Psychology Commons^™

Speech Intelligibility As A Function Of The Propositionality Of Background Noise, Gail Swanstrom

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to measure the ability of young normal hearing listeners to perceive speech in the presence of a background noise which varies in the relative intensity of its semantic content. The Speech Perception in Noise test was mixed with a two-component competing noise complex in which the narrative-to- speech noise ratio varied in 2 dB increments from -2 dB Na/SpN to +8 dB Na/SpN. These stimuli were presented at an overall +8 dB signal-to-noise ratio to thirty young normal hearing adults through the soundfield system. The differences between the mean error scores and standard deviations …

Role-Taking And Behavior, Jane Wynne Uphoff

Dissertations and Theses

The present study examined the relationship between the cognitive skill of role-or perspective-taking and naturally occurring behavior of behaviorally disordered children. Twenty-six boys, aged five years, nine months to twelve years, two months were tested and observed at their treatment facility. It was predicted that children who could take the perspective of others would prefer peer to adult interaction, would more likely give positive attention to their peers and would be more likely to use effective language than their non perspective-taking peers. These and related hypotheses were examined by observing each participant's interactive behavior for 36 minutes distributed over three …

Exploratory Study Of A Measure Of Self-Actualization, Norma C. Troncoso

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to measure positive personality change expected to occur during four years of a self-actualizing program. The first study computed inter correlations among the scales of the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) for students in the Psychology and English Departments of a Spanish-speaking college, which were then compared with those reported in the test manual. Generally, correlations were greater than those in the manual, which suggested possible influence by the humanistic and Christian philosophy of the college. The second study examined the effect of training for self-actualization and personality growth on the behavior of a group of psychology …

"The Tide Of The Unconscious" Jung, Bosch And The Archetypes Of The Garden Of Earthly Delights, Andrea R. Peck

Institute for the Humanities Theses

Many scholars have discussed the meaning of Hieronymous Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights concluding that Bosch's works were of a conscious nature relating to the real world. By contrast, this study, using the theories of Carl Jung, fragments Bosch's work and sees the milieu of his art through the eyes of the collective unconscious. Accordingly, a number of explanations of Jungian ideas are presented with the view to better understanding Bosch: Jung's theory of the archetypes, his view of Christianity, his analysis of medieval alchemy, as well as matrix archetypes and symbolic forms relating to The Garden. Through this …

The Analysis Of Library Books To Use With Gifted Readers Grades Four Through Six, Judith A. Mills

Graduate Research Papers

The major purpose of this research was to determine if a list of prototype questions, structured to elicit cognitive responses at the upper levels of the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, would be sufficiently productive when applied to the episodes in twelve books that they may elicit higher level thinking from gifted readers at the fourth through sixth grade levels.

Eighty questions were developed through the use of a mini-course entitled, "Higher Cognitive Questioning" secured from Cooperative Network Inservice Resources (CNIR), and two Gifted and Talented Workshops presented to the Marshalltown Schools by Educational Consulting Associates (ECA). Questions were further categorized …

A Comparison Of Three Measures Of Waking Fantasy, Carey Sue Edney

Dissertations and Theses

This project compared three techniques of assessing waking fantasy, or daydreaming. The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI), and time-sampled ongoing mentation reports (OMR) were the three measures employed. Seven qualities were compared, as measured by the three methods, using a multitrait-multimethod correlation matrix. Neither extensive convergent nor extensive discriminant validity was demonstrated among the three measures. This suggests that one should use caution in comparing research findings which utilize different measures of waking fantasy.

