Psychology Commons^™

Moral Development, Socioeconomic Status, And Family Intactness: Status Offenders Versus Criminal Offenders, Michael A. Glynn

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the possible differences between the two legally defined groups of juvenile delinquents (status offenders and criminal offenders) on the variables of moral development, socioeconomic status, and family intactness. Moral development was measured using Gibbs' Sociomoral Reflection Measure. Socioeconomic status was determined by the subject's parent's ranking on Nam's Occupational Status Score Index, and family intactness or non-intactness was determined from an examination of court records. The subjects were 106 males between the ages of 13 and 17 inclusive, and were evenly divided in the two legal categories. No significant differences were found between the two groups on …

Do We Really Know What Makes Educational Software Effective? A Call For Empirical Research On Effectiveness, Karen Jolicoeur, Dale E. Berger

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Empirical information on specific factors that make educational software effective in reaching instructional objectives would be of considerable value. The authors describe the current state of evaluation research with educational software and discuss how popular software review methods fall short of meeting our need to know how well specific programs work.

The Development And Construct Validation Of The Children’S Academic Motivation Inventory, Kevin Hughes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide construct validation evidence for the Children’s Academic Motivation Inventory (CAMI). The CAMI, the junior Index of Motivation Scale (JIM Scale), and the Children’s Social Desirability Scale (CSDS) were administered to 534 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. Additionally, teacher assigned math grades; total math and total reading scores from the Kentucky Essential skills test (KEST); and the Cognitive Skills Index (CSI) from the Test of Cognitive Skills were obtained for each participant. Principal-components factor analysis with varimax rotation performed on the CAMI items produced essentially one factor, entitled academic achievement motivation. …

A Study Of Cognitive Variables Associated With Achievement Among A Gifted Population, Sharon R. Coty-Kieta

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between specific cognitive variables and classroom achievement among a gifted population. The participants included 389 students in grades five eight enrolled in the Gifted and Talented Education program in a Southcentral Kentucky School district. An experimenter-developed teacher rating scale was used to document classroom achievement, the criterion variable. The predictor variables were (a) locus of control, as measured by the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale; (b) the ability to clearly express thoughts and the elaboration, fluency, flexibility, originally, and organization of those thoughts, as measured by the Prose Quantification System; (c) …

Teaching Minimum Based Competency Test Skills To Secondary-Aged Learning Disabled Students Through The Use Of Precision Teaching, Michael E. Byrnes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This project investigated whether a precision teaching method used with learning disabled high school students (grades 9-12) could give them the skills needed to pass a minimum based competency test in the area of local, state and national government. The specific objective of this project was to determine if the use of precision teaching enabled the students to retain the facts needed to pass a competency test required for graduation. A multiple-baseline design across behaviors was used to show the effect of precision teaching in mastering the needed facts. The data from each baseline improved and surpassed the set criteria …

An Attributional Analysis Of Students' Reactions To Success And Failure, Donelson R. Forsyth

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

Like it or not, evaluation is as much a part of education as is learning. In most schools and universities students are regularly tested and evaluated by their teachers, who communicate their appraisals in the form of a grade. When the papers are handed back, the grades are posted, or report cards are sent home, students find out if they have succeeded or if they have failed.

How do students react to these academic evaluations? According to a growing number of studies, the answer to this question depends upon their attributions: students' inferences about the causes of their performances and …

Self-Concept In Home-Schooling Children, John Wesley Taylor V

Dissertations

The home school appears to be in a renaissance. This national study sought to provide an empirical base upon which to formulate viable decisions regarding homeschooling children. The study considered homeschoolers in grades four through twelve. The randomized sample yielded 224 qualified participants.

Conclusions include the following:

1. The self-concept of the homeschoolers was significantly higher (p<.001) than that of the conventionally schooled population on all scales of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Half of the homeschoolers scored at or above the 91st percentile on the global scale.

