Psychology Commons^™

Rural-Urban Personality Differences In Utah Adolescents As Measured By The Cpi, Benjamin K. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The CPI (California Psychological Inventory) was administered to 395 high school students to determine if personality differences exist between rural and urban adolescents in Utah. Of those tested, 219 were selected from three rural schools and 176 were selected from three urban schools.

Ten of the eighteen individual scales of the CPI showed differences between rural and urban students at the P < .05 level. Two of the four classes of scales showed differences at the P < .01 level, and the other two classes showed differences significant at the P < .05 level. In each case where significant differences were found, the differences favored the urban students. The results of this study indicate that the urban students in Utah tend to have more positive personality characteristics than the rural students.

A Reliability Measurement Of The Transactional Analysis Checklist, Robert B. Kahn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the study was to measure the reliability of a checklist created and standardized for the study. The development of the checklist, referred to in the study as the Transactional Analysis Checklist (TAC), finds its basis in Transactional Analysis theory.

The literature available pertaining to Transactional Analysis was reviewed. No literature, prior to the study, existed which directed itself specifically to the examination of an instrument that could be used during the diagnostic phase of treatment.by .Transactional Analysts. The lack of literature was a partial motivator for the study. It was suggested that informally constructed devices are being …

The Comparative Effects Of Two Reinforcement Schedules Applied To Groups In Teaching Arithmetic Skills, Ronald C. Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A behavioral approach to teaching in the public school system is difficult because of the inherent difficulty of finding positive reinforcers and administering them simultaneously to large groups of students.

This study attempts to apply the same tangible reinforcers to two groups of students under different schedules of reinforcement. The students in the study were in special classes termed "learning adjustment" classes because of their failure to perform at grade level in regular classroom settings.

One group was on a continuous schedule of reinforcement using tokens and gold strike stamps as reinforcers. The second group was also on a continuous …

Utilization Of Phoneme-Grapheme Relative Frequency Data As An Effective Method Of Developing Reading Materials For Navajo Students, Wesley K. Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis suggests a new method of developing reading materials for Navajo students. The core of this method is based on phoneme- grapheme relative frequency correspondence data.

A short story was phonetically edited and rewritten using the phoneme-grapheme relative frequency method. This short story was one of the major products of the thesis.

This short story and three other short stories previously phonically rewritten, were presented in both this form and in original text to 38 Navajo students for reading.

Reading speed and reading comprehension were measured for each student on the short stories. The students performed with superior reading …

The Prediction Of Sales Success Among B. F. Goodrich Territory Managers, Richard F. Fail

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The B. F. Goodrich Company spends considerable money selecting and training territory managers. The hiring of territory managers generally rests with local management's "intuition." Since 1967, a substantial percentage of these highly trained salesmen have separated from the company. It was within this attrition context, that an exploratory, objective, selection program was studied.

A multiple discriminant function (multigroup model) was used to analyze three groups of B. F. Goodrich Territory Managers' California Psychology Inventory and Edwards Personal Preference Schedule test scores.

The data revealed that known territory managers' group membership could be significantly predicted. A longitudinal study (one year later) …

A Follow-Up Of Decision Changes From The Act Profile For Freshmen At Usu, Brent M. Hinze

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Decision making and decision changes were studied in late adolescents regarding post-high school choices. A branching questionnaire was constructed and mailed to 1239 late adolescents who during the preceding year had indicated on the American College Test (ACT) that Utah State University (USU) was their first choice for college attendance, but whose names did not appear on the USU Registrar's list of enrolled freshmen, Fall 1969. 62% of the questionnaires were returned. Questions were asked concerning post-high school decision making and decision change:

1. What alternatives to attendance at USU were chosen?
2. Was the alternative chosen college-related or was the change …

The Effects Of A Token Economy On Epileptic Seizure Rates, Frederick Hjalmer Lindberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Past studies have shown that a relationship may exist between certain forms of epileptic seizures and specific environmental stimuli. This relationship is not well understood. The objective of this study was to assess this relationship by determining the effect of a selected token economy on seizure rates. The token economy utilized in this study may differ from token economies described in the literature as it employed certain punishers. This was done by dividing the study into three experiments.

