Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of Feedback Specificity And Simultaneous Goals On Task Performance, David W. Furst

Student Work

A laboratory experiment was conducted examining the influence of feedback specificity and simultaneous quantity and quality goals on the performance of an assembly task including the effect of feedback specificity on perceptual and behavioral measures of intrinsic motivation. The hypotheses were framed in terms of a traditional goal setting model and a control systems-goal conflict model. Neither model was supported for the quantity performance measure in that varying the specificity of quantity of performance feedback did not result in differential quantity of performance. The traditional goal setting model was supported based on results from the quality performance measure . These …

Concurrent Validity Of The Pain Locus Of Control Scale And Its Relationship To Treatment Outcome Variables, Linda Kay Schaefer

Student Work

Studies have shown that locus of control orientation is related to emotional and behavioral adjustment to chronic pain. Researchers have begun the process of establishing the validity and reliability of the Pain Locus of Control Scale. This study was conducted to establish the concurrent validity of the PLC Scale at the time of follow-up from pain management treatment, an effort not previously undertaken. In addition, studies suggest that those persons with an Internal locus of control orientation demonstrate more favorable treatment outcomes, as compared to a Powerful others or Chance locus of control. This research examined the relationship between treatment …

Cigarette Smoking And Its Effect Upon Perceptions Of Source Credibility, Cari L. Tokheim

Student Work

This thesis examined the effect of cigarette smoking on perceptions of source credibility. Twenty-five bi-polar adjectives were used to measure five dimensions of credibility (competency, character, sociability, composure, and extroversion) developed by McCroskey and Jenson. Subjects recruited from students enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (n = 272) were assigned one of four versions of a photograph depicting either a male or female model holding a cigarette, or those same models in identical photographs with the cigarette removed. Subjects were then asked to complete the credibility scales, based upon the person depicted in the photograph.

Results from the …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Creativity In Person Centered Expressive Therapy, Mukti Khanna

Doctoral Dissertations

The field of creative or expressive arts therapies seeks to harness the power for'creative expression to the process of psychotherapy. Although expressive arts therapies are increasingly being used with a variety of populations, including the elderly, the disabled, intergenerational, and cross-cultural groups, a comprehensive theory of expressive arts therapies has yet to emerge. In addition, there is a paucity of research of what works in such therapies. A comprehensive theory of expressive arts therapies, however, can only emerge from the expressive arts themselves, reflecting the uniqueness of the creative process that is at their foundation. Qualitative research focusing on the …

A Study Of Learning Activities Of Selected Caregivers Of Alzheimer's Patients In East Tennessee, Jeannette G. Mclaughlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to identify and describe the individual learning activities of caregivers of people with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and to develop an analytical description of the patterns of learning of these adults. An instrument was not available for use; therefore, a focused interview guide was developed. The interview guide was developed through consultation with several spouses or adult children caring for Alzheimer's patients, professionals in the health care field, and a review of the literature. The major analysis procedure for the study was the constant comparative method, an inductive method that has been used …

"What Injures Royalty" Surnames, Inbreeding, And Genetic Structure In Sevier County, Tennessee: 1856-1905, Joseph C. Lewelling

Masters Theses

Inbreeding in Southern Appalachia has been a topic of discourse for both local color writers and academicians since the late 19th century, but only a few researchers have aspired to measure inbreeding or describe the genetic structure of Appalachian populations. This study attempts to assess the genetic structure in one small section of Appalachia--Sevier County, Tennessee.

Because surnames, like alleles, are inherited from a parent, their distribution on a population can give clues about the genetic structure of that population--including the degree of inbreeding. Census and marriage records from 1856-1905 were examined using several methods of surname analysis, and estimates …

Factors Perceived By Legislators, School Board Presidents, And Superintendents That May Inhibit Or Promote School District Consolidation Considerations In South Dakota, Sherlock V. Hirning

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether various factors may be identified as having either inhibiting or promoting influence on school consolidation considerations in South Dakota public school districts. In addition, the study sought to identify clusters of factors by direction, intensity, and nature as perceived by the three groups surveyed.

The survey population included superintendents and school board presidents from eighty-five school districts with reported high school enrollments, in grades 9-12, of 100 or fewer students, and the entire 105-member legislative body of South Dakota. A self-designed survey instrument consisting of four separate sections--(I) assumptions, (II) factor …

The Psychological Typologies And Learning Styles Of Security Managers In A Large Industrial Organization, Michael John Witkowski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychological typologies and learning styles of a population of security managers. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Learning Style Inventory 1985 (LSI 1985) were used with a population of 125 security managers. The return rate was 73% (N = 91).