2. Insofar as self-concept is a reflector of socialization, it appears that few homeschoolers are socially deprived.

3. The self-concept of the homeschoolers decreases significantly (p<.01) as age and grade level rise.

4. The factors of gender, number of siblings, locale of residence, prior conventional schooling, number of years …

Assessing Critical Thinking Processes In The Gifted: Predicting Gre Analytical Performance From Watson-Glaser Results, Susie Garrott

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the constructs measured by the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the Graduate Record Examination Analytical Scale in "gifted" adolescents 15 to 17 years of age. There were three hypotheses addressed in this study: 1) "gifted" adolescents would be able to think critically as measured by college level norms when measured by the Watson-Glaser and the GRE-Analytical; 2) significant differences would exist between different levels of gifted populations; and 3) a factor or group of factors of the Watson-Glaser subscales would significantly predict performance on the GRE-Analytical Scale.

The Watson-Glaser …

The Effect Of Word Abbreviation On Decoding Speed And Accuracy, Frances Piccione

Masters Theses

An experiment was conducted to verify the existence and determine the magnitude of the human response latency differential between words and their abbreviations in a decoding task. Forty-eight Naval Officer Candidates learned a set of abbreviations obtained from operational aircraft cockpits. Abbreviations and corresponding words were divided into easy and hard difficulty levels. Subjects responded by saying the correct whole-word for both stimulus types. Response times measured by a voice key revealed a mean of 0.534 seconds for words and 0.662 seconds for abbreviations. An analysis of variance produced significant main effects (p < .05) for stimulus types and difficulty levels; the interaction effect was not significant. Also, t-tests for correlated scores revealed significant differences (p < .05) between difficulty levels within stimulus types.

The Effects Of Self-Evaluation Procedures On The Numbers And Accuracy Of Alphabet Letter Writing Behavior Of Preschool Children, Kevin R. Coleman

Masters Theses

This study assessed the effects of self-evaluation procedures on the rate and accuracy of alphabet letter writing. Three preschoolers served as subjects. During Phase I, students were given instructions, and the experimenter modeled accurate letter writing. During Phase II, instructions and modeling were again presented. Additionally, the students were given a rule statement that instructed them to use a stamper and a stamp pad to stamp their paper after first writing each of a row of four letters. The results indicated that the introduction of self-evaluation procedures was associated with immediate increases in frequency of attempts, but a decrease in …

School Psychologists' Reports: Special Educators' Preferences, Claudia Downey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Special educators were surveyed in order to determine which of two distinct styles of school psychologists' reports, (psychological vs. psychoeducational) was perceived to be most useful. The sample population consisted of 39 special educators employed by the Bowling Green (Ky.) Independent School District and the Warren County (Ky.) Board of Education. Teachers' rankings of the ten report sections (five per style of report) were compared by an analysis of variance. Results of the 2 (report style: psychological vs. psychoeducational) by 5 (report sections: referral vs. background and observations vs. tests/procedures vs. diagnosis or conclusions vs. recommendations) ANOVA revealed no significant …

Behavior Of Retarded Clients As A Function Of Access To Leisure Activities Oriented Toward Task Completion, David R. Keltner

Home Economics and Family Living Theses

This thesis represents an investigation of the effects of increased access to task completion activities on the behavior of institutionalized retarded clients. The hypothesis was that increased access to task completion leisure activities (non-competitive free time activities requiring the subject to attend to a constructive task during at least five free time periods over the course of the study) would result in reduced frequency of unacceptable social behaviors in a group of institutionalized retarded clients. A hobby kit designed according to the experimental definition of leisure activity was made available to each subject in the experimental group. Target behaviors (social …

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Whicker, Garth. Agriculture and the Development of Malaysia
• McGaha. Rape, Passion, Lechery, Usury, Incest, Murder and other Matters in The Ravenger's Tragedy
• Harrison, Robert. It was a Day of Very General Awakening . . : Reformation and Revival in Russellville, Kentucky
• King, Betty. An Affirmative Decision for James's Isabel Archer
• Sutton, Joyce. Sex Bias in Performance of Women
• Logsdon, Doug. Poe's Women
• Yoder, Nate. Emily Dickinson and Her Puritan Heritage
• Davis, Aleen. Jay …

Occupational Identity Assessment Among Middle And Late Adolescents, Julian Melgosa

Dissertations

Problem. Research on James Marcia's identity statuses has been directed toward the overall problem of identity, but not toward the specific area of occupational identity. The major purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to assess Marcia1s Identity Statuses (Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure, and Diffusion) for the occupational area. In addition, the relationships of selected variables to these statuses were investigated.