Individual Differences In Imaginal And Verbal Information Processing Abilities, Joan Marie Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

The present research is based on the theory that there are two major modes of consciousness, verbal and imaginal, which are controlled by the left and right hemispheres, respectively. This project was concerned with the relationship between these modes of consciousness and the measures employed in this study. The measures employed were an ongoing mentation report (OMR), a paired-associate learning (PAL) task, the Betts vividness of imagery questionnaire, the Gordon test of imagery control, and the visual imagery scale of Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI). EEG and EOG measures were recorded during the OMR, and lateral eye movement was taken as …

Effects Of Practice On The Rate Of Gain Of Information In A Paper And Pencil Task, Dennis Howard Jones

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Investigations into the effects of practice on choice reaction time (CRT) performance and the rate of gain of information have produced confusing and often contradictory results. This seems to stem from the fact that (1) a small number of subjects were utilized and (2) there were an insufficient number of experimental conditions. In the present experiments, the author has developed a Reaction Time Battery (RTB) that allows a large group of subjects to be tested efficiently and economically. Using three levels of stimulus uncertainty (1, 2, or 3 bits) factorial to two levels of S-R compatibility (low and high), Experiment …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Affect Of Academic Achievement On Self-Concept, Jacqueline Therriault Salerno

Graduate Theses

No abstract is provided.

A Psychometric Evaluation Of The Bicycle Drawing Test And The Establishment Of Preliminary Norms, Mary Lee Nichols

Dissertations and Theses

The main purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Bicycle Drawing Test. The 20-point scoring criterion was evaluated, and the preliminary norms were established.

The Bicycle Drawing Test is an easily administered free-style drawing task that has been found to be a useful addition to a neuropsychological test battery. It provides a sample of visuopractic functioning involving the formation of a perceptual construct, a motor response, and a spatial component.

The Relationship Of Self-Concept And Locus Of Control, Dirk David Sheehan

Masters Theses

Purpose of the Study:

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether relationships could be found between certain characteristics of one's self-concept and locus of control. This paper is a report of that study.

Method of Study:

Data contained in this study were gathered by utilizing the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and the Rotter's I-E (Internal-External) Scale. A total of one hundred 1980 Rantoul High School psychology and physics students were administered the above standardized tests. The sex factor was included to see if there were any noticeable characteristics among students with relationship to their test scores.

The …

Cerebral Asymmetries In Human Colour Perception, Zoe L. Hayes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Two experiments were designed in order to explore hemisphere asymmetries in both the identification and discrimination of colour. Extensive predictions were made based on the assumption that manual responses are controlled from the contralateral hemisphere and speech from the left hemisphere. The results of both experiments were inconclusive. Discussion centred around possible reasons for the limited effects and the design of future research.

A Critique Of Bandler And Grinder's Method Of Mapping Representational Systems, Leslie E. Goldmann

Dissertations and Theses

People perceive the world in their own terms: our use of language reflects our perceptions. The way in which we perceive the world and the words we use to reflect that perception Grinder and Bandler (1976) call a "representational system." The authors isolate three types of representational systems, visual, kinesthetic, and auditory, and they present a technique for mapping these systems. These authors state that a sensory preference profile can be mapped accurately and reliably via an individual's use of language. For example, words such as "clear," "see" and expressions of the kind "I get a picture" would connote a …

Perceptions Of The Magnitude And Diversity Of Social Support, George R. Goethals, Shelley Jean Allison, Marnie Frost

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Three studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that subjects would overestimate the proportion of their peers who shared their opinion on an issue and that they would perceive their own opinion group as consisting of people with a wider and more diverse range of values and outlooks than those holding different opinions. The first study was conducted following a period of intense debate about sexism on a college campus. Subjects estimated student opinion on issues related to sexism and indicated how diverse or similar they perceived supporters and nonsupporters of the women's movement to be. In a second study …

Head Start Four And Five Year Old Children’S Attitudes Toward School As They Are Related To Achievement, Eugene Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there existed significant relationships between 4 and 5 year old children’s attitude toward school, their classroom teacher’s perception of their attitude toward school, length of time in school, sex, or a composite of these with their achievement on the Pre-School Attainment Record. A random sample of 55 Head Start children completed three instruments. The instruments used in this study were a revised Children’s Attitude Toward School Scale (CATSS-R), (Beere, 1970) The Pre-School Attainment Record (PAR), (Doll, 1966) and the Teachers Rating of Attitude of Children Toward School (TRACTS). The results of …

An Investigation Of The Consistency Of Stimulus Overselection Of Autistic Children, Patricia O'Meara Walker

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature indicated that not all of the research in the area of overselectivity of autistic children has been in agreement. It does seem evident that some autistic children overselect. This could be the result of an attentional factor or a modality preference. This has important implications for the education of autistic children. In the light of the inconsistency of autistic children's reactions to sensory stimuli this investigator believed there was a need to determine if overselection is consistent before referring to the overselected modality as a preferred modality or comparing overselected modalities with the child's mode …

A Test Of Two Theories Of The Necker Cube Reversal Illusion, Phillip Powers Woodson Jr.

