Psychology Commons^™

The Effects Of A Social Stimulus On The Protestant Ethic Effect In Rats, Gary L. Cotton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether rats’ preference to freeload (eat food pellets from a food cup) or to work for food (obtain food pellets by bar pressing) could be influenced by observing either a working or freeloading model in an adjacent operant chamber.

Following equal amounts of bar press and freeloading training, 18 male Sprague-Dawley rats approximately 100 days cold were divided into three experimental groups. The first group was permitted to view a working model while being presented a choice between bar pressing and free-loading. A second experimental group was exposed to a freeloading model …

A Methodological Consideration In The Comparison Of Two Explanatory Hypotheses Of Imagery, Paula Carter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A replication of the Carter and Craig (1975) investigation comparing the “conceptual peg” and “relational connective” explanations as to the effectiveness of an interaction imagery strategy in paired-associate learning was performed with the suggested changes in methodology. These changes included training the subjects and presenting the stimulus and response nouns on separate screens rather than visually side-by-side. In addition, two separation imagery strategies were investigated so that the nouns were visualized on opposite sides of the imaginary visual field or on opposite walls of an imaginary room.

An interaction imagery strategy, a separation imagery—space strategy, a separation imagery—wall strategy, and …

Attitude Toward Women’S Role And Self-Concept In College Women, Susan Fisher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study was designed to help answer the question: Do women with nontraditional attitudes toward the role of women in society obtain higher self-concept scores than women with more traditional attitudes toward the role of women? A second question was also investigated: Do women with non-traditional attitudes toward the role of women report that they behave more assertively than women with more traditional attitudes? One hundred and eighty-five undergraduate females were administered the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS), the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS), and the College Self-Expressions Scale (CSES). Subjects were included in one of the three experimental groups …

Increased Recall For Low Anxious Subjects Using Increased Anxiety, Charles Webb

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A sample of 14 low anxious (LA) male and 18 LA female subjects was drawn from introductory psychology classes. The effect of increased state anxiety, using differing instruction procedures, upon serial recall learning was studied. The Multiple Affect Adjective Check List was used as a measure of anxiety, and a Hull memory drum with nonsense syllables was used as the learning task. Results indicated that there was a significant (p < .05) increase in learning for females but no significant increase in learning for males. This study is in agreement with the majority of studies which found differences due to sex. The female subjects gave results more consistent with drive theory in relationship to increased state anxiety and learning than male subjects. A hypothesis to explain why males do not yield as consistent results as females in relation to increased anxiety and learning is stated. Implication for further research is also discussed.

Perceptual Reactance & Female Athletic Participation, Elliot Herman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Three groups of females: contact athletes (basketball players), noncontact athletes (tennis and golf players), and nonathletes, were tested to determine their perceptual reactance. It was predicted that since women contact athletes tolerate more pain than women noncontact athletes and nonathletes, they should reduce their estimations of the test block more than noncontact athletes and nonathletes. It was also predicted that since women noncontact athletes tolerate more pain than women nonathletes, they should reduce their estimations of the test block more than the nonathletes. These predictions parallel previous findings for men. The results demonstrated no significant differences between the three groups …

The Experimental-Gestalt Growth Group, Daniel Miller

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Volunteer college students participated either as members of two experimental experiential-Gestalt growth groups or as members of a control group. The experimental groups met for one two hour period per week for eight weeks. It was hypothesized that the experimental group members would change significantly in the direction of increased self-actualization as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) while the nontreatment control group members would not. A comparison of pre- and posttest scores for the groups indicated no significant effects of the group process. Increases occurred over the nine week period for both experimental and control subjects. The importance …

The Effects Of Experiential-Gestalt Growth Groups On A Measure Of Self-Acceptance & Acceptance Of Others, Danny Brown

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Two experiential-Gestalt oriented growth groups were conducted with the purpose of determining the effects such a group process has in increasing an individual's acceptance of himself and others. The sample included 26 students who had volunteered to participate in a growth group experience. Ten volunteers were assigned to a control group while the remaining 16 volunteers were evenly divided into two growth groups. Experiential groups met for two hours once a week for eight weeks. Focus of the groups was primarily on the moment to moment experiencing of individual participants and the interaction among them. In order to assess the …

Personality Correlates Of Field Dependence/Independence In Preadolescent Children, James Koch Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between perceptual style as measured by the Children’s Embedded Figures Test (CEFT) and personality as measured by the Children’s Personality Questionnaire (CPQ). The sample included 69 fifth grade students of which 30 were male and 39 were female. All subjects were preadolescent children, of average intelligence, from lower class and lower-middle class socioeconomic homes.