Four research questions were investigated concerning: (a) psychological types of the population of security managers as measured by the MBTI, (b) the learning styles of the population as reported on the LSI 1985 and MBTI, (c) how the security management population compared with related occupations (e.g., police managers) after MBTI …

The Integration Of Metabolic Measurement And The Behavioral Management Of Nutrition And Exercise For Treating Obesity, Cheryl Rae Maphies

Dissertations

Four female subjects participated in an eight-week, behavioral weight control treatment program that emphasized changing the behavior of food choice and aerobic exercise. This study also tested the hypothesis that by utilizing measurements of an individual's resting metabolic rate to determine caloric level, an individual could lose weight without a disproportional drop in metabolic rate. During the initial eight weeks, subjects' resting metabolic rates were determined through the measure of oxygen consumption. Caloric intakes were based on a reduction of 500-1000 calories per day from the estimated number of calories expended daily. Using a multiple-baseline design, the effects of diet …

Hands-On Purposeful Activity And Short-Term Memory Retention In Elderly Patients With Cognitive Deficits, Desiree Arah Varner

Masters Theses

This study compared the effects of hands-on purposeful doing with demonstration (HO) versus a demonstration-only (DO) activity in terms of the level of memory retention in elderly females. Twenty-nine females with a mean age of 81.8 years (SD = 11.6) and with moderate cognitive deficits as determined by a score of 3-8 on the Mental Status Questionnaire (Kahn, Goldfarb, & Pollack, 1960) were selected from an extended care nursing facility. Fifteen randomly assigned subjects (in three sub-groups of five) had approximately one hour of demonstration and hands-on involvement with ice cream making. Fourteen randomly assigned subjects in sub-groups of four …

Original Intent And The Reagan Court: A New Approach To The Madisonian Dilemma?, Deborah Nelson Snow

Masters Theses

During the Reagan years, a demand was heard for a change in the way in which the Supreme Court decides cases. Answering the call for a "jurisprudence of original intention," scholars, politicians, judges, and justices debated the use of this constitutional theory. In a review of cases decided under the religion clauses of the First Amendment in the years between 1960 and 1988, the opinions of Reagan and non-Reagan appointees to the Supreme Court are analyzed to determine the use of references to original intent by the justices. In particular, the problem raised by Bork and labeled "the Madisonian dilemma" …

Patterns Of Nutrient Acquisition In Canvasbacks During Spring Migration, Jeb A. Barzen

Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands used by nesting birds have traditionally been considered the only habitats able to influence natality rates. I examined the potential for body reserves (fat, protein, and calcium) acquired on spring staging areas to be used for reproduction. My objectives were to: 1) describe changes in body reserves during spring, 2) examine alternative uses for body reserves in spring migrants, and 3) identify where reserves are acquired.

EXxring spring of 1984 and 198? I collected 151 canvasbacks fAvthva valisineria) at 3 staging areas: Navigation Pool 19 of the Mississippi River; Navigation Pools 7, 8, and 9 of the Mississippi River; …

Towards The 21st Century: Long Cycles And The Future Of The United States, John Davis

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

With a plethora of declinist literature positing the decline and eventual dissolution of the American order, "Towards the Twenty-first Century: Long Cycles and the Future of the United States" offers a new perspective on the world leadership position of the United states. Using the literature on long cycles as its instrument, this study argues that there will be a continuation of U.S. systemic leadership through the twenty-first century.

Comparison Of Traditional And Computer-Assisted Administrations Of The Ppvt-R With Trainably Mentally Impaired Students, Wanda Balla

Masters Theses

A group of 20 trainably mentally impaired students, ages 6-24, was randomly assigned to two groups, one of which received the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (Dunn & Dunn, 1981), manual administration, and the other a computer-assisted version, which required a switch closing response. Two weeks later, the order of administration was reversed. The results showed a difference of - 1.73 points in the manual to computer administration, and a -3 point difference from computer to manual administration. Overall difference between both administrations was -2.36 points, favoring the manual administration. Recommendations include systematic evaluation and/or training of TMI or lower- functioning …

The Role Of Socialization In The Process Of Political Life: An Analysis Of Gender Roles In Elementary School Textbooks On Taiwan, Chien-Hong Lee

Masters Theses

This thesis contains both theoretical and applied research. In the theoretical part, political socialization is the main theme to be studied; and an incorporated model is designed to examine how political socialization can be viewed in the process of political life. In the applied part, three sets of elementary school textbooks have been examined and we have found that those textbooks contain clear sex-typed images of adult behavior; and male characters are emphasized more than female characters, which might contribute to the understanding why women are rarely seen in any positions of power in any realm on Taiwan.