Master's Theses

The Necker cube reversal illusion was used to test the satiational and constructional theories of this illusion in an experimental paradigm. The paradigm involved one group of 51 university students who were tested under three experimental conditions. All three test sessions involved their watching a Necker cube for a continuous 2 minute period. Each session was separated by at least a 1-day interval. One session involved the plain cube. Another session involved a fixation mark in the center of the cube and a third session had the mark sequentially appearing in four different locations in the central region of the …

The Relationship Of Lateral Eye Movements To Field-Dependence-Independence And Verbal And Performance Skills, Linda J. Stennett-Mason

Masters Theses

Lateral eye movements and handedness as indexes of hemisphere asymmetry were compared to field-dependence-independence, as measured by Rod-and-Frame Test errors, and to Wechsler Verbal and Performance IQs. Consistent with previous research, the hypotheses predicted that persons with inconsistent lateral eye movements (ambilaterality) would have greater Rod-and-Frame errors (field-dependence) and lower Wechsler Verbal and Performance IQs.

Subjects were 41 male undergraduates who were grouped according to their lateral eye movements in response to 20 reflective questions consisting of ten verbal (left-hemisphere) and ten spatial (right-hemisphere) questions. The response scoring resulted in 12 subjects with 70% or more lateral eye movements to …

Intelligence And Nonintelligence Factors Contributing To Scores On The Rorschach Prognostic Rating Scale, Anneke P. Hathaway

Dissertations and Theses

Correlation between the RPRS total and WAIS FSIQ showed that approximately 43% of the variance in the RPRS total can be accounted for by the variance in the FSIQ. Verbal IQ is not significantly higher correlated with the RPRS total than the Performance IQ (p < .10). Factor analysis of the 6 RPRS subscores resulted in 2 factors. Subsequent factor analysis of the 6 RPRS subscores plus FSIQ and the factor analysis of the 6 RPRS subscores plus PIQ and VIQ showed the first factor to be an intelligence factor accounting for 85% of the common variance. The RPRS variables FL, FM, M and Sh loaded on this factor. The second factor was a nonintelligence factor accounting for 15% of the common variance. Small m is clearly the main determinant of this factor followed by Sh. In addition, the results of 2 exploratory factor analyses are discussed. The first exploratory factor analysis involved 23 variables, namely the 6 RPRS subscores, RPRS total, the 11 WAIS subscales, FSIQ, VIQ, PIQ, VIS and OABD. The second exploratory analysis involved 17 variables, namely the 6 RPRS subscores and the 11 WAIS subscales.

Parental Perception Of The Neonate, Liza Ann Webb

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine maternal and paternal perceptions of the neonate. The Broussard Neonatal Perception Inventory was used to measure perception.

Thirty couples who delivered normal, healthy, first-born infants at a Naval Hospital in San Diego volunteered for the study. Consent forms were signed during the hospital stay and the Broussard Neonatal Perception Inventory was administered to both parents in the homes when the infants were one month old.