Method. Random class groups of students (N=417) from six selected high schools and colleges located in Michigan provided the data for this study. Items were created utilizing the criteria established by previous research and content validated …

Graduate Bulletin, 1985-1987 (1985), Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Factors Related To Job Satisfaction Of Academic Faculty And Administrators In Higher Education, Sutin Somprakit

Masters Theses

Statement of the Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify factors which are most likely to affect job satisfaction of academic faculty and administrators in higher education. Specific recommendations were proposed for college and university administrators' application to maximize academic faculty and administrator job satisfaction. These recommendations were to improve organizational effectiveness and productivity of higher education.

Procedure

The identification of satisfaction-producing factors affecting academic faculty and administrators was accomplished by the related research and literature in the private (business and industry) and the public (higher education) sectors in relation to the motivation-hygiene theory of Herzberg. The recommendations …

Written Precounseling Training Versus Videotaped Precounseling Training Of Clients For Counseling, Ross M. Stewart

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to compare the effects of two precounseling training processes for facilitating the client-counselor relationship and client self-exploration. One group of subjects was exposed to a videotaped presentation of a simulated initial counseling session which demonstrated desirable client and counselor behavior. A second group of subjects read a document which closely matched the content of the videotaped session. Subjects went immediately into a session with their assigned counselor. The dependent variables investigated in this study were: (1) perceived client-counselor relationship as measured by the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory, and (2) client self-exploration as measured by the Helpee Self-Exploration …

Assertion, Assertion Training, And Sex-Role Orientation, Herbert L. Spencer Jr.

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate three questions: (1) Does there exist a significant relationship between assertion and sex-role orientation? (2) Does assertion training affect the sex-role orientation of its participants, and if so, in what direction does this effect occur in terms of the participants' sex-role orientation? (3) Does a relationship exist between those who benefit from assertion training with increased assertion and their levels of sex-role identification? Procedure: (1) The Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the College Self-Expression Scale (CSES) was given to 188 undergraduate college student volunteers. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was utilized …

The Relationship Among Parent Knowledge Of Special Education, Assertiveness, And Participation In Planning Their Handicapped Child’S Educational Program, Lynne Faxon Croxton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study addressed the relationship among parent assertiveness, parent knowledge of special education and the handicapping condition of their child, and parent participation in the annual meeting of the School-Based Admissions and Release Committee (SBARC). Fifty-one (51) parents of learning disabled and mentally handicapped children in a suburban area of Kentucky participated in the study. The effects of the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child’s handicapping condition and the number of years the child had received special education on parent assertiveness, knowledge, and participation were also analyzed. Parents were given the Special Education Knowledge Survey, and …

Effects Of Two Instructional Sets On The Validity Of The Kaufman Assessment Battery For Children -- Non-Verbal Scale With A Group Of Severely Hearing Impaired Children, Larry James Porter

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the applicability and appropriateness of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC)--Non-Verbal Scale for assessing intellectual functioning in severely hearing impaired children. The Non-verbal K-ABC was administered to 49 children ages 7 through 12 years enrolled at a public residential school for the deaf. Test instructions were given to one group of 24 employing American sign language (ASL), plus pantomime and gestures while the other group of 25 received pantomime and gesture (PG) instructions only. It was hypothesized that the ASL group would score significantly higher than the PG group. However, no …

The Comparison Of General And Specific Videotape Pretraining On Selected Process And Outcome Variables In Counseling, John David Hughes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of a professional self-disclosure statement as a pretraining treatment of role induction in counseling. Two videotape models of pretraining for first-time clients were compared with a notreatment control condition. The eight dependent variables investigated included six of client expectation: client attitudes and behaviors, client characteristics, counselor characteristics, characteristics of process, counselor attitudes and behaviors, and the quality of outcome; one of state anxiety; and one of continuance in counseling. The counselor-specific client role induction consisted of a professional self-disclosure statement discussing purpose and expectations of counseling, confidentiality, and counselor training. The general pretraining treatment consisted …

The Use Of Performance Data To Monitor And Support The Reorganization Of An Educational System, Ellen Spall Thompson

Masters Theses

The goal of this study was to determine the performance effects on staff and students following the reorganization of a special education facility. The organizational plan was based on the development of teaching teams where students were grouped together according to exit curricular goals. Four interventions were completed in order to assess the overall outcome of the reorganization project. At the student level, the rate of learning was monitored in order to determine whether the implementation of teams affected educational objective acquisition . At the team level, meeting agendas were surveyed to find out what effect they had on student …

The Interaction Between Characteristic Locus Of Control And Control Of Events On The Perceived Stress Of Events, Jeffrey B. Harrison

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 by Jeffrey B. Harrison on July 7,1984.