An Empirical Examination Of Hispanic-Americans In A University Setting And The Influences On Their Attitudes Towards Assimilation, Ramon Rodriguez

Masters Theses

Recent literature on Hispanic-Americans has determined that Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the United States. Both the high rates of immigration and a high birth rate mean it is only a matter of time before Hispanics will form an extensively large population. Hispanics, however, generally remain unassimilated. This study focuses on the influences on the attitudes towards assimilation of Hispanic-Americans in a university setting.

Survey methods were utilized to gather data from a sample of 100 individuals at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan. A survey return rate of 57% was obtained from Hispanic students questioned. The data showed that …

Data Base Design For Research In Comparative Zapotec, Anita C. Bickford

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the nature and content of a comparative data base for the Zapotec languages of Mexico that may be produced. Many questions are discussed: how to sub-divide and list the Zapotec languages and dialects; what data format will be most accessible to researchers as well as to field workers with data to add; computer software considerations (designing computational tools); how to handle non-cognates with shared meanings, non-overlap of glosses (i.e., one Zapotec gloss covers several Spanish words, or vice versa), semantic shifts and secondary meanings, and other problems such as special characters, free variation, elisions, etc.; whether to …

A Morphological Study Of Paracrine Interactions In The Anterior Pituitary Of Lactating Rats Using Immunogold Techniques, Maria K. Statton

Theses and Dissertations

One major function of prolactin in the female is the stimulation of mammary gland development for lactation. It is well established in the rat that during periods of lactation, when serum prolactin levels are high, there is a suppression of the serum luteinizing hormone level. Prolactin has also been shown to inhibit the postcastration rise in serum luteinizing hormone in rats. Work addressing the question of site and mechanism of action of the inhibition of gonadotropin secretion by prolactin has focused on the relationship between the hypothalamus and the pituitary, and the relationship between the different cell types in the …

Esther's Narrative In Bleak House, Jennifer Willa Tonn Sternhagen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the complexity of Dickens's involvement with his narrative and characters, specifically Esther Summerson in the novel Bleak House. The introduction examines his habit of interrupting the speech of his characters with direct authorial comments in order that he not give up his story entirely to a character, even in an extended first-person narration. It is noted that this is true even of characters who are autobiographical, like Pip or David Copperfield. Here my references are to the work of Susan R. Horton (The Reader in the Dickens World) and Mark Lambert (Dickens and the Suspended Quotation).

A …

Exiles From Spain's Civil War: Case Studies Of Two Literary Figures, Olga Colbert

Theses and Dissertations

The Spanish civil war and the political regime that resulted from it deprived Spain of the presence and immediate inspiration of a large group of remarkably creative individuals. Some of the best minds of a literary generation left their country to protest the political situation and to continue to be true to their inner voices. Besides numerous personal and professional adjustments, hese people were faced with a tremendous sense of uprooting hat inevitably accompanies the experience of exile.

Only a minority among those exiles settled in the nited States, due to isolationist policies and to stringent minigration legislation. Those who …

The Effects Of Alcohol On Semantic Memory, Norman A. Kerbel

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have shown that the effects of alcoholic intoxication on memory result from a functional decrease in capacity of working memory (e.g., Petros, Kerbel, Beckwith, Sacks, & Sarafolean, 1985). However, other studies looking at speeds of retrieval of information from long-term memory have brought this conclusion into doubt (Moskowitz & Roth, 1971). The present study presented subjects with decisions to be made regarding word pairs. Three conditions were used, each requiring different amounts of information to be accessed from long-term memory.

Sixty-six male college students, between the ages of 21 and 29 years, were divided into two groups. One …

Conversational Repair Strategies Of Preschool Children During Naturalistic Interactions, Richard J. Stott

Theses and Dissertations

Within the area of pragmatics, the subject of children's repair strategies has been an issue of considerable research for many years. Most of this research has not addressed verbal and nonverbal repair strategy behaviors particularly among preschool children enrolled in an integrated preschool program. The purpose of the present study was to describe how preschool children enrolled in an integrated preschool program request clarification in naturalistic situations and how they use conversational repair strategies following a stacked sequence of requests for clarification by adults.