During Experiment I three severe epileptics were exposed to a series of conditions including baseline, token economy condition and baseline. During the …

The Development Of Career Activities For Fourth Grade Students, Barbara P. M. Southwick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Today's youth have few real contacts with the work world and have little knowledge of what is expected from them. Many grade school youngsters are not aware of the type of work their parents are doing. Some do not even know where their parents work. It is difficult for most elementary students to see the relationship between their present school activities and their future life. And all too often, students can not express personal goals or plans.

As students become more aware of the world of work, they should be better prepared to enter it and they should also develop …

Self-Imposed Delays Of Reinforcement In Conjunctive Schedules, Daniel M. Mccarthy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This experiment examined the role of delays of reinforcement in producing the response pattern generated by fixed interval (FI) schedules. Conjunctive schedules which required one response and maintained a 100 sec interreinforcement interval were used. These schedules permitted a variable delay of reinforcement to separate the last response in each interval from reinforcement. The maximum delay was specified, however, by specifying the percentage of the interval which must elapse before responses counted toward reinforcement. Maximum delays of 100, 95, 75, 50, 25, 5 and 0 seconds were examined and their effects on response rate, response distribution, and post-reinforcement pause were …

Chris Argyris And Organizational Behavior, Richard L. White

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper is about organizational behavior and one man's research and ideas about this subject. That man is Chris Argyris.

Chris Argyris has been at Yale University for nearly two decades as a professor of Industrial Administration until recently moving to Harvard. During that period of time he has evolved from a beginning student of the behavioral sciences to a respected scholar and research authority in the field of organizational behavior. His own ideas have changed from a beginning theoretical framework to more established and accepted commentaries on organizational behavior.

The purpose of this paper is to dissect and explain …

Aldo Leopold's "Land Ethic": An Ecological Extension Of Albert Schweitzer's "Reverence For Life", John Lee Weaver

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As a member of the world community, and in the process of becoming a professional ecologist, I have begun a search for a personal ecological ethic to guide my actions. Two of the paths I have taken in my search are Albert Schweitzer's Reverence for Life ethic and Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic. They are relevant because each has extended the scope of ethics beyond Homo Sapiens. Their thoughts, with similarities and dissimilarities, form herein my travels.

The Changing Role Of The Secondary Counselor In Career Guidance, Norman D. Devries

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

Work can be viewed as man's aim in life, or as his instrument to achieve other goals. Whatever the view, it is wrong to allow the vagueness and error that many individuals frequently face when choosing a career. If we are going to meet this demand, it will be necessary to make vocational guidance available to all those who are making or will make a vocation choice.

The Effects Of Shock-Induced Attack On Bar Pressing For Liquid Food Reinforcement, Joseph G. Hayes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Induced attack was studied under three conditions: (1) paired experimentally naive rats were exposed to intense electrical shock; (2) experimental subjects, previously trained to respond on a fixed ratio of six responses for liquid food reinforcement, were paired with target animals with the reinforcement contingency in effect; (3) experimental subjects were given a history of responding on a fixed ratio of six responses for positive reinforcement in the presence of shock, and finally this group was paired with experimentally naive targets when both the reinforcement and shock variables were present.

Pairing experimental animals without shock did not cause attack, nor …

The Development Of A Vocational Interest Inventory Using "Worker-Oriented" Job Elements, Alma F. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to develop a vocational interest inventory, using the "worker-oriented" job elements of Dr. Ernest J. McCormick and his associates, and to assess the reliability of the resulting instrument.

The interest inventory was prepared, based on 191 of the questions from the Position Analysis Questionnaire, and the test-retest reliability was calculated for a sample of 71 high school students, over a three-week period.

The mean correlation coefficient for the five over-all "job dimension" scores of the interest inventory was .80, and the average item reliability was .54. These coefficients were considered high enough to justify …

N-Achievement Motivation Of Male Navaho Indian Students As Measured By An Acculturated N-Achievement Scale, Rex C. Ivory

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The problem which formed the basis of this research was to answer the question: "Can an acculturated version of McClelland's original n-Achievement scale be significantly more effective in measuring n-Achievement motivation of male Navaho Indian subjects than McClelland's original n-Achievement scale?" An answer to this question would hopefully be reason enough for using an acculturated n-Achievement scale to provide new information relative to the Navaho Indian's need to achieve.