Statistical analysis of data showed that mothers and fathers did rate their one-month-old infants as above the average infant using the Broussard Neonatal Perception Inventory. The range …

A Study Of The Relationship Of School Disciplinary Procedures And The High School Dropout At Odessa High School, James K. Adian

Graduate Theses

The document presents a review of relevant literature providing research findings relevant to problems concerning dropouts. Data for the document was obtained by sending a questionnaire to selected drop out students at Odessa High School. The results of the survey were organized into statistical data and reported in the document in tables and diagrams. The results of the survey imply a significant number of dropouts have a negative attitude about the treatment they received from school personnel, but school is generally regarded as a needed and good experience. Further implications are for a controlled study to determine the cause of …

Developmental Study Of The Mueller-Lyer Illusion Under Conditions Of Restricted Exposure Time & Task Interference, Jerald Clampitt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study brought together two lines of research in an attempt to explain some issues in perceptual development. The first pertained to the Mueller-Lyer illusion which tends to decrease with age. Piaaet attributed this change to increased perceptual activities, such as eye movements in the older subjects. Pollack related it to changes in the physical structure of the eye. Grice attributed the charge partially to cognitive processes, and partially to perceptual activities. Second, the concept of iconic memory was reviewed. Grice had employed the concept of iconic memory in an attempt to relate the age related changes in illusions …

Visual Detection Of Cryptic Prey By Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata), Alexandra T. Pietrewicz, Alan Kamil

Avian Cognition Papers

Blue jays learned to respond differentially to the presence or absence of Catocala moths in slides. This detection of the moths by the jays was affected by the background upon which the moth was placed and its body orientation, thus providing an objective measure of crypticity. These procedures are useful for the study of visual detection of prey.

The Development Of The Self-Death Awareness Scale, Thomas Francis Ryan Jr.

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was the development of the Self-Death Awareness Scale (SDAS), an instrument that is intended to measure the awareness of the fact that a person is mortal and is going to eventually die. The experimental instrument was administered to 100 persons equally divided into four age groups (ages 17-83). It was hypothesized that age and the SDAS were correlated with older persons being more aware of their own mortality than younger subjects. Also investigated were the variables of sex, occupation, education, church membership, number of children, marital status, and loss of family and friends through death. …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Failure To Be Promoted And Self-Concept Of Ninth Grade Students, Joan C. Cobb

Graduate Theses

No abstract is provided.

Effects Of Verbal And Pantomime Stimulus Input On The Short Term Sequential Recall Of Aphasic Adults, Lauryl Suzanne Ivers Grotting

Dissertations and Theses

The question posed in this investigation was: Which stimulus input mode, verbal, pantomime, or combined verbal and pantomime, is more effective in facilitating short term sequential recall of language material with aphasic adults?

Preferred And Nonpreferred Color As Irrelevent Background In Paired Associate Learning, Margaret Ann Kenner

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Education at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Psychology by Margaret Ann Kenner in January of 1976.

Coding, Perceptual Grouping And Part-To-Whole Transfer In Recognition Memory And Recall, Frederick J. Parente

Psychology ETDs

Three experiments examined the effects of part-to-whole transfer of organization in recall and recognition memory. The experiments modified the traditional part-to-whole transfer procedures in that subjects initially learned a list of perceptually grouped letter sequences and certain aspects of those sequences (letter elements and/or group structure) were part of larger sequences presented for second-list recall and recognition. The results of the first experiment provided clear support for an organizational interpretation of transfer effects in part-to-whole learning. Subjects in this experiment exhibited a facilitation in second-­list learning which was the result of prior exposure to perceptual groupings that were common to …

Effect Of Stressful And "Neutral" Moving Images And Still Images On Dreaming, Elizabeth Anne Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

A controlled presleep experience was used in an attempt to trace waking experience in dreams. Dream reports were collected in the laboratory from 12 dreamers (half men, half women; half recallers, half nonrecallers), using the electrophysiological method of Dement and Kleitman. Following a baseline night, each dreamer was awakened on three consecutive nights during every REM period (rapid eye movement and Stage 1-ascending EEG pattern). Immediately prior to sleep on Night 3, four of the dreamers viewed an emotionally arousing film, four others viewed a slide sequence having the same content as the stressful film, and four others viewed an …

Increased Retention Due To Category Shift : A Perceptual-Attentive Phenomenon?, Leonard J. Bianchi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A stimulus that is qualitatively distinct from other stimuli tends to show higher retention in Free Recall (FR) and short-term memory distraction (STM) tasks. This finding applies equally well to an isolated stimulus which belongs to a taxonomic category different from other stimuli.