Naturalistic inquiry was used to establish an inventory of strategies used by handicapped and non-handicapped children …

The Interactive Effects Of Caffeine And Estrogen On Memory For Word Lists, Mary Ellen Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has yielded conflicting results regarding the effects of caffeine on word list recall. Erikson et al. (1985) found that caffeine impaired recall among females when words were presented at a slow rate. Arnold et al. (1988) observed a facilitory effect of caffeine on the recall, after practice, of females tested during Days 1-5 of the menstrual cycle. Research on cognitive task performance among females suggests that performance varies according to the phase of menstrual cycle. Medical research demonstrates a relationship between estrogen and caffeine metabolism. In this study, it was hypothesized that females' recall of word lists would …

The Development And Use Of A Locus Of Control Board Game For 7 Through 11 Year Old Children, Nancy J. Kaniuga

Dissertations

In this study, a children's board game, The Clubhouse Game, was developed, described and evaluated. Created by the author, The Clubhouse Game addresses locus of control and was designed for use in psychotherapy with 7 through 11 year old children. A review of selected writings of Piaget, Erikson and Winnicott yielded four concepts which were incorporated into the game. The Clubhouse Game was evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in modifying belief in locus of control in children who played the game, and its ability to serve as a stimulus or point of reference for discussions of situations which contain …

Effects Of The Great Depression On Private Higher Education: Impact On Private College And University Planning, J. Michael Hostetler

Dissertations

Private higher education has suffered a loss of dominance in enrollment over the last four decades. Increases in tuition escalated making private higher education distinctly more expensive than options in the public sector. A sharp decline in the birth rate during the 1970s indicates there will be fewer high school graduates for private higher education to recruit. Some private colleges have already been forced to close, while others appear threatened by enrollment decline in the 1990s and beyond.

The Great Depression of the 1930s was a challenging period for the country and the academic community. To discover how private institutions …

The Perceptions Of Family Environment Between Black Adolescent Users And Nonusers Of Alcohol Or Drugs, Jesse Aaron Brinson Jr.

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Black American adolescents' substance use (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine) and their perceptions of their family environments. Sixty-two male and female subjects between the age of 13-21, from a large northeast medical facility, who reported exposure to alcohol or drug use, were asked to complete Moos' (1986) Family Environment Scale (FES). The subjects were divided into users and nonusers. Users were described as those having used alcohol or drugs at least three or more times per week within the previous month. Nonusers were described as those not having used alcohol or drugs less …

Assessment Inequities Of Residential Properties In Nine Michigan Townships, Sivaswami Amarnath

Dissertations

Horizontal equity in property tax administration has been neglected by researchers in favor of research on incidence of the property tax. The present study, conducted within nine townships in Allegan, Barry, and Grand Traverse Counties in Michigan, investigated differences of practices in assessing residential properties. Three hypotheses test differences in ratio of assessed value to sale price for properties owned by nonresidents and residents, properties with water frontage and without water frontage, and properties of higher value and those of lower value. Both parametric and nonparametric statistics were utilized to test the research hypotheses.

The study findings were: (1) Properties …

The Relationship Between Selected Work Behaviors And Closed Head Injury, Douglas A. Walter

Dissertations

Each year approximately 30,000 to 50,000 individuals suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) serious enough to limit their ability to return to their pre-injury life style. A large portion of these individuals are men in their early adult years who are primary wage earners and, additionally, are in the process of establishing primary career tracks. The consequences of the injury, although not negatively impacting on their life expectancy, pose barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment. A persistent problem for rehabilitation specialists is predicting job performance following a TBI. Existing instruments were not available to assess behavioral changes resulting from the …

The Relationship Between Therapist Personality And Theoretical Orientation, David J. Wagner

Dissertations

This research project sought to examine the relationship between a therapist's personality and theoretical orientation. It was hypothesized that therapists with similar personalities would possess similar theoretical orientations.

Forty male and 22 female therapists from a variety of clinical settings participated in the study by volunteering to answer a one-page questionnaire and take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Form G. In addition to demographic data, the questionnaire asked the therapist to select one of six theoretical orientations which they felt best described them. Each orientation was briefly described and defined. The six orientations were: (1) psychodynamic, (2) behavioral, (3) cognitive, …

Corporate Resistance To Early Return To Work Policy, Roger J. Shoemaker

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to discover the extent and patterns of resistance the concept of an early return to work policy is encountering in private corporations. Early return to work policies encourage and enable injured/disabled employees to return to duty before being fully recuperated. The degree of resistance was examined through variables which are component elements of the macro themes of corporate culture and corporate structure theory. Corporate culture embodies a set of beliefs and values collectively held and socialized by a corporation. Specific elements of corporate culture which were examined are corporate goals (to increase market share, …