Multiple regression analyses were utilized for the total sample and for each sex using the CEFT as the dependent variable and the 14 CPQ scales as independent variables. It was judged more meaningful to interpret only …

The Effects Of Locus Of Control On Performance In Self-Directed Study, Jane Vaughn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A sample was taken from a self-directed statistics/experimental psychology class to investigate the relationship between locus of control orientation of the students and their academic performance. Self-directed study was defined as student oriented learning with few lectures and the use of contingency points (points earned for work completed) as reinforcement for completing work packets and projects. (The null hypothesis was that there is no relationship between grades and locus of control in the self-directed class.) It was found that internals progress through a self-directed class setting at a significantly faster rate than do externals.

A Concurrent Validity Study Of The Acting Out Score Of The Hand Test, Arthur Dosch

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In an investigation of the concurrent validity of the Acting Out Score (AOS) of the Hand Test, the AOSs of 32 normal college students were compared with the scores they obtained on two clinically popular self-report criterion measures of hostility and aggression, the Buss-Durkee (BD) and the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ). The AOS did not significantly differentiate between high and low scoring groups on either the HDHQ or BD although both criterion measures were found to be significantly related.

A Comparison Of Self-Perception Between Facilitated & Leaderless Developmental Groups, Gloria Gatti

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Change in self-perception, assessed by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), F scale and an experimenter developed self-perception measure, was examined for participants in facilitated and leaderless developmental groups and a control group. The subjects, students in sophomore level psychology courses, were administered the MBTI, F scale, and self-perception measure one week prior to the first developmental group session and one week after completion of nine group sessions. No significant difference was found in amount of change in self -perception between the three groups. It was concluded that brief low intensity developmental groups may not produce significant positive chance in self-perception …

Risk-Taking Propensity In Relation To The Choice Of Vasectomy As A Preferred Method Of Contraception, Kathleen Hines

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study investigated the possible relationship between the degree of risk-taking propensity and the choice of vasectomy as a preferred method of birth control. Three sample groups, vasectomy seeking men, their wives, and men using contraceptive measures other than permanent sterilization, were tested for degree of risk-taking. The instrument used to measure risk-taking propensity was The Desire For Certainty Test (Brim, 1955). In addition, selected demographic variables were analyzed for the two groups of males to assure a relatively greater degree of homogenietv among these two male sample groups. A Dunnett's Test was used to assess the difference between …

The Effects Of Small Growth Groups On Self-Concept As Measured By The Tennessee Self Concept Scale, Bruce Blythe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The specific problem investigated in the study was to determine the effects that small growth groups would have on the self-concepts of the participants. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale was used as a measure. The experimental group (N=30) and the control group (N=30) were comprised of college students enrolled in Introductory Psychology classes at Western Kentucky University. The group members participated in ten sessions over a five week period. An analysis of variance of the split plot design was conducted to measure the hypothesized change in self due to the treatment. The conclusion of this study is that participants in …

A Relationship Between The Bender-Gestalt & The Burks Behavior Rating Scale For Organic Brain Dysfunction, Judith Chenet

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sixty randomly selected first, second, and third graders were rated on the Burks Behavior Rating Scale for Organic Brain Dysfunction and were administered the Bender-Gestalt. The scores from each Burks category were compared to the Koppitz Developmental score on their corresponding Bender-Gestalt protocol. A Spearmar Rho indicated significant correlations (p<.05) between the total Burks score and the Koppitz Bender-Gestalt, the Vegetative-Autonomic scale and the Koppitz Bender- Gestalt, and the Perceptual -Discriminative scale and the Koppitz Bender- Gestalt. A nonsignificant negative correlation was found between the Burks Social-Emotional scale and the Koppitz Bender-Gestalt.

