counseling services, …

The Relationship Between Grade Point Averages Of The Henmon-Nelson Test Of Mental Ability And The American College Test, Eda Alene Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Grading within a single school was studied by comparing the grades with the policy of grading recommended by the high school, and the relationship between the grades and two tests administered by the school.

Six hundred fifty-five graduates from the 1964, 1965 and 1966 graduating classes made up the sample. The grades used were those received during their three years in high school. The tests were the Henmon-Nelson Test of Mental Ability administered in the tenth grade and the American College Test which was taken in the twelfth grade. The Pearson r Correlation Coefficient was used to make the correlations. …