The major underlying objective of this study was to develop a more effective projective scale than McClelland in measuring a Navaho Indian's n-Achievement motivation. This objective was not reached; however, the …

Conditioning Verbal Behavior: The Effect Of Experimenter Baseline Behavior On The Conditioning Of Opinion Statements Emitted By Undergraduate Students, William E. Greable

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The general purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the operant conditioner's behavior during the baseline upon subsequent operant conditioning of opinion statements emitted by freshmen undergraduate students. Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following research questions:

1. Is it possible to systematically condition opinion statements in a verbal conditioning situation that resembles a counseling interview?
2. Does the behavior of the operant conditioner during the baseline have any influence on subsequent conditioning of opinion statements in a verbal conditioning situation resembling a counseling interview?
3. Is there a difference in the number of opinion statements emitted in a …

Investigation Of One Aspect Of Initiative That Is Subsumed Under Self-Concept And Its Relationship To Performance, John Edmund Genasci

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many children fail to achieve academic success despite an average or above average intellectual capacity, unimpaired motor ability, intact sensory functions, and an absence of major emotional disturbance. These same children have been assigned such descriptive terms as "underachievers" and "children with psycho-neurological disabilities."

It may be more apt to assume that these children who are underachieving and obtaining poor grades do so from lack of feeling of personal initiative and personal control over events in their lives.

This study attempts to investigate initiative as clinically observed and its effect upon tasks requiring an active analytical approach to problem solving. …

A Validation Of Koppitz's Scoring Method For Children's Human Figure Drawings, William Gary Evans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to see if the Koppitz objective scoring method for interpreting children's human figure drawings could be used as a valid assessment instrument with elementary school children. Human figure drawings were obtained from two matched groups of elementary school students, a normal and an emotionally disturbed group. The results of the comparison of human figure drawings of the two groups did not support Koppitz's findings. The Koppitz objective scoring method was found to be invalid as an assessment instrument with elementary school children and of doubtful use in diagnosing emotionally disturbed children. Possible explanations for …

Programmed Interpersonal Relations Training For Small Groups, John Fredricks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the Human Development Institute's (HDI) new group relationship improvement program on the interpersonal functioning of those individuals who undergo the program. The "California Personality Inventory" (CPI), the "Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior" (FIRO-B), and a semantic differential were used to measure changes.

The two hypotheses of this study are:

1. There will be a significant change towards improved interpersonal relationship skills for all groups, as measured from pre- to post testings.

2. There will be no significant difference in the change in interpersonal relations as measured by the pre-and post tests, between …

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Behavioral Contrast In Children, Wenden Wayne Waite

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study was conducted as a systematic replication of earlier work investigating the phenomenon of behavioral contrast. Behavioral contrast has been consistently reported in alternating two component multiple schedules using infra-human subjects. The present study was interested in answering the question, "Does behavioral contrast exist in humans?"

Two experiments were performed which investigated the behavioral contrast and sequential contrast phenomena in children. In both experiments, lever press responses were analyzed using an ABA single-subject design. The children were instructed to press a lever to obtain as many tokens as possible. In Experiment I, six Ss were equally divided into …

The Effects Of Response Sets On The Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Brent L. Andersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Modified versions of the Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (CMAS) and Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS) were administered to 40 normal and 29 retarded elementary school children to determine the effects of response sets upon CMAS scores. The results of the research indicated that CMAS scores obtained from retarded subjects reflect the use of acquiescence and denial response sets. Acquiescence response set did not affect the CMAS scores of normal children although there was a negative relationship between their CMAS scores and social desirability. The higher anxiety scores obtained by normal girls was felt to reflect their lower use of social …

Beards And Their Effect On Dimensions Of Self Concept, Douglas C. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of beards on aspects of self concept were studied. Experimental and control groups were administered measures of "self concept" in pre and post test situations. The experimental group grew beards while the control group continued to shave during the time interim. Results were analyzed using analysis of covariance, but failed to produce any significant differences.

Differences were found, however, in post test results of the within group variability of the experimental group in two areas: feeling reactivity and capacity for intimate contact. This suggests that possibly beards affect people in a wider variety of ways in their sensitivity …

Solitary Protest, Mary Jones

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

"Alienation, estrangement, disaffection, anomie, withdrawal, disengagement, separation, noninvolvement, apathy, indifference, and neutralism--all of these terms point to a sense of loss, a growing gap between men and their social world." but these terms, which Kenneth Keniston disparages as the current vocabulary of social commentary, are indeed a familiar description of today. The youth on college campuses are especially fluent in the use of the many synonyms of alienations to depict prevalent college attitudes and social values. Even the term "generation gap" seems to cry of separation, estrangement, and alienation between two factions of our society-- young and old. what is …

The Use Of Defensiveness As A Covariate Of Self-Report In The Assessment Of Self-Concept Among Navajo Adolescents, Bruce Leon Arneklev

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study investigated the relationship between defensiveness scores and self-report scores as they interrelate in the assessment of self-concept and its change. Data were analyzed to determine if self-report scores adjusted by regression for defensiveness would be more congruent with a criterion measure than unadjusted scores.