The Protestant Ethic Effect With Children In Multi-Choice Environment, Linda Brunick

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Nineteen first graders were placed in a four-choice situation which allowed investigation of the "Protestant ethic effect" (PEE). The S's task was to obtain tokens which could be traded for toys and candy. Tokens were available from any or all of the following quadrants (Q): (Q₁) a location where the S was allowed the option to manipulate a toggle switch and/or obtain freely accessible tokens, (Q₂) a location at which tokens were freely accessible, and (Q₄) a work location in which the S received tokens contingent upon the operation of a toggle switch. A …

A Comparison Of The Intellectually Gifted, Average, And Below Average High School Subjects On The Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey, Lyda Parker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between intellectual ability of 276 high school students and personality as measured by the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey (GZTS) factors. The 10 GZTS traits utilized were: General Activity, Restraint, Ascendance, Sociability, Emotional Stability, Objectivity, Friendliness, Thoughtfulness, Personal Relations and Masculinity. The study was designed to test for the relationship between three IQ groups (high, middle and low) and each of 10 GZTS personality factors. A multiple groups design was used, in which the three groups of subjects were blocked across intelligence. Ten one-way analyses of variance were performed to determine if …

The Effect Of Locus Of Control, Influence & Awareness On A Verbal Conditioning Task, James Chudy

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In a Taffel-tyne erbal conditioning task, the conditionabilitv of Internals (I's) and Externals (E's) was investigated under two types of influence (Hi vs. Lo) involving Ss who were either aware or unaware of the correct responsereinforcement contingency. A 2 X 2 X 2 X 7 repeated measures analysis of variance conducted on both the conditioning and extinction data revealed that aware Ss used the operant to a significantly greater degree during conditioning and significantly less during extinction. No significant differences in the rate of responding during conditioning and extinction were found for the main effects of locus of control or …

Internal Versus External Locus Of Control & Religious Preference, Thomas Mcgloshen Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Members of adult Sunday School classes from seven churches in Bowling Green, Kentucky, were administered Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. The seven churches were also ranked by ministers on a continuum of doctrinal closedness-openness. The hypothesis stated that there would be a difference among churches according to mean internal-external control scores. It was also hypothesized that the members of the more doctrinally closed churches would tend to score as more externally controlled. Analysis of covariance indicated that the churches did differ significantly on the internal-external control scale but the doctrinally closed churches tended to be more internal than the …

The Relationships Of Sociometric Status And Personality Factors Among Sixth Grade Children, Mike Fischer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Historically, social interaction has played a central role in the development of personality constructs. How one sees himself, how others perceive him, and how these variables interact have played a core role in many theoretical systems.

If the theoretical assumptions underlying the relationships between personality development and social interaction are true, then significant relationships should exist between sociometric measures of personality. This was the rationale surrounding the development of this study.

The Protestant Ethic Effect: A Multiple Dependent Variable Analysis, Ronald Stephens

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

When an organism is allowed to choose "between working for food or receiving "free" food, what will its decision "be? For years such a question would have been addressed within the framework proposed by Clark Hull (1943): the organism would choose the alternative requiring the least amount of effort and eat the free food. However, several recent investigations have cast doubt on the generality of this lav: of least effort. Typically these studies have involved training organisms to respond for a reinforcer, defined as a stimulus that increases the probability of a response (Hilgard ?z Bower, 1966), and subsequently allowing …

An Investigation Of The Influence Of Stress On The Protestant Ethic Effect, April Schnur

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the past decade researchers have demonstrated that organisms do not always perform according to Hull's "law of less work" (Hull, 1943). In certain situations, some Ss prefer to perform an operant (e.g., bar press) rather than freeload to receive reinforcement (e.g., food). Though it can be argued that this is not behavior typical of all Ss (Taylor, 1972), lack of generality is not the point. As Metze and Craig (1973) point out, data from deviant individual Ss may prove to be the most interesting.

There are two research objectives for the present study. First, an attempt was made to …

The Effects Of Developmental Groups On Personality Factors, Larry Sensing

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Because of the attempt by our culture to deal with isolation and alienation in contemporary life, the small group process has become a significant force in many parts of American society. It has been known under many names: encounter group, T-group, sensitivity group and developmental group. Since this phenomenon generally grew outside of the "establishment," those scholars and behavioral scientists who have in the past been charged with the evaluation of such practices only recently have begun to explore its effects. Perhaps because the group process was not first explored intensively in an academic setting, colleges have been among the …

An Examination Of Clinical Psychology Programs In The United States And Peru And Recommendations For Future Development Of Programs In Peru, Oscar Barreda

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Chapter I will be concerned with a definition and classification of psychology as a science, the process to be followed in order to obtain a degree in psychology or a professional title, some characteristics of a psychologist, and finally the place in which psychology as a profession stands from an ethical and legal position.