A Comparison Of A Group Approach And A Personalized Approach In Teaching Behavior Management Techniques To Parents, Vicki Martin

Dissertations and Theses

Parent intervention programs that assist parents in increasing their skills in behavior management techniques have experienced considerable success over the last 20 years. Parent training not only aids the parent in changing the child's behavior but may be beneficial in preventing future problems.

When a program of this type is utilized with low income populations, cost effectiveness becomes an important issue. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of a parent intervention program when utilizing a group format versus a personalized, one-to-one approach to training.

The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) was administered pre and posttreatment …

Guilford’S Structure Of Intellect Theory: An Evaluation Of The Three Dimensional Model And The Implications For Its Use In The Education Of The Gifted Child, Judith Parr

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

There is much current interest in the field of education concerning the academically gifted student’s needs. Guilford’s Structure of Intellect model (Guilford, 1956) holds particular promise for positively influencing the development of cognitive skills among academically gifted students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of using a program of instruction based upon Guilford’s Structure of Intellect (SI) model (Meeker, 1969) with children identified as academically gifted. Subjects consisted of 68 fourth-grade students who resided in two counties of northwestern Kentucky and who were identified as being academically gifted. The treatment group consisted of 34 academically gifted …

Perception Of The Ames Distorted Room As A Function Of Active Vs. Passive Training, Antoinette B. Dyer

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Education Morehead at State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Psychology by Antoinette B. Dyer in March of 1984.

The Effect Of Applying The Cognitive Dissonance Theory On Improving Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes Toward Individuals Labelled Exceptional, Kelly Randick

Masters Theses

This thesis study developed from an interest in and an awareness of the need to modify attitudes of pre-service teachers toward those who are labelled exceptional. The effects of negative attitudes toward those labelled exceptional have been repeatedly reported in the literature. Negative attitudes toward those labelled exceptional are reported to have resulted in differential treatment toward and lowered self concepts/esteems of those with disabilities. There had been an inclination for individuals without disabilities to place emphasis on the differences between people with disabilities and those without. These differences were reported to have negative connotations. The central purpose of this …

Incredible Day-Dream : Freud And Jung At Clark, 1909, William A. Koelsch

Clark University History

This booklet collects The Fifth Annual Paul S. Clarkson lecture, about Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung's historic 1909 visit to Clark University. As Blaine E. Taylor write in their preface:

"Professor Koelsch helps the reader put the visit in perspective, carefully correcting claims that it introduced Freud to America or that original research was presented for the first time in the lectures. He also traces the importance of the visit to Clark for Carl Jung and the interesting relationship between Freud and Jung....Here is a complete record, full of insight and interesting asides, of the events that led to 'the …

Cognitive Styles And Measured Occupational Preferences Of College Freshmen And Sophomores, Leonard M. Fisher

Dissertations

Problem. This research study tested the hypothesis that significant statistical relationships obtain for junior college and college freshmen and sophomore students, between the cognitive style measures field independence/dependence, "preference for structure," Harvey's Cognitive Style Factors--and occupational factors measure by the UNIACT Interest Inventory.

Method. Four paper and pencil tests measuring three cognitive styles were administered to 213 Michiana area and junior college and college freshmen and sophomores. The Group Embedded Figures Test was used to measure field independence/dependence while the two major measures of "preference for structure" cognitive styles were the VRTTAB average, and the FRTTAB average scores of the …

Social Skills Training In Elementary Children, Marsha Calvert Thiel

Masters Theses

A peer rating sociometric scale was administered to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in six different classrooms. The numbers on the Likert-type scale (1-5) were accompanied by smiling or frowning faces for each student to indicate how much he liked to play with each student in his classroom. Teachers also rated students, indicating how much other children like to play with each student. Ratings given by same sex classmates were used to calculate a mean for each student. Teacher ratings and sociometric means were converted to z-scores. These z-scores were added together with each sociometric z-score receiving …