A secondary problem was to evaluate the extent to which the self criticism scale on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) and the self-report vs. objective rating discrepancy method would identify the same individuals as defensive.

Samples were drawn from a population of adolescent Navajo boarding school students. A treatment sample participated in an …

The Teaching Of Concrete Thinking Strategies To Five-Year-Old Children And Its Effect On Performance On The Bender-Gestalt Test, Ronald C. Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to examine the effect teaching five and one-half to six-year-old children analytical and conceptual thinking strategies would have on their subsequent performance on the Bender-Gestalt Test. The sample was composed of 34 kindergarten children in this age range from the Providence Elementary School. They were randomly divided into two groups of equal size; one group was then given three 10-minute training sessions over three days which were designed to teach them analytical and conceptual thinking strategies. The other group was also given three 10-minute sessions with the investigator; however, they were only involved in looking at …

"Natural Counselors": An Assessment Of Their Facilitative Abilities, George Louis Lindenfeld

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Statement of the problem
Within each community there exist individuals who, although untrained in the techniques of therapeutic psychology, are able to facilitate positive growth experiences among their acquaintances. Although research concerning the "natural counselor" is sparse, current focus on the potential contributions of lay personnel is a closely related area. The problem, then, with which this study is concerned, is the present lack of knowledge regarding those individuals who may be classified as "natural counselors."

Objective
The objective of this study was to assess one aspect of the alternative sources of aid that are available to those individuals who …

The Effects Of Cholinergic And Adrenergic Chemicals On Drinking Behavior (Thirst), G. Ron Norton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because of inconsistencies in the research literature following Grossman's (1960) demonstration that drinking behavior (thirst) could be modulated by intrahypothalamic injections of adrenergic and cholinergic chemicals, a series of studies were undertaken to clarify the relation between introducing chemicals into the brain and drinking behaviors.

The first study attempted to determine the effect of water deprivation on post-deprivation drink sequencing. It has been demonstrated that 75% - 90% of the water consumed by normal rats is taken during the evening hours (Fitzsimmons, 1957; Stellar & Hill, 1952). Grossman's (1960; 1962a) studies failed to consider normal drinking rhythms and consequently modulated …

The Effect Of Freshman And Sophomore College Students' Impressions Of Counseling On Awareness And Use Of The Utah State University Counseling Center, William Richard Wood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to provide information about: (1) Utah State University students' impressions of counseling, (2) the sources of these impressions, (3) students' awareness of the University Counseling Center, and (4) the effect of the foregoing factors on student use of the counseling facilities.

The sample consisted of a group of 107 freshmen and 43 sophomores randomly selected from the general psychology courses at Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Student information was obtained by a questionnaire and students' impressions of counseling were assessed by a semantic differential. The data were analyzed by t-test, chi-square and analysis of variance.

The …

An Evaluation Of The Collegiate Experience Of The Usu Student, Mark G. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American College Testing Program's Institutional Self-Study Survey was used in this study to consider USU students' goals, achievements, and evaluations of their collegiate experience. Goals included were students' educational majors, vocational plans, final college degree sought, and the relative importance attached to attaining Vocational, Academic, Social, and Non-Conventional goals. Achievements studied were both intellectual and nonacademic out-of-class accomplishments, and students' perceived progress in achieving Intellectual-Humanistic, Group-Welfare, Scientific-Independent, and Practical-status outcomes of their collegiate experience. Student evaluations of instructors, college services, selected policies, practices, facilities, and required courses were also studied. National normative data were compared with USU data in …

Mmpi Characteristics Of Students Showing Conduct Infractions At Utah State University, Carl S. Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study of the personality characteristic as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic personality Inventory (MMPI) was made of an experimental group of students brought before the Standards Committee at Utah State University for infractions against the school's code of conduct. It was then compared with personality characteristics of a control group representing the remaining student body.

The result was no significant difference between the two groups on any of the MMPI scales.

After checking the activities of the two groups, it was found that the experimental group was lower in grade point average than the general student body, but this …