Chapter II will refer to psychological knowledge, standards and principles which defined psychotherapy practices. It will also be descriptive of some psychological services and delivery systems for such services.

From the great variety of programs and fields of study found in the United States today, according …

The Effects Of Monetary Incentives On Group Intelligence Test Performance Of Lower Class Children, Larry Gerbig

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Since the advent of the first intelligence test in 1905, the primary goal of the psychometric field has been to obtain the most reliable and valid evaluation of an individual's level of intellectual functioning. The major difficulty concerning this goal, however, has been how to motivate the individual to work at his optimum level of performance. Terman (1916) attempted to solve this motivation problem through the use of praise. "Exclamations like 'Fine!,' Splendid!,' etc. should be used lavishly. Almost any innocent deception is permissible which keeps the child interested, confident, and at his best level of effort Cio. 120." Terman …

Strength Of An Established Taste Aversion As A Function Of A Tap Or Distilled Water Adaptation Period, Frank Etscorn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Studies in taste aversion learning are typically of the following designs An animal is made to consume a novel tasting substance (the conditioned stimulus) such as saccharin diluted in water. Following a specified length of time, the animal is then subjected to a gastrointestinal insult (the unconditioned stimulus) from such independent sources as X-ray overdose or poison injection. After the subject is allowed to recover from will made the ensuing illness, it can be observed that the animal avoid consuming the flavored substance if it available.

Ua35/11 Student Honors Bulletin, Vol. I, No. 1, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

Articles written by honors program students. They were originally research projects, class papers or essays written for academic credit, but in each case the student has done further work editing and improving his or her manuscript for this publication. The articles represent a broad range of interests and disciplines, and they indicate a healthy attempt on the part of at least some students to dig for deeper knowledge and understanding than is usually associated with undergraduate study.

• Harris, James. The Trent Affair; Restraint vs. Irresponsibility
• Massey, Scott. Foolishness
• Oskins, Doug. Reuse of Sewage as a Potable Water Supply
• Alvey, Richard. …

Verbal Reward & Punishment & Need For Approval In Schizophrenics, Chester Gay Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study was designed to further examine the effects of verbal reward and punishment on task performance of schizophrenics. The relationship of need for approval of schizophrenics (as measured by the M-C SDS) to performance and to reward and punishment was also examined. Verbal reward and punishment along with need for approval served as independent variables. Task performance was the dependent variable. The following major questions were asked:

1. Does verbal reward and punishment significantly influence performance of schizophrenics?
2. How is the personality construct, need for approval, related to performance of tasks by schizophrenics?
3. Is there a significant interaction between …

Job Attitude, Motivation, Personality Traits And Perceived Deficiencies In Need Fulfillment As A Function Of Job Level, Jeff Trullinger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A study of 958 managers is reported which investigates, by questionnaire, differences in perceived deficiencies in need fulfillment at all levels of management in both large and small organizations. It further gives attention to the relative importance of 13 personality traits for success in their management position, and examines whether motivational commonality exists among various job conditions at all levels of management. Results indicate: (a) all levels of management tend to be similar in the relative ranks they give to the importance of needs regardless of size of organization, (b) self-actualization and autonomy needs seem to be most important by …

A Study Of The Differences In P Power And S Power In Three Populations: Inpatient Alcoholics, Non-Alcoholics And Alcoholics Anonymous Members, Bryan Carter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Samples from three populations, Alcoholics Anonymous members, inpatient alcoholics and non-alcoholics, were compared for the level of manifestation of the need for socialized power and personalized power. The comparison of these groups on a Q sort technique developed for this study indicated that the sample of Alcoholics Anonymous members was significantly higher in the need for socialized power than either the sample of inpatient alcoholics or the sample of non-alcoholics. The level of socialized power concern of the inpatient alcoholic group did not differ significantly from that of the non-alcoholic group. The inpatient alcoholic group was found to be significantly …

The Risky Shift Among Friends And In Arbitrarily Formed Groups, Bryan Crow

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Michael Wallach and Nathan Kogan (1959) devised the Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire (Appendix A) for scaling the propensity of individuals to take risks. The Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire (CDQ) requires the respondent to indicate the lowest probability of success he would accept before he would advise the central figure in each of 12 hypothetical decision situations to choose the riskier--but more attractive--of two options. Accepting slimmer chances of success (higher risks of failure) yields a iowei (riskier) seoi-e. The t>core on a given item can range from a risky low of one chance in ten to a conservative high--in most experiments--of …